Day 22 - A Message from Catherine Powell

[Catherine-Powell]

Dear Airbnb Community, 

Having read the amazing posts you have left during our Month of Celebration, I am humbled - and a little daunted - to be posting alongside you. I am so touched by your stories. Thank you for sharing so many magical and inspiring messages about the moments that have lifted you up during this uniquely challenging year. You, our Hosts and Guests, have been a constant source of inspiration, resilience, learning and optimism; a clear reminder of how and why the Airbnb community is so special. As the world shut down this past year, you showed how to continue creating connection and belonging for your guests and for our community. 

For me, 2020 has certainly been a year of lows and highs. A highlight was joining Airbnb back in January (I can't believe it’s not even a year!). I joined to run Airbnb Experiences, which I had to suspend barely two months later as the pandemic was declared. Then we launched Online Experiences, on the suggestion of our Hosts, who continue to create magical experiences for our guests, bringing friends, families and teams together who otherwise would not be able to connect. 

Then in July I took over Hosting, bringing together Homes and Experiences. My mission was to put hosting back at the centre of Airbnb. Brian called it going back to our roots. The pandemic hit our Hosts, our Guests, and Airbnb. Hard. We had to focus on our strength (ie. you, our Hosts). And that is what I have done. I heard directly, bluntly, how challenging it had been for some of you and how frustrated you were and I also heard, and read, how you were coping and adapting. We worked on many of your ideas and addressed your concerns, whether it was introducing party bans or sharing new guest travel trends. And, we have ended the year creating the Host Endowment and launching the Host Advisory Board. 

On a more personal note, I have deeply missed being able to travel, and particularly not being able to see my family in the UK. But I have spent more time with my husband and sons these past eight months than I have these past eight years! My husband has taught himself to cook (after 52 years) and we haven’t run out of conversation! We also have a dog for the first time ever. We went big. Ozzy (in honour of our time downunder!) is half Pyrenees, half St Bernard with some Collie. He sheds like crazy and is a real drooler, but he has brought so much love and delight to our home. I can’t imagine life without him. While my world has become smaller this year, it has also shown me how deep our layers of love and connection are with those nearest and dearest. We’ve all had to invest in where we are this year, in the space and people that we call home and for that I am thankful.

 

I am ending this year full of hope and optimism - as so many of you have said in your posts, travel will return. It will likely not be the same as it was, but the human desire to connect to people and places will be stronger than ever. And we will be there to fulfil this desire, sharing our homes, passions and interests, and giving hugs and warm greetings to friends and strangers alike. 

Until that time, we will be thinking about what the best version of the future might look like. Airbnb continues to work very hard to improve the experience for our Host and Guest communities. We have made great progress this year, but there is more to be done. And if you have ideas for changes you would like to see in the New Year, please do continue to share them with me and our Community Managers. I value all of the constructive feedback that I receive from you -- our Community is the foundation of the work that we do. 

We are looking forward to a wonderful 2021 for Hosts, Guests, and the whole of the Airbnb Community. Thank you for believing in us. 

With heartfelt gratitude, 

Catherine

[Robin4]

@Sharon1014 

I am slightly perplexed that a contributor to this CC the bulk of whose contributions are of a derogatory and negative nature should take aim at someone who tries to bring a bit of humour and humanity into what has been a difficult year for most contributors here on the CC.

I have been doing this for a long time Sharon, I have learned a lot from other fine contributors on the forum and I can't say that you have featured in any of that learning curve over the past six years!

And as you have bought it up Ade approves of everything I may say here in the CC. When you are not faced with the challenges we are faced with it is easy to be flippant, but we have learned to handle our situation and stand the test of time. You have no idea of thought processes that go into being and coping with a disability! 

Let me give you an example, one evening we with some friends went to the Piccadilly cinema in North Adelaide....I am sure you know the place on O'Connell St.

