“How come you’re calling at 5 p.m. tonight?”
“Oh, I was finishing cooking dinner… Sorry.”
“Huh, you cooked late.”
“Yeah…”
“Why?”
I should have expected the Spanish Inquisition from Mark. And unfortunately, I’m a terrible liar.
“Because I… I went to the museum,” I finally admit. “It’s free every Thursday night, remember?”
“THAT’S NOT FAIR! Which one?”
“The art museum.”
“Oh yeah, I remember museums…” Mark moans with longing. “We used to go to museums…”
I’m almost expecting him to add, “back in the days.” Hell, it must feel like “back in the days” to him.
“But wait… you look… Mommy! Did you get a haircut?”
Time to come clean.
“Yes, Mark. I did.”
“NOT FAIR!”
No, it’s not fair.
“I’m sure you’ll get one eventually. Meanwhile, don’t let yéye and năinai cut your hair. We both know what happened to daddy…”
Mark nods wisely. Long story short, Feng asked his dad to cut his hair and he ended up having to shave his head. Turns out that hair salons are essential after a while, but in Ontario they’ve been closed since early April and they aren’t expected to reopen until July at the earliest.
It’s almost business as usual in France but the three-stage reopening process hasn’t even started yet in Ontario and it’s going to take pretty much all summer. Just a few days ago, we learned that schools won’t be reopening until September—they have been closed since April.
It’s June and we still don’t have a plan because it’s impossible to plan anything with current restrictions in place in Canada.
Meanwhile, I’m French for half of the day and Canadian the rest of the time—quite literally, actually. With the time difference, I start getting emails and assignments around 4 p.m. and I work until 2 a.m. with a break from 10 p.m. to midnight to chat with Mark and Feng.
I’ve been swamped with work lately, which is good because at least I feel productive. I needed a day off, though, so I took the train to the beach on Saturday.
Unlike last time in May, the weather was gorgeous, stores were open and streets were packed. Back to normal, I’m telling you.
An easy day trip but an amazing one.
Mark is going to kill me if he sees the pictures. Oh, guys, wish you were here…
It seems you’ll have to wait until beginning of July before you can go back without needing to spend money on hotel nights.
I wonder if Mark and Feng could come instead and stay for the month if July. It would save one trip, no?
I wish! Problem is, France won’t let Feng enter the country since he only got one dose and the next one is scheduled for fall. And Mark can’t travel alone (I’m not being sarcastic, it could have been okay before the pandemic with the help of airline staff). Plus there’s no guarantee he could get a second dose in France and if not, it may be an issue to re-enter Canada.
Ah, yes, if Feng doesn’t have his 2 doses, that would be a problem. Ontario is so far back in vaccinations? Even Alberta will let people who had their first dose in May book after 28th of June.
In fact, I was able to book even earlier because I got my first dose in the USA.
Ontario is apparently home of the longest lockdown (including school closure) and slow vaccination. He got his first shot on May 23, but for now his second shot is scheduled for late September. We’ll see if he can get it earlier… but he is under 50, so not in the priority groups.
I’ve heard some epidemiologists worry about this strategy because it could favorise the apparition of vaccine-resistant variants.
I think Canada is the only (first world country with access to vaccines) with this strategy. It’s pretty shitty.