August Rush 2020

The first thing I noticed upon my return to Arctic Bay was the disappearance of the French boat Vagabond.  Well, I mean, the boat left the community in the summer when all the ice in the bay melted.  I’m assuming the operators completed two weeks of isolation before returning to the ship.  You’ll have to go to their website to see where the polar yacht is in the Arctic.  I should have spoken to the French family and gotten a tour of their boat.  Another time.

Inuujaq School staff were given two days to prepare for the first day of school.  Everyone received their teaching schedules at the opening staff meeting.  The four classes I will be teaching are: Music 10 – Drums, Grade 10 English, and Grades 10 & 11 Socials Studies.  Pretty much the same batch of courses I’ve been teaching for the last several years.  School Administration informed everyone that there would be no opening ceremony & breakfast this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.  We couldn’t take any chances despite zero cases being reported in Arctic Bay & all of Nunavut.

Speaking of restrictions, the territory’s Department of Education has released an Opening Plan for the 2020-21 school year.  It looks like the department spent quite a bit of time & resources to put the plan together because it’s spread across 11 documents.  You can read all the documents here.  The main thing to take from everything is the 4-Stage plan.  Stage 1 is the safest while Stage 4 is the worst.  All communities are starting at Stage 1.  Hopefully it’ll stay that way.    

I arranged my classroom, updated & printed my course outlines, and got my teaching materials ready.  Having two days for prep really helped.

The first day of school was Friday, August 14.  I welcomed the students back from their extended break and went over the course outlines.  I reassured them that I completed two weeks of isolation in Ottawa before returning home.  The rest of the day was spent playing ice breaker games.  I’m not a fan of giving out work on the first day.  I am a fan of the first day of classes being on a Friday.  I began teaching my courses on Monday, August 17.

Unfortunately, cadets have been postponed until October.  The original plan was to restart in-person training in September, but the Department of National Defence decided to wait an extra month due to the ongoing pandemic. 

COVID-19 continues to spread & infect more people all around the world.  The disease has infected over 20 million people and killed 700,000.  It’s most likely the numbers are actually higher.  I hope the world’s scientists & researchers are closer to developing a vaccine.

The only remaining thing I can mention is the weather.  Even though it still summer, the August weather feels more like autumn.  This is due to cold & rain.  And when there’s rain, there’s mud.  Everyone is walking around with rubber boots on until the snow arrives. 

            

Journal of Self-Isolation: Epilogue

I’ll admit I talked a lot about the food the hotel provided.  I promoted myself to the role of food critic while documenting my time in isolation.  That wasn’t the primary goal of the journal, but the many paragraphs and accompanying photos dedicated to the topic did occupy more than half of the content in this mini-series.  I was inspired by two news articles I read before entering quarantine to keep a close eye on the food the hotel served.  (The news articles were submitted by two people who reported that conditions in their hotels were less than perfect).  That, and I wanted to provide an accurate depiction of the food and let you judge its quality.      

I can’t speak for the other isolation hotels in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal, and Ottawa.  I can only comment on what I went through and overall, the food wasn’t great, but it wasn’t very bad.  It was mediocre to below average.  I’m glad I took advantage of the fact we were allowed to bring food into isolation.  I’m sure there were people who didn’t do that and were forced to rely on the hotel, or order food from websites like Skip The Dishes.

The Government of Nunavut has reported spending and continues to spend a hefty amount of money on isolating Nunavut residents in hotels before allowing them to return to the territory.  The expenses have amounted to several millions of dollars.  The government pays for accommodations, food, staffing, and transportation to the airport.  I know that everything costs money, but there’s a part of me that feels that the food could & should have been better based on the money already spent.  I can only hope the quality will improve for future isolating guests because the COVID-19 pandemic is not stopping anytime soon.

Some of you were probably surprised and/or shocked when I reported that I only stepped out of my room once during my entire stay.  Well, that’s what actually happened.  My room was large enough for me to walk around and I didn’t feel compelled to go outside.  I was following the rules quite strictly.  If I didn’t have a laptop, internet access, and an external hard drive filled with movies & tv shows, then yes, I would have gone outside in the designated area several times.  I’m an introvert so being alone isn’t a big deal.

