Nintendo Switch with Games

Luigi's Mansion 3 was my favourite game during the first lockdown in Ontario, March 2020.

Nindendo Switch Shortage in Ontario 

When the first lockdown occurred in Ontario in March 2020 people bought gaming consoles including the Nintendo switch. All electronic stores and essential stores were out of stock for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo was also sold out and the only way someone could buy a Nintendo Switch was through someone selling their used one. People who already owned the Nintendo Switch took advantage of the situation and were selling their used consoles double even triple the price. The Nintendo Switch retail price went for about $399 brand new. People were selling their used devices for $800 and some for $1000 on Facebook marketplace, Kijiji, and eBay. 

Since I was bored at home during the first Ontario lockdown which took place from March to June 2020, I decided to buy myself a Nintendo Switch, but it took me a month to find one online for a decent price. I ended up buying an almost new Nintendo Switch with one Mario game for $500. I later bought 2 more switch games on amazon. $500 for an almost new Nintendo Switch and one game was crazy expensive but at the time I had no other choice. I was stuck at home and was losing my mind, I needed some kind of entertainment. To this day although I overpaid for the Nintendo Switch I don't regret it. Having the Nintendo Switch helped the time go faster during the lockdowns and it helped me stayed connected with people. I would play Mario Kart 8 with friends as well as the SpeedRunners and other games. What's great about the Nintendo Switch is that there is an option to play online with anyone around the world. Although I was able to see my friends in person, we still got to play online Nintendo Switch games together and had a lot of fun. My favourite memory was being able to beat my boyfriend at Mario Kart, I usually lost against him but whenever I won it was the greatest feeling. Playing online on the Nintendo Switch with friends sometimes made me forget what was happening in the world and it didn't feel like I was far from my friends. We would be on a video chat call when we played games and it felt like we were together in person. Having the Nintendo Switch helped me a lot to stay connected with friends and have fun during the lockdowns. 

Online Schooling Becomes a Norm

 Between the time the pandemic first began in Ontario up until the Spring of 2021, elementary and high schools have been on and off between online and in-person schooling. Online schooling will continue to be an option for the 2021- 2022 school year if parents prefer. My brother for example will have been doing online schooling since the second half of grade 10 and into his high school graduation. Universities however maintained the online schooling option throughout the whole 2020- 2021 school year. Overall I enjoyed online schooling better than I thought. I loved that I didn't have to commute on a bus for an hour and a half to school. I'm also a shy person so not having to show my face during a lecture helped me ask questions and participate in my classes. At first when the University of Guelph announced that in-person classes will turn into virtual classes I was concerned about how things would turn out. Soon after when I got used to virtual schooling I found it less stressful and time-consuming. Since I no longer had to bus nor walk all over campus to get to a class, I felt like I had more time to focus on assignments and study. I enjoyed online schooling and would love to continue, sadly as a fourth-year student I will have more in-person classes.

Many teachers and students struggled with the online platform of schooling. I'm a student that enjoys taking notes by writing on paper with a pen. I learn better by writing my notes out and in the Spring of 2021, Doug Ford made many items non-essential including school supplies. I was unable to buy myself a new notebook and good pens to take notes for my Summer 2021 school semester. Other students were also unable to buy school supplies and teachers had to find another way for students to learn and get supplies. Especially students in specified courses like art where they need to buy art supplies. 

"I feel that this lockdown has only hindered the creative potential of students and all people. For some, art and life go hand in hand, meaningful, for some people (including myself) a huge factor in sustaining good mental health. As Ford nation continues to double down on his lock down measures, the ability to remain an artist and practice your talents or even complete commissions becomes near impossible. This begs the question, does mental health actually matter to Doug Ford and his team, Or is making a profit more important? For my students learning to paint and draw for the first time, accessing affordable material has been a challenge due to arts/crafts supplies being deemed “not essential”. With many families struggling to keep their jobs, work from home and learn from home, it would be a wonderful opportunity to unite as a family and explore their creative capacities; instead, many are struggling with mental health wondering when will it end", (Visual Arts High School Teacher).

Email From the Presdient of the University of Guelph, March 2020

Mandatory Hotels Takes Affect in Canada for Travelers 

On January 29th, 2021, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, warned Canadians about upcoming travel restrictions. He advised Canadians to cancel their flights if they had one and for no one to book any trips at this time. A few days later Trudeau announced that travelers must go to a hotel upon arriving in Canada for 3 days and spend about $2000. Once the traveler receives their COVID-19 results if negative they have to quarantine for 14 days in their home. The last few days of quarantine the traveler must test negative for COVID-19 so that they can leave their home. 

During the time Trudeau made his announcement on the new travel restrictions, my family and I were stressed. Due to personal reasons my mother and brother had to leave Canada on February 1, 2021; the same day the new travel restrictions took place. Coming from a low-income family the hotels made my family's trip complicated. 48 hours before my mother arrived back in Canada, I had to book a hotel for my mother. She ended up staying at the hotel for 1 day, having paid for a 3-day stay. The hotel kicked her out on short notice. Due to work, I had to leave my house and stay with someone else during the time my mother my mom had to quarantine at home. If I had stayed at home, I was not allowed to leave my house for 14 days, missing work and not getting paid. Also, my mother's second negative COVD-19 results took longer than expected resulting in my mother being stuck at home for a total of 16 days. For 16 days I was not allowed to see my mother or go home, I had to bring groceries to her and see her through a window. From February 1 to March 22 I didn't see my mom and I was alone. However, during those lonely times even though there was a lockdown in Ontario, I had great people who would give me company and help me with whatever I needed. Even though I was alone for almost 2 months, I didn't feel as lonely thanks to great people.