Out & About #625 | Week #1 Quarantine Update

I haven't exactly been "out" since my return from the West Coast, but I've definitely been "about" - about the house that is.

As the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, and soon Alberta begin to wrap up their first week in Quarantine under the federal government's stringent measures to "flatten the curve" and prevent overloading the health care system, it should come as no surprise that many citizens are struggling, some more others.

​There are those unable to request time off work, and may be further increasing work hours in response to surging demand for essential services.
There are those that have been blessed with work-from-home capabilities, though, in turn, suffer from ceaseless conference calls and heavier workloads.
Lastly, there are the tremendously fortunate few: the ones operating front-line in departments deemed "non-essential" that were simply sent home without reduced pay.

​Honestly, the past week in Vancity had been blissful. But in under twenty-four hours, the gorgeous weather and sunny skies seemed nothing beyond a lucid dream. COVID-19 was officially declared to be a pandemic, causing the world as I know to collapse into itself. I had found myself squarely in the middle of an apocalypse - an unforeseen social calamity threatening sanity levels and the fragility of human health.

Even upon landing on Ontario soil, the direness of the situation was reflected in plummeting gas prices.

​With work-from-home measures being implemented, I commenced email revision from the comfort of my own home whilst adjusting my sleep schedule. It was a terrible tempo to grow accustomed to, for energy levels were unbelievably low, and so was productivity of the mind

​Besides a  ̶b̶i̶t̶ tremendous amount of baking (feat. terribly over-mixed banana bread), majority of the week was met with a bulging inbox - with emails flying in at all times of the day - and the occasional step outside for sustenance. Oh, and the unexpected luxury of pour-over prepping.

< Pictured above and below: Katsuya Original Pork Tender Katsu, Original Japanese Fish Katsu, Cheese Crabmeat Croquette >
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(Not picture but ingested: Tako Wasabi)

​Katsuya never fails to wow, especially with 30% off takeout Katsu and Cheese Crabmeat Croquettes.

Things I learned during Corona:

• Our daily lives are heavily dependent on screens, annihilating human interaction means communication via screens and eye-straining lights instead of face-to-face, in the flesh.
• Some of the sidewalk slabs in my neighbourhood have managed to maintain integrity since 1993, with some even dating back to 1977! Newer slabs can easily be identified by their smoother, broom finish, while the older ones were darker in hue - either a result of the concrete mix itself, weathering, or a mixture of both - and contained larger pieces of aggregate.
• Everyone can be a baker - maybe not the most skillful of creators, but at least thoughtful in their own respects. (Prime example: My Banana Coconut Cinnamon Rolls inspired by Tasty.)

Bonus: Podcast Things

• Mobility is a key element for humanity. Old or young, residents of a community need to be mobile in order to stay connected with one another. Humans thrive together, and city planning ought to reflect such needs by making all cities safer and more accessible for all ages. This is especially important in suburbs, areas that exhibit lower population densities and hence, compromised public transit relative to metropolitan/downtown areas.

Bottom line of the podcast: There shouldn't be signs denoting "Community Safety Zones", as all areas ought to have been designed with community safety in mind. Rather, signs should be placed where this element may be compromised.