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Date is exactly
2020-03-05
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2020-03-05
The Sounds of a Casino
Living in Las Vegas and working in a hotel and casino, I got used to a few things; the sounds of the slot machines and the (albeit unpleasant) aroma of cigarettes and cigars. After being brought back to work after the shutdown, what I immediately noticed was how much quieter the casino floor was with all of the restrictions in place. There was a limit to how many guests we could have in, and social distancing meant only every other machine could be used. While wearing a mask and having plexiglass in front of my station, I had to get used to projecting my voice so that guests could hear me while I was trying to help them. Even now, I still wear a mask and have to actively make an effort to be heard. -
2020-03-05Germs and Touch: Contact OCD during the pandemic
The pandemic, rather the first 5 months, was debilitating for my mental health. I suffer from a type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) called "Contamination OCD". This could also be known as germaphobia. When the pandemic began, I began to be cautious. I would slide my sleeves over my hands to open doors at the college I was attending. I stopped touching things directly. For years I already practiced this in the bathroom, such as not touching stall locks before using the toilet or always washing my hands before and after I went. Due to medical issues, my doctors advised me to truly quarantine for 30 days or more. This sent my anxiety into a severe shock. I truly, genuinely did not leave my home for 30 days. There may have been a few trash outings but I did not go to the stores or see friends; nothing. It is hard to describe how my touch was affected, especially if the reader does not understand contamination OCD. An example that truly became a problem for me is Amazon packages. For everyone else, Amazon was still running and this allowed everyone to still have fun; to still live. For me, any package I took in, I used gloves. I would not touch the box. In my mind, the carrier could have had COVID, which would be outside the box. Inside, the handler could have coughed on the item as well. Even the manufacturer could have contaminated it. I cut trash bags in half and laid my items on them as I carefully dissected each one. Anything that came into my home, groceries too, was wiped down with bleach or Clorox wipes (if I had them). Amazon packages were quarantined for 10-14 days in a cupboard so the alleged virus would die and then I could use it. I remember how dry my hands were from washing 20 times a day, at least. The way the bleach would hurt my hands if I forgot gloves. Clorox wipes were familiar and on ration as I cut each one in half to make them last. The gloves I had were the last box in my city after searching for a whole day. I had tickets booked to Seoul, South Korea the first week of March 2020...which was obviously cancelled. For me, everything was dirty until I got to it. Even then, I barely trusted it. My couches, handles, walls, phone, laptop, window, groceries, bags, clothing, and more all went through cleaning as they came into my home. I would never sit on any furniture in "dirty" clothes from the outside. I had to shower and throw them in the wash. My mind was obviously anxious and ill. While I have severely recovered and pushed those limits, I still find myself holding onto those habits, knowing the risk is still out there. My hands still dry out from washing and I use hand sanitizer too much. I haven't had COVID yet, so I am holding out. -
2020-03-05Why the Canadian Housing Market Is Soaring in the Pandemic
"In Vancouver last month, the benchmark price for detached homes rose by 13.7 percent compared with a year earlier, reaching 1.6 million Canadian dollars. In the Toronto area, the average selling price for detached homes rose by 23.1 percent over the same time period, and a composite price that includes all kinds of housing topped 1 million dollars." -
2020-03-05
Classroom Networking
I have always been a good student. However, I always make sure to have a "homework buddy" in every class that I am. That homework buddy is someone I can ask clarifying questions about coursework, exams, or quizzes, and vice versa. Usually, this study buddy is someone I already know in the class, or I just end up naturally making one. Of course, with online classes replacing in-person lectures, finding a study buddy has been completely different. I would say that I was extremely lucky to find my first study buddy. We met through our class Slack channel. We have been through time-consuming projects, grueling homework practice, and exam preparations...yet we have never met each other. We also only somewhat know what we look like (we both have social media accounts with little pictures). Despite this, I have never felt like we were strangers, and I am pretty positive that we would get along exactly the same way when we met in real life. We were both surprisingly nonchalant and neutral about our personal life details. While this is certainly not the most traditional relationship I've ever made, I view my study buddy the same way as I do to all my other friends. I have also joined group chats for my classes. These chats are fine; everyone is cordial and helpful. I would say none of us are friends, but questions get answered, tips are given, and it is still a beneficial group to be in. I am not sure I could get used to the new way of networking. Next semester, my university is supposed to be back in person. I do miss face-to-face human interaction, so I hope that I can make friends and study partners the traditional way again. -
