A Quiet Day in the Neighborhood while the Rest of the World Falls Apart

This post was first published in 2020

Three siblings ventured out into the neighborhood after a long weekend home as a quest for some bubble tea at a nearby Coco. The sun shone coldly, and there was a slight chill in the air, but the siblings listened to songs and enjoyed themselves on the empty streets. There were very few people out. One teen shot hoops in his driveway, while other individuals were simply out for a walk. It was not until they reached the plaza did they see more people socializing as usual. For a moment, it seemed like it was a regular Sunday in March. But it was the baristas’ masks that reminded them of the dark reality that grips our world.

In a future post I will be going to how this pandemic effects the disabled community in particular, but for today I would like to share my own experience and concerns regarding to the recent in-class instruction suspension at the University of Toronto.

Coronavirus has shaken our world with a force that has left us stunned and uncertain of what to do. When officials inform us of this dangerous threat, then tells us that the only solution is to wash our hands and promote social distancing, it leaves people panicking. Thankfully, Canada has already dealt with a similar situation with SARS back in 2003, and is doing its best to control the situation using existing systems of precautions.

Being a first-generation immigrant to Canada who moved here seven years after SARS, none of my family members understood the severity of it of SARS only know it by its name by news headlines. So it was a bit of a shock when I read that first email by the University announcing the cancellation of all in-class lectures and tutorials. This announcement both showed me how serious the Coronavirus was, and how serious Canada was taking it.

At first I was confused and didn’t understand what they meant, so I brushed it aside as I had more pressing matters to attend to. But it was until my sister explained to me the situation that I felt this sense of relief and excitement after realizing that I won’t be commuting two hours each day anymore.

After a while, the news began to sink in and I was getting worried. Submitting my assignments was least of my worries as I just had to hand it through Quercus, the university’s online classroom. It was the lectures, tutorials, tests and exams that bothered me. Now I have information on how those things will work, but back then I had no idea.

I am sure by the end of the month everyone will be used to the new way of things, but for now, lets wash our hands and promote social distancing.