Overall, I survived my two-week isolation.  It was an experience I won’t forget.  Hopefully, I won’t have to do it again.  I also hope that by this time next year, everyone will be vaccinated, and COVID-19 will be eradicated & banished to the history books.

August 7 – 8, 2020

I was glad Yummy Shawarma was still open for business.  I went inside and ordered a large beef shawarma sandwich for lunch.  I had to eat it at my brother’s place because Yummy was only doing take out service.  I spent the rest of the day walking around Iqaluit and shopping at NorthMart & other stores.

August 8 began very early for me.  My flight to Arctic Bay was at 7:30am so I woke up at 5am.  I got dressed and quickly packed everything.  I ate a breakfast snack and thanked my brother for his hospitality & for putting up with me.  I took a cab to the airport at 6:15am.  The only people inside the terminal were the staff.  I checked in and then walked to the proper departure gate and waited.  More passengers arrived at the gate some time late.  Quite a few of them were from Arctic Bay. 

Our flight left on time at 7:30am.  The plane landed in Clyde River and then continued on to Arctic Bay.  The plane landed at 11:40am.  Frank gave me a lift into town.  I was finally home.  I spent the next several hours unpacking and cleaning my residence.

                                                End of Journal of Self-Isolation mini-series. 

Journal of Self-Isolation: Days 13 – 15

August 4, 2020

I decided to be different today by getting out of bed at 9am.  I guess my body got tired of sleeping in until 10am.  I’m glad I used the extra hour getting ready because the nurse called at 10:15am.  I just let her know that I was feeling fine.

The breakfast meal consisted of an egg omelette patty between two pieces of white bread, a hash brown patty, three ketchup packets, and a juice box.  What I found strange was the egg sandwich was sitting on a folded piece of newspaper.  I guess it was placed there to soak up the grease?  I only took a few bites out of the sandwich.  I didn’t put ketchup on the omelette because only crazy people do that.  (I’ll never understand that one.  Ketchup and eggs do not go together).

My parents called at 11am, informing me they were preparing a food box.  The box would be small and contain perishable items.  I normally bring back two boxes of food so that I have something to eat when I arrive home.  My fridge is empty during the summer months.  Unfortunately, the whole have-to-be-in-isolation-for-two-weeks-before-returning-to-Nunavut situation forced us to do things differently.  My parents ended the phone call saying the box would be delivered in the afternoon.

Lunch arrived at noon.  The meal was a chicken burger and vegetable soup.  I removed the pickle and ate the burger.  The chicken was okay.  The soup tasted good.

The food box arrived some time after 3:30pm.  My father dropped it off at the front desk.  The hotel staff called me at 3:45pm to tell me I had a package waiting for me and to come down and pick it up.  I guess they didn’t have anyone to bring the box to my room like the last time.  I put on a mask and stepped out of my room for the first time.  It felt strange walking down the hallway towards the elevator.  My body felt like it was doing this for the first time.  I took the elevator down to the ground floor and found the staff member who had my food package.  I thanked them and then took the elevator back to my floor.  I opened the box inside my room to see what was inside.  The box was small enough to fit inside my large suitcase.  I placed it in the fridge so that the food wouldn’t spoil.

My father called me 10 minutes later to ask if I got the package.  I replied that I did.

There’s not much else for me to write.  I didn’t order any dinner and all I did for the rest of the day was play some games on my laptop. 

August 5, 2020

My body reverted to its old habit of sleeping in.  My last day of isolation began at 10:30am.  I couldn’t believe the last day had finally arrived.  I’m glad I got dressed at 10:30 because there was a knock on my door at 10:35am.  Breakfast usually arrived much earlier so this had to be for something else.  I answered the door and was greeted by staff member checking that I was in fact leaving tomorrow morning.  I nodded and said I was.  He told me I would receive more information in the afternoon. 

I looked down at the coffee table when he left and noticed no breakfast.  That’s okay.  Eating three meals a day is too much for me.  That and I have a figure to maintain.

At 11am, I set the alarm clock on my phone to 5:15am.  I assumed we would be leaving the hotel at around 6am.  I needed to be at the airport by 7:15am to catch my flight to Iqaluit. 

There was a loud knock on my door at 12:10pm.  Lunch had arrived.  The staff member on the other side either thought I was deaf, upset, or didn’t realize that they had a hard knocking hand.  I waited a minute before opening the door.  The meal consisted of chicken, French fries, and a small sealed cup of gravy.  The chicken & French fries made me think of KFC.  Maybe it was?  I took the meal inside and placed my order form on the coffee table.  I decided to order one last meal: a steak sandwich.  I ate the entire lunch meal.  It wasn’t bad.

I did some exercises and surfed the internet after lunch.

My parents called me at 4:30pm, wanting to know how I felt after spending two weeks in isolation.  I answered that I was fine and wasn’t exhibiting any symptoms.  They also wished me a safe trip home.

There was another knock on my door at 4:40pm.  It was a hired security guard who handed me Departure Procedures documents for me to read.  I began skimming the document after I closed the door.  The most important piece of information out of the entire document was that I had to be awake and ready to go at 4am!  I picked up my cell phone and reset the alarm clock to 3am.  I would need at least an hour to get dressed, do my final checks, and place used towels and garbage bags in the hallway.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon packing my suitcases.  I did take a small break to photograph the construction crane outside bringing down discarded building materials from the roof of the West Memorial Building next door.  One of the large red metal dumpsters was almost full.

The steak sandwich arrived at 7:00pm.  The meal also came with French fries & a juice box.  Overall, the sandwich was okay, but fries tasted really good.

I stayed up until 11:30pm.  Tomorrow was going to be a very long day.

August 6, 2020

The alarm clock on my cell phone rang at 3am.  I sighed and sat up.  The day to return home had finally arrived.  My isolation stay was at an end.  Well, I suppose it was officially over once I was on the plane and in the air.  I showered, got dressed, and checked all the drawers, shelves, and fridge to make sure I packed everything.

Today was also a special day because I could finally wear the t-shirt I specifically bought for this moment.  When my eyes spotted it on display at a local Wal-Mart my mind immediately shouted to buy it.  The shirt was actually the right size!  It’s great when things work out.  The t-shirt is black and has the words “Straight Outta Quarantine” written across the front in large white text.  The title is a parody of the name of N.W.A.’s famous 1988 album Straight Outta Compton.  Looking at the shirt on me with the help of a large mirror, I wondered if people at the airport would say anything.  I would find out soon enough.

There was a knock on my door at 4am.  Hotel staff had arrived to take my two large suitcases downstairs.  A few minutes later, I was instructed to head downstairs with my carry-on luggage.  I rode the elevator alone to the ground floor and walked to the front desk.  I handed over my room cards and was given a plastic bag that contained a piece of paper that said I had completed my two-week isolation and was cleared to travel.  I was offered a brown paper bag containing a breakfast meal.  I declined.  I boarded the first Greyhound bus parked in front of the hotel.

The two buses left at 5am.  We drove to the other hotel where returning Nunavut residents were staying.  Several of them boarded the buses.  We drove on and arrived at the airport at 6am.

Now here is where things got a little strange, confusing, and I suppose, counterproductive.  The people on the bus & I had just spent two weeks isolating from the public so that we wouldn’t catch COVID-19.  I’m sure we all assumed that we would be taken to an isolated area within the terminal to check in, go through a separate security checkpoint, and board the plane through a secluded gate.  Well, that’s not what happened.

We all got off the buses, collected our luggage, and then were escorted into the terminal to the Canadian North check in counters.  We had to wear face masks but there were still regular travellers walking by.  Once we were checked in, our “guides” you could say, escorted us down to the security area where we waited for some time, and then went through, along with everyone else. 

I removed my large sweater and placed it in a bin.  The CATSA officer pushing the bins towards the x-ray machine noticed the shirt I was wearing.  I could tell from the look on his face he wanted to say something, but chose to keep his mouth shut.  Even the officer who motioned me to walk through the metal detector didn’t saying anything.  Doesn’t matter.  I still felt proud.

Our guides escorted us to the proper gate once everyone in our group was through security.  We had to stay close to the departure gate but could sit anywhere . . . while other regular travellers walked by.  I wondered if this made the two-week isolation a waste of time.

We boarded the Canadian North plane at 8am.  Everyone was spaced out; there were empty seats around you.  The only exceptions were families travelling with small children.  Speaking of small children,  there was one child in the back who really didn’t want to wear a face mask.  Let’s just say the first few minutes of the flight were hellish until we got to cruising altitude.  I was glad I had earplugs, headphones, and an MP3 player to blast loud music.

Aside from the rocky start, the remainder of the flight was uneventful.  There was no food service.  The flight crew only handed out bottled water.  The plane touched down in Iqaluit at 11:25am.  Once everyone was inside the terminal, we got a quick welcome back/be safe/keep-COVID-19-out-of-Nunavut speech from a gentleman who I think was a government representative.  My only complaint was that the speech was not translated into Inuktitut & French.  I picked up my luggage, said hello to several people I recognized, and hailed a cab to my brother’s place.  I was at inside his apartment by 12:30pm.  My flight to Arctic Bay would be on August 8.  I was fine with that.  The toughest part of my journey was behind me.

I was glad to be back in Nunavut.

                                                                        To Be Continued . . . 

Journal of Self-Isolation: Days 9 - 12

July 31, 2020

The second half of my isolation began pretty much the same as it did at the start: tossing & turning in bed in the early morning hours not wanting to get up.  I read the news & watched several YouTube videos on my phone to force me awake.  I was out of bed and dressed by 10am.

The minimalist breakfast consisted of two pancakes, three pieces of bacon, juice box, and a small cup of syrup.  The syrup did a good job hiding the bland taste of the pancakes.  The bacon was acceptable.  The juice was fine.

I spent the remainder of the morning online.  There was not much else to do.

Lunch arrived at 11:50am.  The meal was either really bland or really good because I forgot to photograph it.  I either left it outside or ate it really fast.  I can’t remember what it was.  Sorry.  I promised myself not to make the same mistake again.

A nurse called me at 12:55pm to check to see how I was doing.  I said I was fine.

I divided my afternoon between exercise, reading, playing video games, and watching tv shows.

There was a knock on my door at 4:25pm.  A hotel staff member informed me I had to fill out two dinner meal forms for Saturday & Sunday.  I guess the kitchen staff need even more time to prepare meals.  I selected “No dinner” on both papers.

There’s not much else I can say for this day.  The only things I did in the evening were play some more games and watch the film Biker Boyz. 

August 1, 2020

My first day of August began with a loud knock on my door at 8:30am.  Breakfast had arrived.  I simply turned over in bed and dozed off.  I was awake and out of bed by 10am.  I was ready to seize the day at 11am. 

I was slightly confused by the breakfast meal.  The main meal was a thick slice of cheese in between two hamburger buns.  Or was it a slice of egg & cheese, like an omelette?  Next to that was a hash brown patty and a small ketchup bag.  There was also an orange juice box to quench my thirst.  I tried the strange burger concoction and was glad I didn’t go blind. 

Lunch arrived at 12:00pm and was slightly better than breakfast.  I was served chicken on yellow rice.  The chicken was covered with a dark sauce and several mushrooms.  I removed the mushrooms before eating.  (I’m not a fan of mushrooms).  The meal was okay.

The call from the nurse came at 1:00pm.  All good on my end.  I can’t speak for the other people isolating in this hotel.

I spent the afternoon & evening watching the film Torque and playing two PC games: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare & No Man’s Sky.  The first game is a first-person shooter and the other is a space exploration game. 

Overall, just a lazy Saturday.

 August 2, 2020

Another day in isolation.

I looked out the window after following my morning routine and noticed dark overcast clouds covering the entire sky.  I booted my laptop and checked the weather forecast: rain, and lots of it throughout the day.  Thankfully, I wasn’t going outside.  Come to think about it, I hadn’t stepped outside my room since I started isolation.  The furthest I’d gone out was opening my door to collect my meals and place the dirty dishes on the coffee table.

Breakfast consisted of bacon, hash browns, sausages, English muffin, and juice.  I only ate the English muffin & bacon.  Putting the leftovers outside made me wonder how much food was being thrown out by hotel staff because it wasn’t being eaten?  My mind was split between a lot and not a lot.

The nurse called me at 11:15am; much earlier than before.  I didn’t ask why I was getting the call so early.  I repeated my prepared sentence that I was feeling fine.

