Like a lot of others, I got a big boost in the first half of this month when Trump was defeated. On the other hand, a second lockdown has put this particular part of the world under house arrest again, so it is going to be a depressing winter.
Output
This second lockdown has been a productive time for songwriting. This month I have recorded a new Chinese song
A new song about marital infidelity that will become a staple of my live sets
And another English song that kind of falls between two stools of not being quite funny and not quite sad
Activities
My Meetup group The Mandarin Club has been going since August. It will flourish when in-person activities are allowed again. For now there is the China Book Club, and occasional other activities, including an event about acupuncture on Thursday December 3rd.
Like everybody else, I am looking forward to being able to gather with people again. When I am able to schedule, I will hold three album launches and a book launch. Watch this space.
Wider World
With the Pfizer and Astra-Zeneca vaccines, there is now finally an end in sight to the pandemic, even though restrictions will last well into 2021 and maybe its entirety. The next year will be another tough one, with a hard Brexit and a Biden administration locking horns with congress.
With Republicans likely to hold the senate, it will probably be a less transformational presidency than some have hoped, with no green new deal and no universal healthcare. But it will be a relief to have a less flamboyant individual in the world’s highest political office.
Kevin McGeary 