What to Do While Staying Home in Toronto During COVID19?

Living in Toronto, a metropolitan of about 7 million people including the greater Toronto area, we often spend much time driving and getting stuck in traffic. Following the Canadian government's stay home directive, most Canadians are staying home, or working from home, therefore, the traffic on Toronto streets are significantly lighter during the COVID19 pandemic.

Taking a walk in our neighbourhood ravine

While some people may find it difficult staying at home doing nothing during the shelter in place order, we didn't find it too difficult. In fact, we kind of enjoy this quieter time in our lives.

During normal time, we are quite busy with many volunteer, church and family commitments. It is a change for us this time as we cannot carry out our obligations and responsibilities.

Taking our time to observe our surrounding.

We have more time to deal with the chores which we didn't have time for before.

In order to avoid the feeling of boredom, it is important to have a schedule so that we'll have a balanced day for healthy living during this shelter in place time.

We have developed a relaxing and enjoyable schedule during COVID19's stay home period. Below is our daily schedule:

With a more relaxing schedule, we can slow down to appreciate nature's beauty

9-10am - Wake up and morning routines
10am - 11am - Prepare and enjoy a nutritious breakfast
          - Tea in hand, a walk in our garden and watch for new spring buddings

A small creek at the ravine near our house

11am - 1:00 pm  - Renewing our strength with bible reading or online bible study class
  -  Calling loved ones and connecting with friends and family members

1:00pm - 2:00pm - Prepare and enjoy a nutritious lunch

Keeping our social distance while taking a walk

2:00pm - 4:00pm

Out for fresh air in our backyard or a walk in neighborhood ravine while keeping our social distance from others.

Picking up some groceries or medications as needed. But we don't do this everyday. May be once a week only.

Our daily walk helps to keep us in shape during COVID19

4:00pm - 5:30pm - Working on chores or organizing our house

5:30pm - 7:30pm - Dinner preparation/ dinner time while PBS Newshour is on

7:30pm - 10:00 - Paperwork, reading, checking emails













10pm - 11:30pm - Watching nightly news on TV while doing stretching exercises before bedtime

PBS News Hour has broadcast a segment on Songs of Comfort started by Yo Yo Ma. They have invited their viewers to upload their music or art to  #songsofcomfort

Maybe I will practice a song or two and send it to them as well!,

R.T.
Shelter in Place
Toronto, Canada

How Toronto Responds to Social Distancing & Attending Church During COVID19

This is our second week of self isolation living in Toronto, Canada.

Besides going out for our necessities such as grocery shopping and refilling our prescriptions at the pharmacy, we listen to the directives of our government and have been staying home since last week. 

During this COVID19 period, my husband and I show great respect and appreciation to our fellow Canadians who also heed and obey our government's directives for social distancing measures. For example, we went to our bank for some banking business yesterday and  found a line up outside the bank with everyone standing at six feet apart.  No one was there telling us what to do but everyone just did it keeping the recommended distance between each other.

We are OK with the social distancing, staying home and keeping away from our friends and neighbours.

However, it is hard for my 94 year old mom and we have missed seeing her.

My mom lives in a senior apartment by herself and the management has implemented strict visitation policy by asking all visitors to come through the front office entrance so they can screen all visitors such as delivery, home care workers etc. Number of visitors are limited and visitors are expected to hear masks  It’s their effort to disallow entry to people who might have travel outside of Canada or may be symptomatic with the flu or possibly C-19!

Attending our church's Sunday Worship at home via our cell phone

Today is Sunday. This morning, we went online and attended a Sunday service broadcast  live by our church.

With technology, each person involved in the church service was doing his/her part from home .  We were able to sing hymns and listen to our minister's message.

However, for the first time we could not take part in the communion at church.


Though we travel a lot, we always manage to find and attend a local church service wherever we go and take part in their communion service.

Rev. Chan performing a communion service via the internet

Obeying the Ontario government's directives of social distancing and no gathering of more than five people, we could only stay home watching Rev. Chan performing the communion service from his home this morning, We were unable to physically be a part of it.











I felt very sad and broke down in tears. Things which we have taken for granted - freedom of religion, freedom of attending church services, freedom of movement can be so easily taken away from us, this time by a virus, a pandemic.

Though we have freedom, but we cannot see our loved ones, cannot get together with friends or attend a church service.

However, we need to be grateful and appreciative. My most sincere thank you to all the front line health care workers  and essential service people who keep going to work serving us . Words cannot express our thanks and deep appreciation to what you are doing. May God bless you and keep you safe!

We are living in an unprecedented time with many uncertainties ahead of us. It is my sincere wish that while spending more time at home, we will reflect more on the fragility of life and come to realize that our only hope and trust can only be found in our almighty God!

R.T.

Toronto, Canada