Stars of Hope

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The Orange County Regional History Center exhibited a large collection of these stars that were left at the site of the Pulse massacre. Stars of Hope gives communities the tools to empower children’s compassion through creativity. They foster empathy and compassion for communities throughout the world. They are pioneer communal therapeutic art at a global scale, while combating loneliness. Speaking about the organization were, Marcel, Annie, Sarah and Elsie.

Marcel was a New Yorker. She met the man of her dreams and moved to Georgia in 1998. She has two daughters Sarah born in 2001 and Annie born in 2003. They started making the stars as a way to handle the grief. Everyone is hard hit in the beginning, but they quickly get back to their own life.

Annie is a photo historian. She has a quiet energy. Pulse was emotionally draining for everyone. AS a family they felt the need to regroup. The family saw the wall of stars at the History Center’s Pulse exhibit. For them it as a beautiful ray of light. It was so beautiful. They hope that the stars inspire people to feel hope rather than slip into depression. Negativity only pushes us into darkness. They want to inspire us all to tolerate one another and enjoy people.

Elsie lost a daughter on 9-11. She drove up to NYC right after that tragic day. It was the longest car ride of her life. Here in Orlando Pulse is hallowed ground. Going there felt up lifting. Everything was so bright. There was healing and spirituality there. There were rainbows and free hugs. I felt so inviting and embracing.

The Starts of Hope group wants to have a day of celebration each year. It doesn’t need to focus on a tragedy. The Texas division of Stars of Hope cuts all the stars. All the volunteers gather on labor Day weekend, celebrate and eat a lot of meat. The kids started painting he stars and so many were painted for Orlando. Signing the back of the star is as important as the painting of the star.

Jeanine and Wally Goodnough

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Jeanine and Wally Goodnough from Sarasota, Florida, decked out a little Smart car in honor of the victims from Pulse. They were invited to Tampa Pride. The car had a top hat which cost about $400 to build. All expenses came out of pocket. They were invited to events all over the state.

Jeanine is the parent of a child who is gay. She identifies with the heart ache and pain that the pulse families of victims are going through. Brenda Lee Márquez-McCool was at the club with her son and her story toughed Jeanine deeply. That could have been  her with her son. He was actually going to go to Pulse that night but chose not to. He had to work. One of his friends died. That person worked just a couple of blocks from their home. Less than 6 degrees of separation brought Eddies life, his tragedy, into their life.

They decked out their Smart car to carry on Eddies Justice‘s motto, “Do as much good as you can, for as many people as you can, and do it as often as you can.” They created the car out of love, out of respect, out of compassion. It was done, because they wanted to show their, love, their respect for a hurting community, a hurting world.

When they took the smart car to Saint Pete Pride Parade, a woman was looking at the car, and Jeanine explained that the 49 stars represented the 49 victims and the 53 smaller hears represented the 53 survivors. The woman was one of the survivors. Jeanine broke down and cried. The simple stickers on the car meant so much to so many people.

 

Pre-Pandemic: A Holdover in Washington DC

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On The flight back from Turkey there was a holdover n Washington D.C. before flying back to Orlando, Florida. Back in April of 2020 the Trump administration gave a $25 billion dollar bailout to the airlines industry crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic. That money was used to pay salaries and keep the flights in the air. That was provided so long as the industry  didn’t cut jobs until Oct. 1, 2020. That date is fast approaching. U.S. airlines have warned more than 70,000 of their workers that their jobs are at risk when the current round of aid expires in the fall.

President Donald Trump has recently expressed support for a proposal for another $25 billion in federal aid to support airline industry jobs. The proposed extension has gained bipartisan support as a rebound in travel demand remains remote. He said, “I think it’s very important that we keep the airlines going,” Trump said in a White House press briefing when asked whether he supported the proposal for the extension of the aid. “We don’t want to lose our airlines. If they’re looking at that, whether they’re Republican or Democrat, I’d be certainly in favor. We can’t lose our transportation system.”

Orlando Arts venues are being illuminated in red to highlight how the arts have also been crippled by COVID-19 shutdowns.

 

Pre-Pandemic: Istanbul Apartment

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United States foreign service employees at the US Embassy get to stay in a really nice apartment complex in the heart of Istanbul Turkey. I did a drawing of the complex from a model in the lobby. The arching windows had an amazing view of the surrounding neighborhoods for miles. Right next door was a huge mall and several mom and pop restaurants which were packed at lunch time.

On June 11, 2020 Turkey announced opening the majority of its international air, land, and sea borders. The land border with Iran remains closed. The border with Syria remains closed. To date, tourist travelers do not need any specific health documentation to enter/exit Turkey unless they are arriving for medical treatment.

On August 5, 2020 Reuters reported that doctors in Turkey’s COVID-19 hots pots say hospitals are filling up with more cases than are reflected in the official nationwide count, which re surged above 1,000 this week.

