Monday, March 30, 2020

Connecting in a World of Social Distancing

The social distancing imposed by this pandemic has been no real personal hardship for me. Although disappointed by cancellations of annual events like Canada Blooms, Hot Docs, and Canada Reads, I really don't mind cozying up at home, especially as we can take advantage of technology and new ways to connect. My laptop is being well used and much appreciated.

Without the virtual connection, I definitely would feel more isolated and cut-off from family, friends and work. How different the world is now than it was Pre Digital, or even ten or twenty years ago.


It seems everything has shifted more as a result of the pandemic, with transformation accelerating as people look for ways to maintain connection. There was a bit of technological lag, because of course people prefer to be together when possible, but now technology has become even more embedded in modern lives.

No doubt a new term is being coined, as social media doesn't quite capture the shift.

Is it Social Inter-Media?

I became very disenchanted by Facebook and Instagram awhile back and went from posting daily to weekly to now barely monthly. Now I'm using Facebook to private message individuals or connect with groups, such as the Choir Choir Distanc-Sing-Along or Scarborough Uke jam, or Ontario Birds. I don't often turn to Twitter as a means to stay informed or entertained.

Rob and I have been getting together virtually with friends and family. A Facetime dinner with Alex and Penny followed by playing some online games. A nice evening with Liz and Darcy, both couples in front of laptops and drinking cocktails while catching up for a couple of hours. It is good to "see" people and spend time with them, even if it is just through laptops.

Instead of hosting Rob's retirement party at our house, we changed the venue to an online Zoom meeting and focused on inviting family. Rob's sisters and brother are across the country, and there are nieces and nephews in different provinces and down in Australia. The last time people all got together was for a wedding several years ago. When I sent the first invitation people were quick to accept. Alex set it up with a Pro version, so we were also able to take advantage of breakout rooms. At first I suggested a Chair with a loose agenda to keep everyone from talking at once, but Rob really didn't want to structure it. So it was total chaos, random changes to video and a cacophony of sound.  Big smiles all round, from across the country and across the world. No clean-up or cooking required!

Yoga Centre Toronto closed the studio in March, cancelling sadhana, workshops and classes. I was secretly relieved, as I want Marlene to stay clear of the virus. At 80+ she remains an inspiration to me, and I know the decision to close must have been a difficult one but definitely the right thing to do. Marlene has been creating and sharing detailed sequences with her students so people can maintain their practice while the studio is closed. Such a blessing and comfort! While I continue my daily practice,  I'm attending weekly yoga classes online with Niren, via Zoom. Although there are no "hands on" adjustments, I value the instruction, and because it is 2-way Niron can offer observations on students' alignment.

Epitourists got together for cocktails as well as a lunch, via Facebook Messenger. Definitely not the same, as we weren't able to taste each others' courses. Still, some great food ideas and it was nice to hear what everyone was up to and how they were faring. Lunch in the Time of Covid is posted on the site.

Also connected with Chris for some online euchre playing by downloading an app that allows access to rooms that can be reserved and entered with passwords. The cards are animated and there are pics for I.D. purposes, and audio is available by pressing down on a button if you want to speak. Not highly refined, but free and fun.

Rob and my meetings with our financial advisor were already happening via Zoom for the last few months, and a much needed session went ahead in March to strategize weathering the economic storm upon retirement.

My brothers and sister continue to use Slack as a way to keep up to date with what's happening in our lives. Although we organized it as a hub to keep informed during Mom's illness, it has proven to be a central way to organize family get togethers and worked out to be a comforting touchpoint.

For work at home, I'm using the den as an office, so at the end of the day I just power down the work laptop and shut off the lights, which makes for an easy separation and a quick commute. At the start of things, it looked like I might be redeployed to COVID related activities and I was looking forward to being able to make a strong contribution. Unfortunately things didn't pan out in that direction, but that may change. In the meantime, I've made some calls to suppliers to support transformation activities related to general operations. Feeling a bit on standby while life is elsewhere, and trying to reframe it as an opportunity to adjust my perspective on the world of work.

I remember looking at my grandparents when I was a kid, thinking they had seen more change in their lifetimes than I ever would. From horse and carriage to car and airplane to a man on the moon. I wonder what they would make of this Digital Age?

