COVD19 has been increasing across the world and country and now here in Hawai’i. Palama Settlement closed all its programming and we decided to pilot two classes online for Total Beginners and Continuing Watercolor. I spent 3 weeks learning Google Classroom and gotomeeting.com and doing test sessions to learn how to move my content online and to try to replicate some of the features of a live FTF (Face to Face) session. Meanwhile, Sweden, has chosen another path, to forego quarantine and instead focus on shoring up resources in the intensive care and test to determine who should be isolated. Everyone is assumed to have COVD if you have symptoms, so no need for testing—stay home until or unless you need to seek medical care and attention. It is a huge rampup learning curve to suddenly become computer savvy and know all the online etiquette AND try to learn something completely new, like watercolor.

I feel a tremendous responsibility to learn as best and as quickly as I can and keep the kupuna’s spirits up until we can meet FTF again at Palama. I am also very grateful that Conrad and Donna supported me in this effort to get them online and avoid social isolation as we are in lock down.

Like the best projects it feels like a worthy use of time, energy and resources and I am also grateful to Hawai’i Watercolor Society to continue to support with supplies for the kupuna. I’ve made packets for a no contact pickup with scheduled times in the parking lot and read up on the latest CDC guidelines on how to sanitize and prepare the packages with minimal risk of transferring the virus (if I have it).