Air Travel in the time of COVID19

Wow, what a trip it's been; not only the past 3 months of various stages of lock-down, stay home, quarantine, self-isolation whatever they call it wherever you are, anticipated extensions of rules, airport closures, border closures, daily stats of new cases, deaths, to mask or not to mask, conspiracy theories, cause debate, second waves, third waves, mitigation strategies, economic collapse, fearfulness, media manipulation... the list goes on and is based on your perspective. Now there is something interesting, a global event  shaped by our lived experience that forms our perspective, and how many different perspectives does that add up to? This is the subject of another article to follow. For now I only want to unpackage our lived experience transitioning from Yangon, the biggest city in Myanmar to Calgary in Canada, closest city to the Rocky Mountains.

We are expats. I have lived in 9 countries since 1997 when I left Canada, I have 2 son's the youngest now 13 so for him its been 6 countries. 
Our last stop was Myanmar, more specifically Yangon and after 4 years we left there in the midst of the annual monsoon drenching that will last another 3 months. Our travel is tagged to their mother's humanitarian work where she is re-posted every 3-5 years: Myanmar was a 4 year post, Nepal before that 3 years, a year in Ecuador, Beirut 3 years and before that and they were both born in Malaysia. Now we wait for news of the next post, her organization, as many, confounded by the new paradigm of uncertainty.  Before all that I worked as a humanitarian frontline worker living in Vietnam, East Timor, Afghanistan and over the years have worked in several other hotspots where human folly plays out as conflict and strife. Now and for the past 8 years I am a therapist, focused on wellness harnessing approaches and tools that have evolved over 1000's of years, mainly from Indian and Chinese traditions to help bring balance to the body systems. I have a website: https://www.elementalwellness.life/

So this wasn't our first move... though this one was different, very different and it has to be said it wasn't so hard, with kids now in their teens and pretty well dialed in to planes and airports and what is going on travelling has become pretty easy. What was hard was the context of travelling during the time of Covid; what would usually be pretty straightforward was suddenly fraught with uncertainty. From booking to paying to meeting requirements to travel, to checking in...  And we were all saying good-bye Myanmar, the friends, the house lived in for 4 years, and Karma, the family dog (not a happy dog) would have to stay behind for his rabies vaccine waiting period for 3 months! The boys Mum too would remain and join later in the summer with a planned move to Europe.

My sons finished their virtual schooling June 18 and we made plans to get out of Myanmar. There was a bi-weekly 'relief' flight to Seoul, Korea and an uncertain weekly  UN Humanitarian Air Service flight to Kuala Lumpur. We opted for the former, with western Canada being our end destination flying to Korea was on the way. Unfortunately the Monday flight gets you in early on Tuesday and there is no Tuesday flight to Vancouver until the next day, and you can't stay in Seoul more than 24hrs without being quarantined there... so we ended up going via Narita and Vancouver with Calgary being our end destination... nothing so simple about booking that I can tell ya.

5 airports, 4 flights, 3 travellers, 2 Mondays, 1 destination. 

There is a great website btw to help decode entry to different countries https://flattenthecurve.global/

We checked in early arriving by 6:30 pm for a 9:00pm departure, we were helping friends who will move to Calgary from Yangon in August by using our extra bag allowance to carry '3 bags full' for them. Pretty cheap, I negotiated a discount down to $100 ea extra bag then all 6 bags were tagged through to Calgary... sweeeet! Nothing I like more on a long multi airport trip than saying good-bye to my bags at the beginning and hello at the end! 

There were no questions about final destination (we have Canadian passports), no request for the 'fit to fly' certificates, Covid negative tests, etc... nada. Smooth sailing and why shouldn't it be? Myanmar, country of 55 Million people porous border with China and Thailand and yet only 6 deaths and 317  cases (time of writing), no increased mortalities in the population over 3 months... surely is one of the lowest Covid19 risk places on earth (one of the highest for dengue fever which so far in 2020 has killed ).  And please, let's not talk about testing; once I understood the 'accuracy' of the PCR test and how testing was being done either randomly or using a prescribed method or in a targeted (new arrivals, symptompatics, case tracing) manner, I stopped watching the stats, especially comparing countries... a terrific way to waste time. 

The Yangon Airport was of course deserted. I think we were the only flight. The moving goal-posts of Airport re-opening dates have been a real feature here usually announced 3 days before-hand first it was mid-June then end-June, mid-July and now end-July is the newest prospective date to re-open. Though rumour has it perhaps the Airport will reopne in October. The Korean Airlines 'relief' flight (I believe it is so-named because it relieves the pressure in Myanmar felt by 'trapped' expats and Myanmar people trapped elsewhere...) has been running 2x/week since the beginning of airport closures and Seoul's Incheon airport was one of the first to reopen and so people are now flying east to Seoul to then fly west to Europe, convenient though to go to North America and other places in Asia. Good strategy by the Myanmar and the Koreans!