There is a large spiral staircase from the foyer level to the cinema seated area and everyone could see Ade having trouble negotiating the large flight of stairs......it is embarrassing for her with all eyes on her not knowing whether to help, but she is fiercely independent and wants to remain that way! The last thing she wants is help, that just compounds her feelings of being inadequate....less of a human! Everyone around is embarrassed and don't know what to do, so I said in a reasonably loud voice...."Oh come on you old cripple"! Others were in shock horror but it took the pressure, the emphasis off of her and I became the focus of attention, not her, and she was able to get on with what she had to do. Sharon, it's a coping mechanism.

We understand each other and what we have to do to make the best of our lives. We have the runs on the board, since this photo in 1969 we have had 50 great years together....

I would prefer it if you don't lecture me on how to deal with a disability, you are welcome to walk a mile in my shoes any day!!!!!

Cheers......Rob

[Sharon1014]

@Robin4   I would outline my cv for you Rob, which would show how eminently well qualified I am to comment on disability related matters across a 20 year career in the area.  I would also post pics and sing my own praises regarding a close relative with far more severe multiple disabilities than Ade, but that wouldn't achieve anything either.  

I will however call it as I see it.  I don't think it behooves you to make assumptions, nor to launch personal attacks on the benefit of my posts to you personally.  This CC isn't all about you.  It's about a big wide world with many varying interests and opinions.  There is room for all, creating a world where everyone belongs, including me, and including you.

Peace and goodwill towards you.

[Robin4]

@Sharon1014 

I do take it personally when people criticize me for the way I describe how I handle my life.

You are of course welcome to your opinion Sharon but, my CV is not a nine to five job....I live with it 24 hours a day, seven days a week!

I get so despondent at times when I try to look to the future, all I ever wanted to do was just grow old with the woman I love.

I handle my situation with dignity, I spend my life at Ade's beck and call, she lacks for nothing.

You are of course entitled to your opinion, we are all free spirits but, when you come on a public forum and criticise me for mine, you have to be prepared to be taken to task!

@Catherine-Powell  Catherine your day 22 was a lovely post, we all felt good about it and I am sorry that someone has chosen to buy into it with their own personal statements. Keep those feelings you currently have with your family close to you and next year, live the dream hey!

Cheers.......Rob  

[Sharon1014]

@Robin4   No problem at all. 😀  Straight back at you.  There is always room for informed debate.  You may not like my opinions sometimes, and I may not like yours, but there is a line that gets crossed (IMO) and there I will draw it.

Have a lovely Xmas Day tomorrow. 

[Ute42]

.

@Robin4  

While I think that Your post upthread is well appropriate for the festive season I must admid that I got irritated when I read the section @Sharon1014   is talking about. I have a 90 year old mother and I would defenitely not go into details on what exactely I have to do when we meet.

The perception of posts on here is different from person to person. May I remind You that You once got visited by one of the CC-mods in Your home in Australia. I commented on that and called it a romantic evening. That was clearly a joke consindering the tone of my post and age gap of 50 years, but You got pretty upset about my remark. We have a saying in Germany: Don't throw with stones when sitting in a glasshouse.

Merry Christmas to You and Ade on the other side of the world.

[Robin4]

@Ute42 

And a merry Christmas to you Ute, I take your comments on board, but Ade and I have discussed this many times! Our object is to shock people into realising what coping with a disability involves. Many say..."Oh God, I had never thought of that"....but that is the reality for countless millions around the world every day!

People with disabilities need sympathy, they need to have people understand that life for them is not normal....they need help with the most basic functions in life. 

The more Ade and I can promote the problems associated with a disability the more non sufferers will understand and help our cause.

I was particularly put out by Sharon's comment of me 'grandstanding'......bloody hell, Sharon has no idea what goes on in my daily life. Although Ade is a night owl, I try not to go to bed before Ade at night because I worry what might happen if she falls over in the shower and I am asleep and can't be of help to her. 