Lunch arrived at 12:20pm.  On the menu were ribs and cuscus with peas & corn mixed in.  I just ate the ribs because I don’t like cuscus.  I’m aware it’s the “food so nice they named it twice,” but my taste buds do not agree.

The highlight of the day occurred in the late afternoon.  Storm clouds rolled into downtown Ottawa at 4:15pm and rain began falling hard from the sky.  Five minutes later, I checked the weather forecast online and the government website issued a tornado warning for the Greater Ottawa Area.  I took a few pictures from my window.  I saw some lightning and heard thunder, but didn’t see any tornado(s).  The thunderstorm only lasted 20 minutes.  The tornado warning was lifted at 5:00pm.  It would have been fascinating and scary to photograph a tornado from my hotel room.

I spent the rest of the day watching Deadwood: The Movie, playing No Man’s Sky, and eating a small dinner from the food I had in the fridge.       

 August 3, 2020

I finally dragged myself out of bed at 10:35am.  Only a few more days remain.  I quickly got dressed and brought in breakfast.  I was served a small croissant, apple, raisins, dry cereal in a white cup, and juice.  This time, I ate the whole meal.

The nurses on duty must have changed the order of people they call because I got my COVID-19 check up call at 10:50am.  I’m glad I was awake. 

Lunch arrived an hour later.  The meal consisted of two hamburger patties doused in a sauce and mashed potatoes.  I could only wonder why the meal didn’t come with hamburger buns.  I only ate the patties.

I watched Deadpool: The Movie again.  I thought it did a good job continuing the series and serving as a series finale.  The TV show ended in 2008 but many plotlines were left unresolved.  Fans had been demanding for years for the series to be continued and we finally got our wish in the form of a movie in 2019.

I started watching the 1991 film Point Break but didn’t finish it.  I got sidetracked by other things.  I took a quick power nap in the afternoon due to boredom. 

Dinner arrived at 6:10pm.  I ordered a club sandwich.  The meal also came with French Fries.  The sandwich was the best meal of the day.            

To Be Continued . . . 

Journal of Self-Isolation: Days 5 – 8

July 27, 2020

I slept in again.  I’ve gotten used to the large bed in my hotel room.  I finally got up at 10am and took a shower.  I took my time getting ready and was finally in a presentable state after some time.  You never know when hotel staff or a security guard will knock on your door to ask you something.  I brought in the breakfast; there wasn’t much to eat in my opinion.  I reheated it in the microwave and ate some of it.

The construction site was alive with activity.  Workers were walking along the roof, carrying tools and making repairs.  The tall crane lifted building supplies up to the roof, then brought down discarded materials.  The materials were placed in large dumpsters next to the building.

Lunch arrived early; 11:45am instead of 12pm.  The meal consisted of ribs sitting on a vegetable mix of corn, beans, and peas.  I reheated the meal in the microwave some time later and managed to eat most of it.  The ribs were good, but not great.

The nurse called at 1pm to ask me the same questions as before.  I replied with the same answers I used . . . before.  The phone call was done in a minute.

I didn’t order dinner because I wanted to eat the food I had in the fridge.

The workers at the West Memorial Building called it a day at 5:30pm.  They packed up and went home, leaving the construction area quiet.  They would be back the next day to continue the roof repairs.

There’s not much else I can say for this day.  The afternoon was pretty much just keeping myself entertained by using the internet, watching content on my external hard drive, reading a book, and doing exercise.  Monday was a pretty boring day.

 

July 28, 2020

The knock at 8:30am briefly woke me up.  Breakfast had arrived.  I dozed off again because I’m not required to retrieve the food right away.  I finally got up at 10am like the previous day.  I retrieved the breakfast after I showered and dressed.  I set out two garbage bags and several bath towels that needed to be replaced.

The breakfast consisted of two slices of bread, a squared-cheese omelette, and a croissant-like dessert.  I just ate the bread & dessert.  I’m not an omelette person.  I like my eggs poached or hardboiled. 

I messaged a few coworkers on how they were coping with isolation.  Most said they were getting by, but staying in a room all day was pretty boring.  I mostly agreed.  Three had already completed isolation in another location because they started early.  They said they were glad to be done, free, and back in Nunavut.  Freedom.  Still quite a few days away for me.

