APRIL 17, 2020
KARO-NA! Happy News
We are in times when everyone is looking for at least one good news or incident in a day, which brings a smile on their face. In my daily pursuit for writing, when I scroll through newspapers, instinctively, I look for something happy, funny, and a non-covid item. Let me share some interesting reads, which came across during my pursuit.
An article “Just for kicks” by Andrew McKirdy of the Japan Times gives a different perspective on the sneaker crazy nation. Poor and homeless people queuing outside shoe stores to buy a fresh launch and these poor people are paid by rich and trendy to stand for them in the queue. There exists a class which claim themselves to be “sneaker influencers”. There exists online resale stores like StockX or GOAT, where one can get much more than the original price for a used pair of shoes. Generally a peaceful nation, lining up to buy newly released sneakers is considered a hazardous activity, with the threat of violence and robbery. Stores like Atoms prescribe a dress code for prospective buyers and sale is made on the basis of a lottery system, rather than a first-come, first-serve basis. There exists Fake Busters, who claim to be authenticators and charge ¥2000 to certify the genuineness of a brand, as the sneakers are considered expensive possessions. These authenticators get threats for life for disrupting the counterfeit business. Isn’t it weird?
In these stressful times, Icelanders consider tree-hugging as a stress buster. Iceland’s Forestry Service has come up with a novel way to overcome the sense of isolation many people suffer because of the COVID-19 preventive measures. Interestingly, the Forestry Service has also put a page of photos on its website showing the many ways you can hug a tree. After four weeks of mayhem, in Denmark a rare sight emerged, a classroom full of students. On Wednesday, 350 pupils returned to classes at the Logumkloster District School for the first time in a month. These are signs I generally look for during the day to stay upbeat in this hour of gloom. I never realised that there is going to be a phase in fast moving life when we will look for “good news”. Today, there are dedicated Instagram accounts (@TanksGoodNews and @GoodNewsMovement) and their follower counts skyrocketed in recent weeks. Actor John Krasinski introduced a “news network for good news” on YouTube; within a week it garnered 1.5 million subscribers and 25 million views. The National Geographic on realising search for good news, has created two good news-themed newsletters. One is dedicated to kids and families and the other one is a coronavirus-free newsletter titled “Your Weekly Escape”.
All this material confirms that humans are not meant to survive in unhappy, uncertain, and gloomy times. They search and work towards achieving happy surviving conditions. This seamless world of the internet has given a perfect platform to happy news seekers to come together in this treasure hunt. God bless humanity!