Sensibly Myanmar stays in step with Thailand on 're-opening' as do clusters of other countries in ASEAN ; Bangkok being the biggest travel hub in SE Asia. And Thailand is being super cautious knowing it has a responsibility not only to its own population but to the region, and the world. Nice folks, and smart. The China factor presents an interesting conundrum, who is going to open up to China first? And when will the political/economic pressure come to bear to open to the big money of China tourism? 

It was kind of funny when our gate number changed 30mins before boarding... I mean why, when there were no other flights!? We made our way to the new gate through darkened deserted departure areas, the airport wifi didn't even work, and the only public announcement was the one reminding you to keep distance, mask up and wash hands every 5 mins. A kiosk with coffee, fizzy drinks, beer, cup-noodle and candy bars brought up the rear as our passenger group straggled to the new gate. I had my last Myanmar Premium beer! I like Yangon airport, it is clean, quiet, not too big or busy, has all the amenities (full disclosure) including a Burger King where we ritually pay homage to junk food exceptionally indulging when departing, but not this time; like all other shops and restaurants, even Burger King was closed.

We were greeted at the door by flight crew in their new dapper Covid duds, well-protected, the evident presumption of contagion supercedes the logic that given the low incidence in Myanmar and that 'stay-at-home' has been in place since April, we could hardly be infected. Can't be too careful and what airline wants a single case to originate on it's flight!? So we were distant from other people, food came and had been plasticized more than I've ever seen, at least on this leg we got wine... all other flights there was no wine... that's when you know things are serious and you have to question the wisdom of flying in the time of Covid... I mean no wine? Seriously?

So it began, sterile uncrowded planes from one airport to the next, Yangon (RGN) to Seoul (ICH) to Tokyo (NRT) to Vancouver (YVR) to Calgary (YYC). It has to be said, planes these days at least with Korean and Air Canada are pretty clean places, better than your average Tim Hortons or Starbucks for sure. The recirculated air is hepa filtered, everyone is masked, some more than others and you might get your own row which is a nice perk for the over-night's and if you don't then there is at least a seat between people. Our first was an overnight and only 5 hrs long unfortunately because we each had a row to ourselves and could stretch out.

We had 6 hrs wait in the shiny Incheon Airport terminal building outside Seoul, no complaints except nothing was open when we arrived and when they did open at 7am, there was really nothing to be had. We self-declared our Wellness and in return got nifty little certificates.

Our wait was fine, able to charge up all devices and even get a wee bit more sleep on nice chairs and sleepers in spacious environs; we sat far in excess of the 2m distancing required. The airport is all glass, steel and marble and was pretty eerily empty, would have been great to have a skateboard or inline skates.

Out on the tarmac you could sense through a rainy morning the issues at hand, not only here but globally, fleets of luggage carriers, planes sitting idle for weeks and months add up to people idle too, poverty rising with unemployment, airlines going bankrupt, airports going bankrupt and then your mind wanders towards the impact on tourist economies and how absolutely devastating this continues to be. 

Before long you start wondering about lock-down as a means of doing what exactly.... containing the virus? Actually yes to some degree, but mostly it was implemented to avoid overwhelming healthcare systems and give time for public health and medical exploration as to the best way forward ... that's what 'flatten the curve' was all about. What about countries with already overwhelmed healthcare systems and precarious economies (most lower income countries)? Is lockdown a viable strategy for them where there is little capacity for government support to small businesses and the newly unemployed, no public safety net... only the prospect for broader misery and deeper poverty (which btw translates globally to more hungry children). Lockdown for many countries, Myanmar being one, has been a serious mis-adventure, one that has ruined the economy and caused great suffering and continues to do so as the economic 'second wave' has not yet hit. But more on that in another blog. Onward.

The flight from Seoul to Narita was surprisingly 'crowded' if you can call 2/3 full crowded, it is a less than 2 hour flight and well, to be honest we were not the best dressed in terms of PPE!

Really, the international flights were bubbles of cleanliness, I can speak only of the planes we were on; my understanding is that elsewhere, places where masks are being challenged and mistrust of government advice is more the norm, flights may not be so hygenic, but all of ours were amazing, and we were breathing sanitized hepa filtered air!

On the plane to Narita we had to fill in 6 forms... some of which had no English translation, the flight crew helped but didn't know since we were in transit for only 3 hours whether we had to complete them or not. In the end, I mean really, the 3 of us and any other transit passenger, chucked their forms in the bin! Tut tut.

 

Tokyo airport was like the others, granted it was early but most things were closed, people kept distance sat apart, everyone was masked. As we were leaving Dunkin Donuts opened so we got some 'breakfast'. The departure boards curiously showed more cancelled flights than those 'on time' and I'm not sure why the cancelled ones would be on the board at all, must auto-poll and post the data and they can't turn it off or something.

Our flight to Vancouver, the longest leg at 9 hrs was painless aboard a rather nice 777. We somehow ended up in Premium Economy which, if you have the whole row as we did I don't advise because the armrest is where the tray table is and doesn't fold up so you can't lie down across seats! Sigh. Who knew!

The Air Canada flight crew were as usual well aged (like a fine wine) and their usual courteous blasé selves, I swear Air Canada flight attendants are taught to be staid and just the right side of polite so as not to lose their jobs. Asian airlines, crews are younger and more peppy, helpful and don't have that 'don't piss me off, I've been doing this 30 years attitude', because in Asia people are grateful to have a job and that they get to travel is a huge thing. 

We were seated pretty much in our own rows I'd guess they spread the customers out and seat placement on the advance seating chart adjusts with the numbers booked. Sterility wasn't overly evident on this flight, PPE wasn't over the top, but neither were there pillows, nor blankets despite the length of the flight. I think this is a bit of a cheat from AC, always looking to cut corners. We know that pillow-cases or pillows are usually disposed of and blankets are collected for laundering after every flight so where is the risk? Not to mention that they only have to carry less than 1/4 of what they normally do. 

The dinner came (no wine or fizzy drinks...why?) all the food wrapped in plastic. I'll say that it was pretty good like 6/10 even though nothing on it had seen a farmers field anytime recently. Like hospital food, you can complain endlessly about airplane food but what's the point, you have to simply be grateful for being fed 10km up in the sky zooming along at 1000 kph... soaring in the jetstream in the middle of a pandemic. 

And so we landed through the cloudy drizzly morning, having crossed the dateline over the Pacific we were back to being Monday morning again. Sigh. Two Monday mornings, lucky us. Vancouver Airport was also empty, time of day and Covid combined it was eerily quiet. We had our Covid self-declarations in hand, it is a form with information and a tick-box list that we understood and agreed to self-isolate for 14 days in one location, go directly from the airport, have someone deliver food, etc. There was a space for a phone number, address and email address, I had my Myanmar mobile number and I was pretty sure that wouldn't work so I gave a Calgary friend's number, our Air BnB address and my email address. The form said we would be contacted within 3 days and possibly every 24hrs. I wondered how the form and information would even get to Alberta and when.

It was so nice to pass the familiar Salish spindle whorl, an eagle around a man welcoming travellers, the world's largest and to see the Salish Houseposts greeting people to Canada is warm and reassuring that you have arrived. That is the usually bustling immigration hall, in younger years of arriving back it's here I'm usually pulled out of the queue for extra-special treatment by Immigration officers, not this time, we waltzed straight on down.

We approached Border services all three of us and presented the 'single household' Covid declaration form to the officer. I was a bit surprised that it was here that our form got the look over and to confirm that we understood the tick-list. When I mentioned about the phone number he didn't flinch, in fact he didn't really seem to care and had an attitude while asking us questions that I found curious; either he didn't think it was something to take seriously or he didn't think it was his job to ask... something like that.

Apparently this is what is supposed to happen, didn't really happen that way, was softer, less strident.. https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/multimedia/ncov/air-avion-eng.html and well to be honest, less serious.

Anyway, the officer's parting words as we passed into Canada were 'Welcome Home' so that was nice. We were hungry and since our bags were checked through we hustled to Domestic departures, I was surprised to see as I passed the exit for International Arrivals no Covid checking people, no nurse greeting to see if all was well, no one checking to see that people were in fact getting in a vehicle to to directly to their self-isolation location. Nope people just milling about and exiting waiting for friends, all having come off the same plane, all from overseas, most Canadian. Was a bit odd.

Doing as good Canadians do when on a morning flight, we headed to Tim Hortons eh! This is where for the first time in months I felt the most exposed to the virus. I think we caught a shift change as there were quite a few worker types milling about getting coffee and breakfast, unmasked for the most part, a crowd looking pretty much like normal. This was a bit surprising given what we thought we knew of the response to Covid here and it was not the armageddon we were prepared for. 