You all have to realise that living with a disability is not just a politically correct stance......those of us that do it have to forego our lives for the sake of someone else....we do it gladly, but it is difficult and when we cop criticism for it, we bite back!  

Cheers.......Rob

[Katie]

Hi @Robin4 @Sharon1014 @Ute42,

You've had a really interesting conversation here, and I think it reminds us that everyone's decisions on what they share publicly is different. Of course, we do need to keep in mind that this is a public space and things may not always come across as they are intended, so it's important to keep an open mind and be respectful to each other even in spite of differing opinions, and in turn to consider how best to have these conversations.

In order to try and keep this thread on-track, perhaps if you'd like to discuss this further then you can do so via DM. 

It's Christmas Eve here in the UK now and I expect you are not far off Christmas Day in Aus, so I hope you all have a wonderful time however you are spending it 🎄 🎅 🎁 

[Fred13]

If there is ever a year in which the old adage - "Every time you think you have it bad, look around" - applies, is 2020.

[Cathie19]

Totally agree @Fred13. I hope all is going well for you and that 2021 brings a brighter and better year. To your good health, stay safe! 

[Flavia202]

Thanks for sharing, .@Catherine-Powell. Hoping 2021 will be brighter.  Ozzy is lovely!

[Cathie19]

Thanks @Catherine-Powell  for being one of us! Ozzie is a delight by the looks of him!

The 2020 year has been a tough one and Christmas for us personally, will feel hollow, but we’ll get there. I cried as I did the last grocery shopping today. It was the Xmas music that set me off....

We’ve planned since forever to make this our Christmas, the first in four years.
Except Covid19 and Sydney’s northern Beaches LGA declared hotspot got expanded to greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, city of Illawarra and up to Gosford. Most states did not enact the restriction till the midnight. The NT enacted them immediately!

Long story short, our son, daughter in law and two grandsons were in a plane when the NT Govt expanded the hotspot zone and made it effective immediately, whilst their plane was nearing Darwin. 

Anyone who had entered this declared zone and stayed more than 5kms from the airport had to be ferried out to the Howard Springs guarded quarantine centre by the Australian Border Force.

We all watched our family spend 24 hours in mandatory quarantine with movement restrictions until they were able to get a flight back. Inflated prices, escorted passengers and no getting near them....... oh and their Covid tests were negative, which we knew they would be, as they lived in Canberra. 

All their presents for the kids had been sent here in advance, and we could hand over nothing. So so sad. So Xmas for them will be limited as well.

So everyone is sad. His sister and brother-in-law  who also came from Canberra, but flew via Brisbane, were okay: but feeling “survivors guilt”.  

The sister from Darwin an her family were distressed. The young cousins from here were confused, but knew it was Covid related...... 

Passengers from an earlier Sydney flight were allowed to land and disembark and go to their homes.  If our son’s plane had not been late leaving Sydney, they may have been okay. Had they known about the change in government ruling, before boarding, they would have not boarded , or got off the plane in Sydney, before it left. 

We mourn for many things.  We have hope for many things.  However, we mainly do all this whilst supporting one another, in the belief and knowledge, that is what we are to do.

As we wish our stranded family now back in Canberra a Merry Christmas, we also wish everyone in the community, the best for the season. 🎄🎄🎄🎄

[Robin4]

@Cathie19 

Oh Cathie what can I say, this whole bloody thing is so frustrating.

On one hand I find what is happening here in Australia is an incredible over reaction. Borders are being opened and closed at the drop of a hat.....nobody knows where they stand or what they can do from one day to the next.

But we in Australia are up there with worlds best practice in dealing with this pandemic. We are on top of it!

Let me show you how we are doing compared with the USA. I am just going to compare figures from states that are relative in population size to South Australia

State:                                    Population:                          Number of Deaths: 

West Virginia                   1,792,147                                 1,171

Hawaii                                 1,415,872                                   272

Maine                                   1,344,212                                  303

Montana                             1,068,778                                 895

Rhode Island                     1,059,361                              1,678

Idaho                                    1,787,065                               1,301

*

South Australia                1,769,319                                     4

Bloody hell what does this tell you? It tells me all the agony we go through is worth it.....only 4 families have suffered here in SA due to COVID-19 , 1,678 have suffered in Maine.