The government, which lifted a partial lock down in June 2020 to restart the economy, sounded its own warning when the health minister described the 1,083 new COVID-19 cases as a “severe” rise after a four-day holiday weekend.

In response, authorities rolled out new inspections and enforcement measures, including fines for not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing. New cases had hovered just below 1,000 for more than three weeks, according to official figures.

All individuals in Turkey must wear cloth face coverings where people are collectively located, including supermarkets, marketplaces, hair salons, shopping malls, and workplaces as well as in all forms of transportation (including private vehicles) with at least two persons inside.

Pre-Pandemic: Boating off Kaş

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Boating off Kaş off the southern coast of Turkey. Kaş was founded by the Lycians. In the Hellenistic period and under the Roman Empire it served as the port of the neighboring city of Phellus. In 1923, because of the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey after the Greco-Turkish War, the majority of the population, which was of Greek origin, was forced to leave the town for Greece. This exchange was based upon religious identity, and involved nearly all the indigenous Orthodox Christian citizens of Turkey. The most often given figure for Ottoman Greeks killed from 1914 to 1923 ranges from 300,000-900,000. Abandoned Greek houses can still be seen. In the early 1990s tourism started booming in Kaş.

Residents of Kaş have social isolated since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, 2020. Hotels have not accepted guests since the beginning of the outbreak, hopefully postponing bookings until after the disease has subsided. Only health professionals, funeral staff, food suppliers and facilities workers are allowed to enter the town. The resort village remains empty of tourists.

The Turkish lira dropped to a historic low of 7.3677 against the dollar before recovering slightly. The lira is down about 19% versus the U.S. currency since the beginning of the year. Turkey had been hoping for an influx of foreign currency through exports and tourism revenues, but the COVID-19 pandemic has sharply undermined the tourism industry and disrupted global commerce.

Turkey is seeking to re-open its tourism industry, a key contributor to economic growth, for domestic tourists in June, 2020. Foreign visitors are then due to be invited back from some countries in a stepped approach that will include testing and social distancing at hotels and on beaches. Kaş, on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, is currently free of the COVID-19, but locals are afraid that visitors from virus hit cities could soon bring the disease to the area as Turkey gets set to re-open its tourism sector.

Pre-Pandemic: Square Outside Spice Bazaar

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Sketching in a public market makes me feel like I have a faint hint of what day to day life might be like ere I to live when I am traveling. This is a pre-pandemic sketch done inn a square outside the spice bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey. A mosque can be seen in the background of the sketch with it’s ornate architecture. I was more focused on the people however. They once gathered close to gossip and catch up in crowded groups. Today they would all be wearing masks of face a $129 fine.

On August 6, 2020 the CDC advised that the, “COVID-19 risk in Turkey is high. Travelers should avoid all nonessential international travel to Turkey. Some examples of essential travel may include traveling for humanitarian aid work, medical reasons, or family emergencies. Older adults, people of any age with certain underlying medical conditions, and others at increased risk for severe illness should consider postponing all travel, including essential travel, to Turkey.” The virus has decimated the Turkish economy.

COVID-19 research in Turkey is being stifled by the Ministry of Health which insisted on a mandatory application for permission for research on COVID-19. This unprecedented decision was against the Constitution and laws regulating research activities in Turkey. Most submitted projects have been approved by the Ministry of Health, but some projects, including a large, multi center observational study by the Turkish Thoracic Society, have been rejected without any clear explanation. Much like in America, politics Trump public health.

 

Pre-Pandemic: The Escape

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The Escape near Göcek, Turkey was a luxury villa rental. The ground floor room had a patio over looking the pool and hot tub. The escape is situated in the mountain village of Belenpinar just a 5 minute drive down to the Göcek marina.

The owners first explored the area in 1995 when they escaped and hired a motorcycle, touring the Turquoise Coast as well as the inner villages of the region. They found the village, bought a field, and added their dream villa. They now share their vision with sophisticated world travelers.

The villa was custom built as a designer  summer house in the Roman style, where East meets West and the Mediterranean meets the Aegean. It is now available exclusively for group rental. Because it was previously run as a hotel and is also the winter home of the owners, there are a few rooms which are locked off, the office, bar, personal bedrooms. Groups of up to 14 people must stay for a minimum of 5 days.

Göcek is believed to be right around where Icarus fell when he flew too close to the sun in the famous Greek myth.

Pre-Pandemic: Spice Market Istanbul Turkey

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The Spice Market in Istanbul, Turkey is certainly an exciting subject to sketch. When I sketched, it was ahrd to find a spot to stay out of the way of the pressing crowds of shoppers. It is one of the largest bazaars in the city. Located in the Eminönü quarter of the Fatih district, it is the most famous covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar. It was built in 1455, two years after the Ottomans seized Istanbul – then known as Constantinople – from the Byzantines. It’s Turkish name,  Kapalıçarşı means covered market.