The flight to Calgary was less 'hygenic' than any of the previous 4 but it was a domestic commuter hop, most people flying anyway should be at least symptom free. Arrival was uneventful and soon our 6 bags appeared off the baggage carousel. I was running about looking for a place to buy a SIM card so I had a phone number but none to be found. We exited, our friends were there waiting, one to pick up the 3 bags that we had carried and the others with a spare car so we could self-drive 'directly to our place of isolation' as per instructions.

Our cute little place of self-isolation on a sunny day, the days were not all sunny ;-)

We had arrived, I understand why returning Canadians have to self-isolate I do... I don't get why we can't be trusted to go for walks in parks or beaches, the requirement is that you stay on the private property or if in a hotel stay in your room. Pretty restrictive, where is the understanding that sunlight and exercise support immunity and wellness? Methinks they missed something not trusting the population and this is a mistake, educated people are better off with the opportunity to self-govern. It's when they stray that perhaps government needs to step in.

That said, we have been trusted to behave these past 14 days; my friend has received 2 automated phone calls and I have had 2 emails reminding me of the rules. We heard on 01 July that Canada had done a good enough job of containing the virus that we are on the list of countries able to enter the EU! So they must be doing something right. A frontline healthcare worker here in Calgary told me yesterday that for her Canadians should be thanked for staying home and locking down the way they were required... she says a major health crisis was averted. If that's the case then for sure the people of Myanmar deserve big cudos as well! 

That's it... Welcome to Canada in the time of Covid, our next travel will be to Europe! Stay tuned!

Full Moon in July over Calgary, Alberta

Part III: To screen or not to screen that is the question: teenagers and screen time

Our context

Put another way the title of this blog could also read 'to do or to be, that is the question'! I have blogged on screens and screen time for kids twice, 4 years ago and the time before that was 2014 though I think about it often and live daily the rapid evolution of all things internet and my children's interaction with it. I realise that engagement with a screen is a very active 'doing' practice not at all a 'being' one. It is very busy for the mind, and this stands in contrast to what kids might otherwise be engaged in which is 'being'; hitting a tennis ball against a wall, football with friends, lying in the sun or swimming, building with bricks, riding a bike, imagining with dolls, cars, alone or together in person with someone else, whatever... an activity known as Playing!  I have 2 boys, now a tween and early teen, their lives are being messed with; its time to update. 

I'll throw in a contextual caveat early because it has an effect; we live internationally, currently in Myanmar, before that it was Nepal, before that Ecuador, before that Lebanon, before that... you get the picture. We don't live stable lives where we can measure annual height progress against the doorframe or where we can run to the grocer and say hey because he's the same guy who sent a veggie plate to your first born's baptism. Sadly we don't really live in community, old friends and relatives are far away spread around the world, we visit them on holidays and not often. Locally the 'hood isn't very accessible, I mean its friendly enough but few people speak English and in this country newly opened to foreigners we are regarded with curiosity, still a novelty and treated with suspicion by some... it means aside from a few friends from school who live close by, we don't have community. And online community via social media pales in comparison to having thoughtful friends and wise elders living around the corner.

The other notable difference for us is that my sons go to a British curriculum international school rather than a public school. Burmese parents who can afford it strive to get their kids out of the public school system not known for it's progressive rigour in the education sector though it is reforming. The boy's school is well resourced and the kids there have all the toys, they wear a uniform (gasp) and across the board I'd say they want for nothing. This year, the 5th in its young life, the school, (I like to think) listened to parent-feedback and to their own good sense and have not sent home Macbook Air's for Secondary and iPads for Primary kids. It was making life screen-hell at home, the boys felt entitled to be on screen the minute they came home, the concept of screens and screen time being a privilege rather than a right was degraded by this school policy.  The policy was almost transparently a marketing ploy and that they axed it must have had a financial angle... 'nuff said they came to their senses and for that I am grateful.

Online life is different here in Myanmar. Internet is slower than in neighbouring Thailand but then it is much younger. Only 5 years ago a SIM card cost $200 and only 7 or 8 years it cost $2000 for a government monitored manky 3G data connection. Now it costs $3 for quite zippy 4G data. You can imagine the implications the sudden access to information and opinions combined with the low level of 'net literacy' has had. Imagine how much influence what appears online has to someone who has not had the benefit of living the evolution as information now delivered literally into their hands. Fake news for example, fools even the savvy e-content consumer; for those new to the medium and who didn't have access even to TV... hmm, you can see quite a problem developing. Facebook sees some of its highest penetration rates in emerging markets like Myanmar.  Some providers in Myanmar only give access to Facebook and very many people think FB is the internet (shock horror). And while more internet-evolved countries have moved on to Insta, Twitter, Snapchat, Reddit, etc away from Facebook, we are still in it deep, so much so a recent UN Human Rights report indicated FB un-vetted posts influenced public opinion and fanned the flames of hate during the Rohingya crisis of the past 2 years.

