How I braced for the pandemic

Before I could have imagined what was to come in the following months, I had what would become my final vacation before the pandemic — a short road trip with my friend Derek. I arrived at his parents’ home in Paris, Ontario to find Derek making his final preparations before embarking on the journey ahead. Eager to share his music during the ride, he made sure to bring his MP3 player housing a collection of songs, including those from Bjork. As he finished eating his soup, I had the pleasure of speaking with his mom and dad — both charming parents — and learned a little bit about the history of their home, and the current predicament with the lighting in the house which needed to be fixed. After his preparations, we began our drive westward towards Sarnia, a small town in which quite a significant concert would be held that night, at the end of January 2020. Switching between songs of my choosing and his, we made our way along the 402. Nearing our destination, the AirBnB, I received an unsolicited call from a sales representative about a discounted cruise trip from Florida to the Bahamas. Considering it to be fate, and having previously booked a flight down to Miami with my friend Matthew for April, I jumped on the opportunity. As we pulled into the driveway, I finalized the details and provided the agent with my credit card information. And it was settled — I was going on a cruise; and here I was, parked outside of our first stop, with Derek. Realizing that the VIP entry to the concert was opening soon, I hurried us into the unit and we unpacked and familiarized ourselves with the space. Moments later, we were headed downtown, and I would part ways with Derek for the night while I attended the show. Prior to the show, I claimed a seat in the lobby and waited as people began to lineup outside. In front of me stood a young girl wearing a Champion tracksuit, and I couldn’t help but think she was helping the brand make a comeback. Collectively, we heard Josh and the band do their soundcheck, and soon after, the VIP ticket holders were ushered in for the Q&A session. I asked the band a silly question — whether they had ever played on a cruise liner. They hadn’t. I got my photo with the band and what ensued was an exhilarating performance by Marianas Trench. The energy was astounding, and Josh’s voice was truly brilliant. I was mesmerized by the show and surrounded by diehard fans — mostly young white girls. After the show, I went back to the AirBnB to reunite with Derek, only to hear he had quite an eventful night, for better or worse. He ended up getting some weed delivered to the house and we smoked a couple joints that night, and one in the morning, before making our way across the border into Detroit.

Making it past border security without a hitch, we arrived at our hostel a little earlier than our check in time, but were able to check in nevertheless. The place had the feel of a small community; we made our way up the stairs and into our room — with a single bed, a sink and countertop, and a washroom. Not staying long before venturing out into the city, we drove through the snow covered streets into the heart of Detroit. Cold and wet, the city seemed deserted and dull, with very few redeeming qualities. We disagreed over how much charm Detroit really had; it seemed Derek was more interested in what the city had to offer than I was. After walking around the streets to the point my socks were getting wet, we returned to the hostel to rest, before heading out once more to see concert number two. Magic City Hippies smashed their alternative funk tunes throughout the small venue — packed with hipsters — all vibing to this band from Miami. It was as though everything was coming together — I’d soon be down in Miami myself — or so I thought.

The first time I went out and was a little wary of the whole developing pandemic situation was at the end of February 2020. My friend Malory was putting on a small show at an apartment just north of Allan Gardens. She is a singer with an incredible voice, having made quite a name of herself, with her music being featured on many prominent television programs. In the intimate setting, I couldn’t help but feel that there was something not quite right — a looming fear over concerns about a virus I knew little about. Nevertheless, I witnessed easily one of the most heartwarming performances I’ve seen in a while, and afterwards, Malory invited me to hang out with her boyfriend Patrick and his friend, at a nearby pub.

The next night, eager to make the most of life before things got really screwy (with the quarantine), I went to a party at the penthouse of a condo in Corktown. It was here that I met Chelsea, a girl working for PagerDuty — a Waterloo Engineering alumni, and somebody I would become irresponsibly obsessed with, for some time. It was at this party that I met a couple, with the girl claiming black people are genetically immune to catching corona, in response to my upcoming trip to the Bahamas. Clearly, we knew little about what lay ahead…

The following week, at the beginning of March 2020, I made it out again, this time to Madison Avenue Pub where I would meet a number of folks involved in filmmaking. Together we chatted about my upcoming project — I would be filming a music video for the company I work for the next day. Seeming more professional than I was, it was fun to speak as if I were a director. I would fool myself into believing that I was one, for what would be an insignificant music video, in the grand scheme of things.

Come March 5th, and the lot of us from Engineering Support gathered at a bowling alley to knock some pins over. I remember being a little wary of germs being shared during the time we ate pizza and wings, but quickly brushed it off. Before everyone left, I mustered up the energy to call whoever remained to be featured in a music video for “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys. It would end up being useful for clipping a gif of my coworker Jad singing, for our department wiki.

In the days that followed, I spent at least three nights in various bars.

Finally, on March 13, the significance of the pandemic hit me. The aisle for toilet paper at my local Walmart was ransacked, and I filmed a short sketch à la Cloverfield, in a bit of a satirical panic about the direness of the situation I was in.

Two days later, and I was back at my parents’, having moved out of Oakville, and back to Markham.

As March came to a close, I started a podcast, first inviting my coworker Cindy on, and then Derek, who filled me in on some conspiracy theories around the origin of the virus, and the “hidden agenda” behind a mass vaccination.

Throughout the pandemic, I found it tiresome to address questions about how I was coping with the situation. There wasn’t much to say; wasn’t the general sentiment the same for everyone?

For the majority of the time during which vaccinations were being administered, I was fairly pro-vaccine, especially given the attitudes expressed at the company I work for. The moment I was eligible for an appointment, I went onto the Ontario website at 7:45 am, secured my place in the queue, and booked my times.

Finally, on May 10, 2021, I received my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the Cornell Community Center. The gymnasium was refashioned into a drug delivery clinic, and a doctor administered my shot. Asking whether I had been taking any medications, I listed them off, and told her my psychiatrist had cleared me for vaccination. As it turned out, she knew Dr. Berber, who works out of Markham Stouffville Hospital, which so happens to be attached to the building I got jabbed in.

I am relieved that I’m vaccinated, and I believe I’m at least doing my part in bringing this pandemic to an end.