The building itself is part of the complex of the New Mosque. The revenues obtained from the rented shops inside the bazaar building were used for the up keeping of the mosque . Spice Bazaar has a total of 85 shops selling spices, Turkish delight and other sweets, jewellery, souvenirs, and dried fruits and nuts. In recent years shops of other types are gradually replacing the sellers of spices.

The market is usually visited by 150,000 people every day – and by 42 million people last year – while traders shout out deals in dozens of languages to lure tourists into their stores.

After Turkey announced its first confirmed case in mid-March, 2020 health scans were carried out on all the market’s traders. Seven were confirmed to have COVID-19. They could have been infected by the many tourists in the packed confines of the market.

The Spice Market was closed on March 23, 2020 as part of measures to stem the spread of the COVID-19, which has killed over 4,300 people in Turkey. The market employs more than 30,000 people.

On May 28, 2020 municipal workers in full protective gear on disinfected the Spice Bazaar against COVID-19 ahead of its reopening. The team used a specific disinfectant that has no harm to people’s and animals’ health, the Fatih Municipality said at a statement. The bazaar opened its doors on June 1, 2020 as part of normalization from COVID-19 restrictions in the country. The market had been closed for two months, the longest closure in its 550 year history.

Shoppers have their temperatures checked for fevers upon entry, and the number of people allowed in at one time will be restricted. Traders are worried that the bazaar is unlikely to see many tourists for some time. Namık, a trader said, “We are at a low ebb. How will we pay the rent?” He added. “My shop remains open, but there are no customers. There’s no business.”

 

Recovery

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Recovery is an interactive theatrical presentation of Phoenix Tear Productions. Zoom is the online platform where we got to meet the performers. Attendees were informed that they are new recruits in a firm called Posthumous whose job is to help the recently deceased find their way into an afterlife which is crafted by the company. Beatrice with her bright pink hair and round glasses was our guide, introducing us to the task at hand. Over the course of the evening it became clear that she was rather new to the job as well.

As I sketched, I was not sure if I was sketching audience members or one of the cast. The couple who had recently died were disoriented having lost many of their memories from their past life. They were referred to as “Blank Slates” and the audience could ask them questions and speak to them. We were split up into two online meeting groups and I was assigned to the group who got tot talk to the boyfriend. A partial memory played back with Melanie Leon defending her friend. If an audience member asked questions Melanie would think the question came from the boyfriend and she responded appropriately. This was a primary way to learn what had happened in the boyfriend’s life leading up to his death. Mel as the Memory  had known him since they were seven years old and she threatened consequences if his heart were broken.

The other group got to speak to the girlfriend, who apparently was a talented singer. I wish I had seen some of that performance. Slowly the truth unraveled with each question asked. Our primary goal however was to convince the boyfriend to be prepared for an eternal afterlife sponsored  by Posthumous. We kind of dropped the ball. I blame myself since I didn’t ask any questions since I was focused on sketching as fast as I could. Maybe I could have convinced the boyfriend that he deserved eternal happiness even if he didn’t find it before his death in this life.

This was a fun interactive experience and the talk back after the show was as fun as the performance. Audiences are limited to only 20 people so that each person can experience unique interactions with the performers. The show has multiple endings and different tracks to follow. Show tickets have been selling out and the run has been extended to September 6, 2020.

 

The Trump Virus

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2606 New Yorkers died on September 11, 2001 when the twin towers were attacked. 3352 Americans died during the Republican National Convention between August 24 – 27, 2020. About 1,500 largely mask-less people gathered on the South Lawn of the White House so President Donald Trump could accept his party’s nomination. Uncomfortable looking white folding chairs were placed inches apart from one another, with no room for social distancing, in violation of president’s own public health recommendations. Only people the White House expected to be in “close proximity” to the president and vice president were tested for COVID-19. Guidance sent to those invited to the event specified that masks would not be required on the South Lawn. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the White House Trump accepted the Republican nomination on the South Lawn.

Vice President Mike Pence gave a speech speech Wednesday August 26, 2020, delivered in front of about 100 mask-less people, including wounded veterans, at Fort McHenry in Baltimore. Already 4 people who attended the vice presidents speech have been confirmed to have COVID-19. Pence was seen shaking hands, and exchanging fist bumps. No one appeared concerned about social distancing. An assassin would not need a gun, a simple hand shake could suffice.  Dozens of secret service officers have contracted COVID-19 in the struggle to keep the president and vice president safe.

The president pretends there is no virus in his struggle to get re-elected. People had to sit together for hours listening to Trump’s insanely boring speech which sounded like a Wikipedia summation of American history. It was hard to keep track of all the lies.

Hosting the campaign event from the White House South Lawn and the Rose Garden also violated federal ethics law called the Hatch Act which prohibits federal employees from engaging in most political activity inside federal buildings or while on duty. More important, to Trump, the TV ratings tanked. He was more concerned about the ratings numbers rather than the number of Americans that have died.