WiFi is not as prevalent here and often the signal is not strong or the band-width too narrow. By contrast 4G (and I fear soon 5G) is easy to get though not as cheap as in neighbouring Thailand and pretty fast. At my residence I can use Skype and Zoom easily and stream Netflix nearly without pause with pre-paid 4G and use my phone as a hotspot. Also, as parents we are not heavily invested in the virtual reality fad (we don't have the hardware), so I can't comment on this innovation or how it is problematic or not. Neither of the boys are into PS4 or X-Box mostly because we thankfully opted for the Wii and Nintendo's Switch, it has to be said though the unique hand-held option for this gaming platform is a mixed blessing; portability can be a curse.

In the USA particularly there is much concern for online safety for children and certainly teens are surfing far and wide so this is a well-founded fear though has to be seen in context; given the pervasive atmosphere of 'fear' and the incessant fear-mongering by media and government in the USA it is not surprising that there is a near-obsessive focus on it.  Online safety shouldn't need to be the centre of attention, it serves as a distraction from the main issue, the problems central to the internet and screen time with kids are deeper and more pervasive affecting their psychology, the integrity of their participation as responsible citizens and their individual wellness.  (As an aside it is an interesting analogy for USA society, where the focus on personal safety and national security in general distracts people easily and erodes community building, family values and social order, fodder for another blog to be sure.) All being said about teens on screens it is wise to be cautious and this website unpackages it for you. Please take the bits relevant to your context: https://www.wizcase.com/blog/a-comprehensive-cyberbullying-guide-for-parents/. 

Well-heeled international schools like the one my sons go to are quite savvy teaching the kids about the various traps inherent to being online, I believe (and pray) that this is sinking in with them and that they become discerning internet users. I advocate for everyone with children to go to https://www.commonsensemedia.org/and take time to peruse the 'Advice for Parents' tab. Take your time. And with your youngster vet their games or video choices and teach them to be informed consumers.

What has changed since 2015?

My kids have aged! Now 12 and 14 year old boys they are no longer children per se, they are tweenager and teenager. Their needs have changed, their interests have diversified, their skills have honed both in terms of knowledge of coding and what games and resources are high quality. Their ability to maneuver characters in online games is truly astounding; if you thought it was cute watching your 3 yr old swipe up and down, left and right check out a 14yr old's skills with a gaming mouse!

Content (games, websites, apps, anime, etc) they are able to access has widened, most have ratings that are 12+ or 13+ acknowledging the shift in cognitive understanding as kids mature and grow. Its a bit scary when you look at some of what the various sites have to offer to your 13 year old. Lately I was checking out Civilization 6 add-on packs with my 14 year old, it is very interesting weaving in climate change as a factor in building your empire though the final statement in the orientation session says 'Learn how to control the elements' quite the wrong paradigm to be encouraging... we know we can't control the elements, we should all be better off learning how to 'work with' the elements right?

Add to this the boom of online websites, like the .io games available on any device and they are often free. We used to filter access saying we only would look at free games, etc, now much of what was once 'pay to play' is free. What developers have figured out is that 'if you build it they will come', get the players on board and then bring in the dosh through the sale of accessories, cosmetics, add-ons, upgrades. So clever and kids unschooled in the wiles of marketers are rather open to the opportunities. Cosmetics are interesting, as they don't affect game play much but kids susceptible to the 'cool factor' who want the newest skin or what-have-you will have to pay for it much as they once needed the newest cool high-tops, or haircuts or fashion accessories.

YouTube is incredible now, I mean it always was but now, simply WOW. According to YouTube at the time of writing they have over 1.3Billion users, one out of two internet users views YouTube. Imagine how many channels there are available to your child. I'm told by he who knows (my 14yr old) to comment more about how content on YouTube has changed. Very popular are older Tubers (those in their 20's and 30's) who post instructional videos of themselves at gameplay on popular sites like Fortnite and Minecraft. Reality tubers are bigger than reality TV. Theres a whole culture going on out there, as evidenced by the BeautyYouTube tiff and that of pewdiepie vs t series... (seriously if you've never heard of these you gotta check it out). Often these Tubers were tech savvy screen teens who are now making a bundle (millions!) adding masses of content which can be pretty good stuff but when you consider the sheer mass, much of it is crap. Often content is delivered with questionable language, misogynist messaging, violent undertones and who knows what other less than desirable modelling behaviours. Suffice it to say there are also movie previews galore, and a ton of distractions and its not that they are all bad, some are great but there is no filter, only the brain of your growing child. Who monitors what their teens watch? YouTube Kids is for 8 and under, if you put the adult content filter on your browser it blocks out YouTube completely so is overly limiting for teens; over-restriction builds resentment and encourages finding ways to get around the restriction so is counter-productive.