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

March Mahem

The Epitourists got together on March 1 at my place for a Vegetarian-themed feast. Rob and I went out to see Bradford Marsalis at Koerner on March 6. I was heading off to work as per usual.

Then Covid headlines started hitting closer to home.

It got to the point that I was definitely not comfortable taking the crowded TTC, with everyone jammed so close, people wearing masks, others coughing. There were a few terrorists, too - like the one guy that came bursting through the subway doors with a bellowing cough, mouth wide open and laughing, talking to his friend in Korean, no doubt making a joke about how all the racists were terrified.

My employer still wasn't making any announcements or accommodations about working from home, so I elected to make a quick dash to the office in on Friday the 13th to pick up my laptop and then call in sick. The next day, a Saturday, my manager called me at home with the news we were now mandated to work remotely until April 3.

So many closures and cancellations announced all at once. All the plans I'd made for the merry month of May: Canada Blooms, Canada Reads, BPYC St. Patrick's Day, Heliconian, book club, Uke Jam.

Grocery stores running out of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, canned goods, as people started to panic. Thankfully our pantry is pretty well stocked.

Rob and I are both working from home right now, tucked in separate rooms and attending to business.

Poor Rob! The last few weeks of his career working from home and his retirement parties cancelled, the stock market crashing. A rather abrupt transition to an uncertain future.

So far, I'm enjoying working from home, but it is just Day 4. Not missing the commute whatsoever. My day-to-day will change drastically as it looks like I will be working closely with a team from the Ministry of Health regarding some supply chain issues. Happy to be of service but wondering what it will entail over the next few weeks or months.

And it could be months before getting back to 'normal' as now predictions have been extended to impacts that will continue to be felt until the summer months.

I haven't seen anyone other than Rob face to face since March 12. Right now I have very minimal symptoms of achey-ness, runny nose. Could be allergies but best to play it safe, just in case, so self imposed quarantine.

Taking it a day at a time. Going for daily walks, continuing my yoga and meditation practice, filing my taxes, catching up on my reading, lots of tv. There have also been some virtual events for a bit of fun, such as the Choir Choir Social Destanc-Sing-Sing-Along. The Centre for Mindfulness Studies has a free virtual meditation session at noon. Keeping in touch with family and friends via email and apps and good old-fashioned phone calls.

Enjoying the fresh tulips Rob has replenished, and the blooming oxalys.





Be well - Immune boosting practice

Well, well, well.

March madness!

I was grateful when the Yoga Centre sent along this immune boosting practice just after they sent the announcement about their closing. It is a wonderful sequence.

Find Time to Do Yoga

BKS:  "Find time to do yoga. You should do the asana with vigour and at the same time be relaxed and composed."

From a series of practices posted on YCT during the COVID outbreak.

Freedom is also in our body

BKS: "Freedom is also in our body, the independence of every limb with regard to its neighbour."


From a series of practices posted on YCT during the COVID outbreak.

Restorative

BKS:  "Yoga works not with the physical body but the physiological body."


From a series of practices posted on YCT during the COVID outbreak.

Monday, March 9, 2020

Full Worm Moon

The last full moon of winter. Big and full and bright enough to wake me up when it passes by the skylight.

Out for a drive in High Park on Sunday afternoon - I could smell the dirt!

The early bird gets the worm, but what does the early worm get?

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Performing Arts

Bradford Marsalis Quartet (March)

The quartet has the ease and mastery of impresarios who've been playing together 30+ years. We heard a wide-ranging repertoire from a set list that included bebop, original compositions, jazz standards and popular tunes: Dance of the Evil Toys / Conversation Among the Ruins / Snake Hip Waltz / When I Take My Sugar to Tea / Life Filtering From the Water Flowers / Sunny Side of the Street / The Windup Encore: My Favourite Things

Wintergarten Orchestra (February)

BPYC held a Roaring Twenties party with the Wintergarten Orchestra, featuring music from the 1920s-1930s popular, jazz and cabaret music from America and Europe. We had seats right by the band, and I kept taking photos of the lead singer as there was a bright light at his head and I tried to turn it into a halo and then a ball of fire coming from his mouth.


