Saturday, March 21, 2020

Is it just me, or all introverts?


Listening to CBC today, and the various stories about how people are handling isolation, it left me feeling grateful for being who I am: an introvert who enjoys my own company and perfectly content to spends days on my own.

Aside of those with genuine concerns as a result of their health, family or work situation (which I have total empathy for), it was those who simply don't know what to do with themselves home along for long stretches that got my attention.

Beyond that, it was the ones that were feeling traumatized that interested me. Really? I don't say that in a sarcastic way, I say it in a "oh, so some people are really torn apart to be alone?". As in learning, and having my eyes opened. It was a comment by an extrovert that made the penny drop. I know that extroverts get their energy from others, but I don't think I'd understood how distressful it can be just to be alone for long stretches.

But perhaps I can understand, from the other side, as an introvert who just spent 10 years living with others and I almost lost my mind. If I don't spend copious amounts of time alone, I can't think, and I don't know who I am. I have no energy and I become desperate. Same thing, other side?

Anyways, I do not mind days at home alone. Having lived alone for 30 years, it's a common way of being for me, and I'm perfectly content. Since (finally) having my own place again, the days at home since December have been bliss.

Yes, I do like to do stuff, and not having access to coffee shops, and arts, and so on, is certainly missed, but it's not upsetting. Just think of the money I'll save!

Right now I have my headphones on, listening to jazz, with my feet up, and sun bouncing off the windows of the hotel across the street. Trying to decide which book I'll turn to after this, a historical novel set in Egypt in the 20's (a library score), or the Audible memoir of a woman who fell for a fake man. Wish I had more library books, but there is no lack of reading material here on my bursting bookshelves. And Audible is endless in terms of content.

I am quite happily living without TV, especially in current circumstances. CBC Radio One gives me pretty well all I need, without endless visuals of masks and hazmat suits to haunt me. Podcasts and online content fill in the rest. I'm actually not big into social media at the moment, but it's there if I need it. I've only recently been taking advantage of my Prime Video, maybe watching an hour or two most evenings, as distraction.

Then, there's silence.

Anyways... was curious as to whether other introverts feel the same. And if I was truly in isolation for weeks perhaps I'd feel differently, but I don't think so. Good thing, and I feel grateful that I am so well positioned to whether this storm.

It leaves me lots of room to learn about how others are coping without it overwhelming me.

And having this ah ha moment about how hard others are finding this is one such learning.


Friday, March 20, 2020

All quiet


It is 2:36 am. I woke up about 10 minutes ago, and in that time, I heard one truck go by. But that's it. No cars, no taxis, I can't even hear any traffic on Douglas. So eerie.

I live in the middle of it all in downtown Victoria, in what is usually a cacophony of cars, sirens, honking, voices, yelling, singing, and so on. Add to this the banging as the adjacent businesses take out their garbage and cardboard to the bins below my window. I happen to love being right here; the noise doesn't bother me, and is often entertaining. So the silence is so unusual.

It's early Friday morning, so I expect the most stunning silence will be in 24 hours, as the peeps who normally go clubbing will presumably have nowhere to go. No middle-of-the-night drunken antics on the street below.

And I've heard almost nothing since I started writing this, maybe 4/5 cars in 18 minutes.

Will write some reflections at a later time.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Museums in the age of COVID-19


Time just published a timely piece: 5 Ways to Bring Art Into Your Home While Museums Are Closed. A few highlights:
As part of widespread efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus, many of the world’s major cultural institutions have closed their doors... these institutions’ closure brings a reminder of the importance of the museum’s place in society during times of need. Research has shown that viewing art can reduce stress and anxiety, increase motivation and serve as a mood booster... And museums also play a crucial role in creating a more empathic world. They preserve the past, remind us of our place in the present and give us hope for the future. But the inability to set foot in a museum for the foreseeable future need not be synonymous with the absence of art from people’s lives. Under the Instagram hashtag #MuseumFromHome, cultural institutions have shared several informative posts about their collections and other artworks in an effort to continue to share knowledge and culture with the public, despite the closings. And there are many other ways to get your arts and culture fix from home via the internet, exploring museums that would otherwise require a plane ride to visit..." [continue reading on Time].

5 Ways to Bring Art Into Your Home While Museums Are Closed - Time

Friday, March 13, 2020

Kettle, not black


I got my new kettle today.

I ordered it on eBay a month or two ago, and had kind of given up on it, but today it arrived, all the way from Germany (but made in China). I love the kettle itself ~ both for its beauty, and because I am tired of boiling water in a pot, which I have been doing since December 1st.

Now, it was a cheap kettle (my criteria were: attractive design, whistling-style, free shipping, and cheap), so my expectations were low, so overall I'm happy. But it came with built-in entertainment: the verbiage on the box. I'm guessing this is the result of bad free online translation tools. Beyond amusing, it is instructive as to how bad our English sounds when translated to other languages using such tools.

I've included pics below, but here is what it says, VERBATIM.

FLAT BOTTOM
Ball type kettle
Stailnless steel
THE COLOR

Elaborate, sharp edges, no accute angle
Carefully polished, no acute angle, sharp edge;
No filler welding, use more comfortable
Comfortable, at ease.

The anti-overflow kettle mouth cap
Exquisite safety cap and spout close,
to prevent too much water boiling device
After or water overflow, avoid open
Scalded by hot water.

Humanized design, elegant
The overall design of the kettle body together
Body, do not use retained water, hand
Comfortable handle, more human nature
The intimate and caring

Products with packaging material object as a standard

This product is applicable to various types of stoves and stoves
Electromagnetic furnace
Electric furnace
Gas stove
Side burner