Content they want to access has changed. According to Reuters online gaming for example has blown wide open, Gaming is now the number one entertainment media out there for kids, even surpassing television!  With games like Fortnite they can play with their friends and a plethora of others. There is live-chat during the game and they can chat with people they don't know as well as their friends and be exposed to any language. These aren't new games but there are many more now, Fortnite for example can be played on most common platforms (X-box, Switch, Playstation, etc) and it is available on all mobile devices IOS or Android, this is a new evolution.

Boredom is the anathema for teenagers; you have to ask yourself, before handheld screens, WiFi or 4G  what did they do with 'free time'? What did you do? Was there not significant value in day dreaming on long car or train rides or while waiting for a friend to show up or your turn at the dentist office. No value in watching the rain fall down the windows or the snow blow around trees in a blizzard? Did you not have more conversations, learn something from that person on the bus you saw everyday or just get into more mischief, have more adventures with your friends?  Share a smile, a chuckle or a frown on the subway, bus or plane? Did you happen to meet your partner because you were looking dreamily around you and caught the eye, instead of down isolated in an artificial domain? 

There has been much written lamenting the loss of 'boredom' particularly now operating from within an active 'doing' paradigm rather than a more passive 'being' paradigm; the distraction available is ever-present and taking us to who knows where but definitely away from within ourselves. Where has the time gone for self-reflection, for inner growth and realization? As this article points out Newton was simply sitting under an apple tree when the idea of gravity came to him and who can say how many other innovations emerged from people simply being instead of doing.

Necks and eyes with kids as tweens and teens I'm checking out their neck bent posture (and pronation) and thinking too about the state of their eyes evolving a focal length closer than if you were reading a book. I'm a Wellness consultant and am aware of how structure affects function. Surely there is a deleterious effect with a permanent kink in your brain stem though it isn't clear how or when this will manifest. I'd posit it already is showing up in behaviour and how kids think... their attention span for example! Certainly I wonder about evolution and whether people will start to evolve a closer focal length. From an energetic point of view it is more than that. It's about the isolation and the energetic distance you put between yourself and others when there is a screen involved. You see 1 in 2 people on public transport everywhere (even where I live in Yangon) on their phones, no one interacting, no communication even though you are easily within their energetic comfort zone. Somehow, having earphones in, or focused on your chat or reading on the screen you have shielded, distanced yourself from those around you.

What up? What can we do!

I set out writing this intending to provide some experience driven advice for how to manage tweens and teens and their screens. But what to say, each parent has their own take on it, each youngster has their approach and interest... and excuses for why they MUST be on screen NOW, or why they CAN'T go off-screen or there will be some excuse... 'my friends are online, they expect me to be there' is the newest one in our house.

Fostering a digitally minimal life is probably the best way forward, setting the example is critical and likely the hardest part; so limiting your own screen time, especially in front of the kids. It also means not buying into the latest innovations, getting the fastest connections, seeking the 24/7 online solution... It means finding perspective on this, a perspective that works for you and your children's futures. For example right now and in our school community, it seems that being digitally connected and keeping up is a priority. Can we step down, step back, not participate? I'm not so sure. I have maintained a digital footprint and use social media mostly because my nomadic world community is global, friends in many time zones. And partly because I do not want to get left behind my kids and not know what they were doing. I am anyway getting left behind in gaming, I am not a gamer at all, no time for it. Blood sport games are still off the menu at our house, but gaming apps have figured that out so you in many games you don't kill people but you do kill the opponent in whatever form they take, often humanoid. What to do!

The disconnect as we live increasingly urbanized, mechanized, automated lives is a disconnect from the natural world. How far can we get from nature sitting in an concrete and steel apartment building, electronics all around us and our heads bent over a screen? We are only now learning that electro magnetic radiation from modems, 5G, phones likely has quite a harmful effect on cell structure.

When the distance grows between us and the natural world, we fail to understand the impact of plastic consumption, of burning fossil fuels, of the value of friendships and community; we fall out of the natural rhythms of the earth and forget that to live successful fulfilling lives we need to be in harmony with the elements, we cannot control things like the weather, we must learn to work with nature as a part of eco-system and find the balance that will serve us and that will serve our children best.

I leave you with the commentary below from Clay Skipper in GQ magazine, and Richard La Flower. Jenny Hill also penned this great article recently affirming all of the above... its out there folks...pay attention: 'Smartphones, tablets causing mental health effects on kids as young as two'.

Passive screen media writes onto our subconscious just like reality, and creates triggers and habits. Be mindful of what you visually ingest, because it literally puts you into a textbook hypnotic state. You will become what you watch the most - Richard La Flower

You write about digital distraction as a way we can avoid ever having to be with ourselves. What's the value in having to turn inward?

You have to actually confront yourself and engage in self-reflection: thinking about your life, what's important, what's working, and what's not working. And this process of self-shaping is absolutely crucial to building an impactful and flourishing life. That's when you shape yourself. That's when a life of focus and value is built.

The second thing, and maybe this sounds a bit more trivial, is that through time immemorial, the way that people dealt with this void—whenever they were lucky enough to be in a time and place where they had some leisure time—was to seek out high quality leisure activities.... usually highly social, highly skilled activities. As Aristotle used to write, these activities you do just for the sake of the activities—just for the quality and joy of it—gives you this resilience that makes it much easier to deal with all the other hardships of life. Your life is not just all hardships, there's these things that we do that are intrinsically full and joyful.

If you can taper over the void with a constant stream of distractions—make it just comfortable enough that you don't have to confront it—you're in a really bad situation. Now you're avoiding that self-reflection that you need to actually grow up and to build a life worth living. Also, you can distract yourself enough that you never have to answer that drive to actually fill your life with the quality activities: getting engaged with your community; picking up a skilled hobby; art and poetry; these type of things.

I think it's actually pretty dire. Yes, it's scary not to be distracted, but I think it's even more scary to avoid all of the deep good that comes from having to just be there with yourself, and confront all of those difficulties and opportunities that entails.

https://www.gq.com/story/cal-newport-digital-minimalism?fbclid=IwAR1CR_tywEvMBKde6nIqlYiO7APUfikRepndacgFSpPQJk8-f8jIqbr8N0A

From Couch to Khumbu... Trekking with kids in the Himalaya!

Decision taken. We were headed for the high himal, the Everest Region, land of the Sherpa people in Nepal. Exciting! In the late '80's (and my early 20's) I had worked as a trip leader for groups of trekkers back in the early days of what flourished to become eco-tourism and had been through the valleys and towns of the region many times usually en route to Everest Base Camp. The last time though had been in 1998 on a vacation from Vietnam and that was before Nepal had been through its heart-wrenching civil war.

We were living in Kathmandu, with a normal schedule around school and activities, we don't actually spend that much time on the couch but one day we decided to up and off to the Khumbu! This time it was with our kids... the boys, ages 8 and 10, old enough to do the walking and appreciate where we were going... to see Everest and be among Sherpa friends to visit their culture... the lure of the yeti skull reported to be kept in the Sherpa village of Khumjung also helped fan the fire of enthusiasm. And the prospect of finding snow, that helped too! Enthusiasm... the main ingredient to having fun trekking with children; its not necessarily an easy ask, the anticipation is clouded by the hard work required at least in the phase of discussing it with 8 and 10yr olds... you need their buy-in for things to go smoothly! And if they insist on their latest 359 page book to bring along... just go with it!

Waiting for the flight to Lukla

Selecting a trek is about several things, not least of which is determining the level your kids and you are capable of... how many days, consideration of altitude, length of the trekking day, facilities en route and the possibilities of evacuation. The treks about the front ranges of the Annapurnas (Ghorepani/Ghandruk/Poon Hill for example) out of Pokhara are popular starter treks since they can range in duration from 3 -9 days. Langtang is also short, popular and close to Kathmandu, so is Helambu and the new Tamang Heritage trek.  Trekking in Khumbu is also popular, region of the Sherpa people with its monastery's and mountain history centred around Sagarmatha (Everest) which if lucky with the weather you can spot on your second day on trek. Flying to Lukla (possibly the world's most errr, interesting place to land) a bit of a thrill all on its own, you can also walk-in to Khumbu in 5-7 days. There are plenty of other treks to choose from so ask around and see what others have experienced.

