Photo Diary: A pandemic year in my community

Early on in the pandemic, I started taking pictures. Of board game sessions, takeout adventures, and the changing streets.

I took a course online last year about Pandemics and Cities, and another one on Crisis and Cities. Some of the main takeaways is that you can see how pandemics and other events physically alter the built environment.

Whether it was art, protests, pop-up patios, or the initial lack of people, there were changes we all noticed.

I also took photos of the day-to-day. Our first outings with masks, physical distancing signage, and lots (LOTS) of my dog. I’ve held onto my growing photo collection for over a year now, and now feels like the time to share.

We all interacted with our homes, families, blocks, and cities differently through the last year. This is a time we will never forget, in part because we have documented it.

Even if the pandemic scars never leave our own brains – the photos, news articles, and the (possibly forever) modified cities will endure for the next generation. And the biggest hope is that we earn our lesson for good, and prevent such a virus from spreading again.

I have created a public photo diary on my Flickr page. There are a few albums which I have categorized and added to a collection. Below are my favourite highlights.

The built environment

With the anti-racism movement in 2020, I noticed a lot of related graffiti and art. There were also some pieces specific to local politics, and sadly some anti-asian graffiti.

The pandemic even influenced the creation of businesses, like the COVID Cafe on Commercial Dr. So strange.

Good eats

COVID-19 did not stop me from enjoying Vancouver food, but takeout became the norm. I also cooked a lot in the last year. Gearing up for living on my own!

Lucy

It is hard to deny that pets benefited from quarantine. Being with their owners all day every day for months on end!? That is heaven for most pets, including our little Lucy. She sure sleeps a lot.

Friends & family

This past year has proven to me that it is those small pairs of friends and family that matter most to me. Angelica, Dina, Sahil, Madi, Mer, and my close family. It was an utter privilege to even see them a handful of times. And seeing them more often now feels like coming up for air. But, I do look forward to large group settings again.