There was knock on my door at 11:50am.  I decided to answer it because I heard staff talking to other people in isolation.  I opened the door and was greeted by a hotel staff member.  They asked me if I had completed a dinner selection form.  I replied “No” because I thought we had until 3pm to choose.  They said I had to pick now because the kitchen staff needed more time.  I quickly got a form and circled the steak option.  I handed the form to the staff member.

Lunch arrived at 12pm.  It was a chicken/vegetable mix in a sauce of some kind with white rice as a side dish.  I heated it in the microwave and then took a chance.  The meal was okay but the presentation of the chicken/vegetable combination could have been better.  The white rice looked better. 

The phone call from the nurse happened much later.  The phone rang at 3:08pm.  The nurse was a different person, but still asked the same questions.  I responded that I was feeling fine.

I spent the afternoon making notes in my isolation journal, watched some episodes from a popular TV show on my laptop, and played a new PC game. 

The steak arrived at 6:30pm.  It came with two side dishes.  The steak looked nice and tasted better after I heated it in the microwave. 

I continued playing on my laptop and then went to bed at 11pm.

 

July 29, 2020

I woke up early, but didn’t want to get out of bed.  I tried going back to sleep, but my mind wouldn’t let me.  I spent some time reading the news on my cell phone, keeping up with world events.  I finally gathered enough strength and got out of bed to face the day.

The breakfast meal had much to offer.  There was a muffin, Rice Krispies cereal, two hardboiled eggs, an orange, and a small carton of 2% milk.  I saved the milk & the eggs for later.  I consumed everything else.  This was the best breakfast so far.

My parents called at 11am, wanting to know how I was surviving prison, I mean, isolation.  I told them I was doing well, still had food to eat, and been keeping myself busy. 

Lunch arrived at 11:50am.  A ham & cheese sandwich and a bag of Doritos.  Yeah . . . that’s all I can say about that.   They tasted good, but that’s about it.

The West Memorial Building roof must have been very old because the tall tower crane was bringing down quite a lot of discarded materials.  By the end of the day, one garbage bin was full while another was half-full.

The same nurse from yesterday called, but this time at 12:48pm.  Long story short: I’m still alive and healthy!

The afternoon was pretty much more of the same.  I skipped dinner again.

 

July 30, 2020

I read the news and watched YouTube videos on my phone during the early morning hours of July 30.  I’m glad the hotel provides free wifi to patrons.  I was showered and dressed by 10:30am.

My parents called me at 10:45am to let me know that another food box was on the way.  It should last me till the end of isolation and if there’s any food left, I can take it with me up north.  Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to pick up the box in the lobby.  The hotel staff will bring it to my room.

Breakfast didn’t appeal to me: two folded egg omelettes, baked potato cubes, an orange juice box, and a small ketchup packet.  I took one bite out of an omelette and drank the entire juice box.  I placed the rest outside on the small table.  At least I tried the meal. 

Lunch arrived at 11:50am and didn’t look good either.  It was macaroni covered in a red sauce and a slice of garlic bread.  Reheating the macaroni in the microwave didn’t make it taste better.  I ended up only eating the garlic bread.  Maybe today is the head chef’s day off, I thought.  At least I had food box on the way.  I could only imagine what the other people in the hotel were thinking about their lunches.  Some probably didn’t have to worry because they were ordering from Skip The Dishes or had similar local connections.  The lunch plate also ended up outside on the small table. 

The nurse called at 1:40pm for the daily checkup.  Everything’s fine with me.

There was a knock on my door at 2:30pm.  It couldn’t be lunch or dinner, so that only meant one thing: the food box had arrived.  I put on a face mask and answered the door.  Sure enough, a staff member was standing with a large cardboard box in their hands.  They said I had a delivery.  I took the box and thanked them for bringing it to me.  The box was too big to go inside the fridge.  I removed the food and placed it in the fridge.  I would use the box as a garbage can.  I sent a thank you email to my parents.

I spent the remaining afternoon exercising, watching a movie, chatting with friends over Facebook, and playing games.  I ate some food from the fridge for dinner.

I went to bed at 11pm. 

I’m halfway through isolation!

                                                                        To Be Continued . . .