Organizing the trek is the first step towards making it happen and can be done in different ways... when we went to the Annapurnas we booked with an agency in Pokhara to get a guide and porters... easy enough to do. Check the qualifications of your guide... at a minimum they need to have taken the 6 Week guides course (and have a license they can show you), know the area you're planning on going (preferably be from there) and speak enough English (if your Nepali is lacking). Experience needs to balance with your own... if you are an experienced mountain traveller then you may not need a hotshot guide... you need to be comfortable and confident with who ever goes with you and it isn't enough that they are good with your kids because if something were to happen and they didn't have training to find a solution... look what happened in the Annapurnas in October 2014.  On our Everest trip all we needed was a single porter, I knew the route well enough and have background and experience in mountain travel including at altitude, and so we got a young fella from Solu Khumbu through a Lukla hotel where I used to stay, he had a nice smile and was friendly and strong and knew where we were going, thats all that I required of him balanced with my own experience. When you book through an agency there is the added advantage of being assured that the guide will also have insurance and be properly equipped. Recently a Nepali friend, an experienced guide, had serious problems at altitude and had to be heli-evacuated... insurance is key.

Equipping yourselves properly comes next and proper footware probably the most important thing. Despite the plethora of trekking supply shops in Kathmandu to find children's trekking boots (below size 36) is a task. What works is sturdy trainers, if you can find them those with higher ankle tops are best. Shoes are important so getting this part right is critical, normally you size trekking boots a size bigger than normal (to accommodate thicker socks) but don't get carried away! A loose boot is asking for blister trouble. If you're of a mind to go trekking you'd do well to source trekking boots for little'uns outside of Nepal. Kids 6 years and up can carry their own back-pack... most want to. In it though are the bare necessities... a fleece jacket, a light water-proof jacket, their water bottle, sunglasses and hat and maybe a little snackage. Thats all they need to carry and importantly it has to be light because as a last resort, to get them over that final hill, you might need to carry it! Your back-pack needs the same as the kids, and a proper First Aid kit. Go light, if you need more, your porters will be walking with you and you can always get from him/her what you need during the day. Depending on the time of year the rest of the packing can be light as well. On our Annapurna trip we had 2 bags for the 4 of us for 5 days, this time we had 1 for 7 days. We went through everything and didn't have to do laundry! If you're taking a flight bags should weigh no more than 20kgs. I'm not going to publish a gear list here, there are tons on the internet to refer to but go light whatever you do, that old axiom of halving what you think you need to take when travelling... halve it again when you go trekking.. With children who are out of diapers, the only 'extras' are things to occupy them... (not including screen devices!), playing cards, travel chess, etc. With kids who are still in diapers... bon courage, beware of altitude with wee ones, their sleep needs, and of course mindful of the un-biodegradeability of disposable diapers and where you are going. My kids needed books so a Kindle or such-like would have reduced our collective weight considerably! A solar charger would not be a bad thing if you bring a reading tablet. Remember your porter carries your bag... so be kind!

Attitude and altitude

Attitude is everything on a trip to anywhere with kids. Nepali guides and porters are renown for encouraging and egging kids along, singing with them, and picking them up and carrying them if that is what is needed. Rest assured, on most of the common treks you absolutely don't have to walk further than you feel you need to on most given days, there is always a teahouse over the next hill, around the next bend. So don't stress about getting where you had a plan to get to... discuss with your guide/porter, see what they think. Often they will under-estimate... err on the side of caution and that is fine, they know what they are doing. Enjoy the early morning, the mid-morning, the lunch spot, the afternoon walk.... you get the drift... just enjoy where you are, value the place you have found yourself to be in... the high himal! 

Altitude is one of those things that can become a major pre-occupation and a trip-wrecker if you let it be one; your attitude about altitude is key. Yes altitude needs to be properly understood, yes it can be serious... all that means is for you to be prepared...so do the research ahead of time. Many of our fears are based in the unknown... so know about altitude. Understand that essentially you will trek so that you acclimatize well if you follow your guide's and guidebook's advice, do not short-cut to save time. If they say you need to spend a day acclimatizing then do so. Don't worry about the kids, but do keep an eye on them. Know signs and symptoms of altitude sickness, pulmonary and cerebral oedema but don't obsess. And don't panic because going down altitude (down hill) is always an option in night or day... and it is usually the cure all. When and if in doubt ask a trip leader, they usually have high competency and experience with altitude related problems and can offer advice, err on the side of caution always even if it means significant compromises to your trip. Never forget where you are, in the highest mountains in the world, subject to all the various challenges that come with high mountain travel.

Kids can be a challenge to have on such an adventure but you have friends along to help, so let them... and they sleep really well on trek! Let go of control, you're up in thin air, the best you can remember to do is breathe, smile and enjoy the sunshine. I love trekking with my son's. They love the connection to the natural world, to the Nepali people and to each other. A couple of years later we did the trek up to Lo Mantang in Mustang and after that attempted a small trekking peak in the Langtang region (picture above!)... as they grow they can do more and more! So much fun to watch them evolve!