2020-03-05
Quarantine Brand Reviews: Dunkin' Donuts
I did not discover Dunkin' Donuts until the summer of 2021. I was never fond of their donuts, so I never paid much attention to them. It was only until the rise of TikTok that I found out Dunkin' sold coffee as well. Although, I did hear about Dunkin' Donuts changing their name to just Dunkin'. It is safe to say that I have visited Dunkin' more during the pandemic than I ever have in my lifetime. Even pre-pandemic, I have never dined-in at Dunkin'. Dunkin's drive-thru service provides a very speedy exchange. The issue with Dunkin's is that they lack consistency. Depending on the location's training, the quality of the drink can certainly be a gamble at times. It is safe to say that speed is the priority of Dunkin' Donuts. I have never been in a line at Dunkin' Donuts. A drink can be in your hands after ordering in less than a minute. As for quality, I would say that it is very decent at its affordable price point. Dunkin is an establishment that I frequent often during the pandemic. It is less wait than Starbucks, and cheaper. The short lead times allow for an easy and quick coffee run. My friends and I love going for a sweet coffee treat. In fact, the highlight of our first pandemic summer was getting Dunkin' donuts iced coffees together and catching up. The service was quick, so we did not have to interact much with the employees. -
2020-03-05Event commemorating Cuba-Venezuela Relations and the passing of Hugo Chavez, Havana, Cuba
HIST30060 -
2020-03-05social media for quarantine
social media still made some fun out of the quarantine situation from COV-19 -
2020-03-05Comic shows how important masks are during COVID-19
People seeking for one night relationship would abandon his partner for bra used as facial masks. -
2020-03-05Sunset on the sickbed
"Although there is 60 years of the age gap, we can still see the sunset hand in hand." On March 05, Wuhan University Renmin Hospital, an 87-year-old COVID-19 patient saw the sunset with a young doctor. Doctors devoted a lot during this pandemic, no matter how serious the patients are; and they never give up any lives. They are worthy of the Hippocratic Oath. They ought to be respected. -
2020-03-05Empty Shelf at Target
My friend and I visited Target in March, and when we tried to find something like hand sanitizer, paper towel, we found nothing. Panic exists during these days and people just want food and supplies as much as possible, many people think if they don't by them, they will starve and have nothing to eat or use. -
2020-03-05Giving flowers to the volunteers in Covid-19 period
My parents kept donating and gave contribution for the hospitals. What they did influence me a lot. This is the picture when they were giving flowers to volunteers in Covid-19 period. -
2020-03-05Donating masks
My parents donated masks and suit to the Hospital. -
2020-03-05The Most Drastic Anti-Coronavirus Travel Ban in the World
Online article about severe lockdown in Micronesia. -
2020-03-05Through Chinese Social Media - 1
I’m a study-abroad student. Due to the virus, I had to stay in New York. I got the update of the virus through Chinese social media, and I think it is really interesting. I’m going to share some posts from Chinese social media about the virus. As the most serious affected city, New York no longer being chaos. Citizens all stay at home and keep the social distancing. In the meantime, some of them figure out the way to relax. The boy sits on the roof, holding the guitar quietly, enjoy the blowing the wind, feeling the silent city, completely immersed in his own music world. -
2020-03-05REL Plane Itinerary
This is a screenshot of my trip itinerary for my Spring Break in March. I felt that this was a good contribution because this was the start of the uproar of the pandemic. Once I came back on the 14th everything changed. Business shut down, traveling limited, and school moved to online for the rest of the semester. This was a very significant time for me. -
2020-03-05Trader Joe's, Long Beach, CA
I took this photo to document the run on groceries that took place in California about a week before we received the official announcement to shelter-in-place. Many of the shelves at the local Trader Joe's in Long Beach were barren. Shoppers had cleaned the store out of pasta, rice, beans, soup, peanut butter, frozen vegetables, some vegetables (sweet potatoes) and other goods. It was the first tangible sign to me personally that a panic had set in our area. -
2020-03-05CVS sign
Sign at the local CVS, pre-local panic, showing limits on sales of safety items -
2020-03-05Board meeting hand sanitizer
Hand sanitizer given out for an emergency board meeting of our local community action agency -
2020-03-05Skiing in Big Sky, Montana
Life goes on in the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave."