…I had a few things that needed doing and it seemed like delaying would only make the risk greater. So, today, I went to town. I went alone.
Interesting.
The 11:00 am ferry off the near island is usually one of the busiest. There were less than a dozen cars today. I first went to the bank. The ATM. Sitting in front was a pudgy, older woman with a hand-held sign saying ‘STOP’. On her lap was a small explanatory statement saying the obvious. By then, I was already wearing a mask and rubber gloves. She waved me through. I was alone there. Two machines. Halfway through, some guy arrived to use the second ATM. I noticed that two people side-by-side at ATMs are NOT six feet apart. He did not have a mask. He did not have gloves. When I left, I wiped the keyboard with an alcohol wipe. A woman waiting said thank you as I left. She did NOT have a mask or gloves either.
I then went to a store to get rice (for my world famous sushi – emphasis on ‘my world’) and the two people in the store are Japanese. No masks. No gloves for the cashier. “Hey, you two. I’ve been in Asia. Typically you would be wearing a mask. No?”
“We cannot find any. We would but we there are none.”
“We’ll be making some. I’ll send you a few.”
Then to the liquor store. It was there I saw the first OTHER person wearing a mask and gloves. He was old. At least my age. We nodded. The staff were good and I went to the car with one of them helping to carry. “Hey, man. Not my business but I am wearing a mask because I am in contact with old folks many of whom have compromised immune systems. I am guessing you have more than a few customers who are the same. Shouldn’t you have a mask?”
“Yep. They are coming this afternoon. Tomorrow at the latest. We are all sweating it out in the meantime.”
Bottom line: one person (other than me) with a mask. The BC Liquor store WITHOUT masks. No one but me with gloves. Everyone indicating that they were aware but – all but one – doing nothing about it. Are they stupid? No. Just playing the hand they were dealt. I get it.
But, if the disease endures, you do NOT have to wonder why.
Our Off the Grid Home 
saw a video today, Italians kneeling down on the street, praying and crying, but, no mask, no gloves. At the mean time, Canadian top doctor, Dr. Tam, did an about face telling people should wear mask now after repeatedly saying its no use. Any idiot can figure out a mask on the face is better then bare skin, No? In the Italian town Prato where a quarter of the population are Chinese, zero of the 50000 had a single case of Covid19 because of mask and higher vigilance from the onset.
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Agreed. 100%. Asians aren’t stupid. They’ve suffered through these things and with ten times the population. My friends in HK moved quickly to get masks and urged me to as well. So I did. And I was alone today but for one. To Asians, gweilo are more than a bit thick. They are right about us.
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HAHAHA 🙂
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Well, it seems like, despite the masks, which as you know are getting mixed messages, the curve is starting to flatten. My partner pulled out some masks she had stashed away a few years ago. She was a painter then. It turns out they were N95’s! I was all set to badmouth them for being next to useless, but fortunately I looked at them first. My partner is very fond of saying “told ya”, so I avoided that temporarily. It didn’t last long! My next question is: How do we stop visitors coming to our “other” island? We live on the island next to Dave. It’s a long weekend. There will be tourists. Do you think a sign saying “If you are a tourist/visitor, GO AWAY!!” is a little insensitive? I was thinking it should be put up at the entrance to the terminal in Campbell River! First of all I have to get permission, or not.
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Not! The experts are clouded in group-think. Follow your gut. My opinion? Dont. We are in this together. But i respect your gut. Do what you think is right.
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Masks and gloves are not available for purchase either online at Amazon (unless you are willing to wait until mid-May to June). Local stores don’t have any either. Same for hand sanitizer. I’m making masks for us and our neighbour. As far as the gloves, we are washing when we get home and don’t go out except to walk away from others and do grocery pickups in the store parking lot after online ordering. I think I mentioned before, we cannot come home, especially now with BC Ferries denying transportation to individuals coming from outside the country unless they have quarantined for 14-days. That’s not possible without getting home on the ferry. A catch-22. Best to stay put south of the border. You and Sally stay well and safe. Your food delivery to the island should help cut down on trips to town. – Margy
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Thanks, Margy. We are good…….well, relatively speaking. We are VERY good relatively speaking. And it is NOT like I want to do a lot of socializing…so I am missing nothing. I have wine. I have dinner. I have Sally. There is nothing else left to want (well, a lot more energy would be nice). As for you….do you not only have to take the Langdale? Or do you need the second one, too? Yeah…so you need two but, if you stay in the car, isn’t that ‘quarantined’? I think you can call BCF and they will maybe say you can come under such and such conditions. Hmmmm…..maybe it is the border? Horgan says you have to submit a self-isolation plan when you enter…that is all…..and that kinda implies you can get back….no?
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