Cathie, I know it's hard, it's 'heartbreaking', there we go, that word again but, as shi**y  as it is, would you really want to swap our situation with theirs just to swap a few Chrissy presents! 

Cheers........Rob

[Cathie19]

It’s not about the Chrissy presents as you put it @Robin4 . Nor am I anti the way the pandemic is being medically handled. In fact I’m a strong supporter of the NT CHO (Chief Health Officer)

I also work in WHS and have an American son in law, so am well versed in figures and mitigation of risk and two children on the flight who work in health.

I am merely venting my frustration that a medical decision was made into a political one......

I think it’s important that although we are undertaking best practise most of the time, and our stats are to be congratulated within a global perspective, that shouldn’t stop us reviewing where things can be done better. One death is one too many....

Most state jurisdictions allowed midnight to be the border restriction closure time. 1am the next day in Queensland. We also watched all government websites and Covid19 Govt apps for information, that never changed prior to the announcement. So no passenger could make an informed decision about the flight. They also lost the $ face value of their tickets..

NT was effective immediately when they would have known there was only one other flight landing. The flight had been delayed and any monkey including myself could read flight radar to see they were delayed. No airline or Govt support was offered when they landed. They only got told after they landed and had taken a 4.5 hour flight with a toddler on the lap. Not the only family travelling.

They had the choice of free mandatory quarantine or return to Sydney. But there was no flights, nor room on the flight they came on, or airline assistance. The flights jumped to $1300 each, one way when my son was trying to access them. They were not allowed to delay leaving for quarantine to sort out flights.

If it was an urgent medical decision to block this afternoon plane load of people, mostly returning Territorians, then they should have been immediately Covid19 tested. They did not get tested till after 11am the next day, so this was a knee jerk response which was extreme and  badly handled. No room for negotiation or self isolation in family homes after a negative test result. No negotiation or compassion. 

There were also minors on that flight unaccompanied returning home to Darwin, who had an older local sibling go into quarantine with them to look after them...   This was an extremely, poorly executed response.

I couldn’t give a SH ** about presents, and disappointingly, hoped you should know me better than that! 🎄

FYI:  I do sincerely wish everyone in the community centre a Christmas that brings joy and peace. 🥰 💐🎄

@Robin4, the image above is of my family on both sides of the barricades. We were allowed a quick minute chat before they were guided by border force to the transport. We have similar photos 24 hours later when they were escorted (about 80 people) back into the airport to catch a return flight to Sydney. 

My family on landing, collected their car from the airports long term car park, and drove through the night/ morning till they reached their home in Canberra, where they received their Covid19 results. The government happily allowed all these people to travel, so they must not have thought of them as Covid19 risks.........

Stay safe everyone. 🧑🏼‍🎄🎄🎅🏽😷

[Robin4]

@Cathie19 

I indeed know you heaps better than that, and that comment was a generalisation to the world, not to you personally Cathie.

I am pissed off that  5 of my upcoming reservations  have been canceled because someone with privilege from America walked off a plane flight into our Australian community, held a get together in Avalon on the northern beaches  of NSW and has now created all this chaos we are having to go through.....it was just one person for God sake.

Cathie, if I had my way I would shut the borders full stop, all our issues are coming from quarantine irregularities. Each week Australia is accepting 6,000+ people from overseas  and every one one of our recent outbreak issues are traced directly to those overseas arrivals which have ended up in our community!

Don't take it personally possum, I was not having a go at you, I am having a go at governments  for allowing  persons from hot spots to enter this country!

Cheers.........Rob  

[Cathie19]

I think @Catherine-Powell , that this little drawing epitomises what many of us have discovered about 2020. 🌸