Tom Allan and Orchestra Toronto (February)

Telling A Tale, including music from Dvorak, Prokofiev, and Raum, with insights from Tom Allan.

From the program notes: Antonin Dvořák's Noonday Witch paints a musical picture of a scary figure from a story told to keep in his native Bohemia to scare children away from playing in the fields under the hot sun. * Toronto composer Elizabeth Raum has set the 14th-century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as a five-movement orchestra suite. The original Middle English saga features one of King Arthur's best known knights. * We all know the story behind Prokoviev's ballet Romeo and Juliet ballet. Prokoviev's own story is less well known. Romeo and Juliet is one of two non-political works that Sergei Prokoviev wrote after his return to the Soviet Union. Among its other quirks, it is one of the rare orchestral works that calls for a tenor saxophone. 

Watching Grace play first violin and bumping into Bluffers at the concert.

Lisa Fischer and Grand Baton, Koerner (January)

What a voice! Fischer has amazing octave range, but also the ability to swell from a soft whisper to commanding volume; and to sustain notes for what seemed like minutes on end. She also worked two different mics - one in her hand that she moved towards and away from her mouth - the other the mic on the stand - creating amazing textures.

She was interpreting classic rock, with selections from Led Zeppelin, Nine Inch Nails, and the Rolling Stones, all bands that she has provided vocals as a back-up singer. An impressive talent in her own right, Fisher was one of the personalities featured in the documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom.

This was part of the Koerner series, Quiet Please There's a Lady on Stage.

Zane Dalal conducts the Royal Conservatory Orchestra with Zakir Hussain, John Patitucci, Danila Perez and Brian Blade, Koerner  January

Zakir is a world renowned tabla virtuoso, coming to the 21C festival for the Canadian premier of Peshkar, a concerto for tabla and orchestra. A beautiful piece!

He also improvised with a trio: John Patitucci (bass); Danilo Perez (piano); Brian Blade (drums). Watching and listening to these maestros play was a pleasure.

This was also the premier for Patitucci's piece Hypoocrisy, an interesting work featuring improvisations between the jazz trio and orchestra.

Sweat, CanStage,  January


Lynn Nottage won the Pulitzer for her work on this as playwright.

The performances were a bit uneven, and I wasn't sure whether that was the direction or the actors. Overall, very much worth seeing, as it explores important themes of factory closures, the disappearance of well-paying jobs, and the effects on workers and communities.
Laurie Anderson, Koerner,  January

In the Art of Falling, Anderson fulfilled her ambition to "make a piece that is one long sentence."

She told hypnotic stories, performed tai chi, and played viola accompanied by cellist Rubin Kodhelo. During the night she retold pieces of Aristophanes' comedy, The Birds, but left out the ending, to entice the audience into reading the play. Anderson spoke about her late husband, Lou Reid, and the tai chi sequence was in honour of his love of martial arts; so very moving to watch.

Caesar, Streetcar Crowsnest,  January
Shakespeare's play was interpreted by the Groundling theatre company.

True to his text, except for the beginning and end. The beginning helped set context by taking the form of political commentators delivering opinions of unfolding events in ancient Rome; the end brought the characters back from the dead to comment on their motivations. I thought the beginning very effective. I thought the end provided useful insights but was somewhat condescending; maybe it would have been better to bring the political commentators back to bookend the play with the same conceit.

Inside and Out

A long commute home after a long day at work. Cold and snowy. So the last thing I expected was to see the stand of snowdrops coming up in the front garden. Heart lifting. Winter really will come to an end! (March 2)



Rob picked up some tulips on March 1 and we've been enjoying them all week long. This is what they looked like March 7, Saturday morning, relaxing in the sunlight.


Otherwise the house plants have been cozy inside. The anthurium was gifted to me by co-workers when my mom died in September 2018. It's been moving from window to window and is now flourishing in its current spot by the upstairs skylight.

Anthurium
This orchid is in the second or third blooming, having started its latest performance mid-January. Definite staying powers.
Phalaenopsis Orchid
Benjamina has been keeping me company during morning yoga since January. I was so desperate for green this winter I went in search of an indoor tree and found something at East End Garden Centre.