OPINION
Page 6 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
April 4, 2022
Volume 32 Number 4
April 4, 2022
ISSN: 1094-9453
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MY TURN
n Wayne Chan
They should have called it
the “Powernap Express”
or many folks in Hong Kong, the perfect
antidote for being stymied by China’s strict
COVID-19 quarantine and travel require-
ments is to take a 51-mile round trip bus ride
around Hong Kong to get a little shut eye.
To be sure, the “Sleeping Bus Tour” organized by
a local travel company does indeed stop at a number
of picturesque locations, but the
main attraction of the route is to
allow patrons to snooze right
through it. They should have
called it the “Powernap Express.”
For those who have been to Hong
Kong, it’s no surprise it’s a city that
never
sleeps,
where
locals
routinely stay up well past
midnight then get up early to go to
work. Combine that with living in
cramped high-rises in a bustling
(and noisy) setting, than throw in the government’s
aggressive coronavirus protocols, and it’s no wonder
folks are seeking innovative ways to get a little
respite.
I can see the attraction, though. The bus follows
its leisurely route while providing riders a climate-
controlled environment, gently swaying them back
and forth amidst relaxing music that lulls them into
a blissful slumber. With people still wearing face
coverings while on the bus, and many of the
“slumber tourists” wearing night eye masks to block
out the sun, you can imagine the horrific reaction of
those uninitiated few who encounter the busload of
mummies slouched in a bus travelling down the
road.
To each their own, but if I was able to customize a
personalized bus ride, I would have several other
“attractions” to better suit me. In fact, I think there
should be a whole bevy of customized bus tours
available when one arrives at a bus terminal.
I can see it now.
F
Me: Excuse me, Mr. Bus Manager. Where’s the
terminal to board the “Peanut Butter Cookie
Express?”
Terminal Manager: Oh, just head over to the
left, past the “Foot Rub Main Line,” but before you
get to the “Snowball Fight Metro Line.”
Me: The “Snowball Fight Metro Line?”
Terminal Manager: Yes, but if
you change your mind and want to
go on that route, we sell protective
goggles in the gift shop.
I suppose that with COVID-19,
each country deals with it
differently. Hong Kong and its
“zero-COVID”
approach
has
pushed locals to ride busses in
order to get a well-deserved
nap. On the other hand, Hong
Kong’s approach has led a city of 7
million people to record more than 1.2 million
total coronavirus cases and 11,002 COVID-19
deaths.
Back here at home in the U.S., we believe in
personal freedom and the choice to wear a mask or
receive a vaccine if and when we want. For the sake
of comparison, a state like Georgia, with a
population of more than 3.9 million people, has
recorded about 2.5 million total cases and 36,576
COVID-19 deaths.
To each their own, right?
For me personally, while the Omicron variant
was spreading at full tilt this winter, I isolated at
home a lot more. I managed to clean up the yard and
got rid of a lot of clutter. But there’s one thing I can
really appreciate: being at home has given me a lot
more time to get some rest and take many
well-deserved naps.
Wait a minute …
Humor writer Wayne Chan lives in the San Diego area;
cartoonist Wayne Chan is based in the Bay Area.
Opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of this publication.
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