“I’ve gone through 12-16 seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race, All Stars AND Untucked! It’s brought a lot of joy, colour and sparkly glitter to a scary and unsure time.”
,%20FASHION%20is%20reaching%20out%20to%20some%20of%20our%20favourite%20Canadians%20to%20get%20a%20peek%20into%20how%20they're%20living%20their%20lives%20in%20virtual%20lockdown%20(remember:%20#StayAtHomeSaveLives).%20Each%20week,%20keep%20an%20eye%20out%20for%20new%20self-isolation%20diaries%20from%20actors,%20designers,%20athletes%20and%20artists%20who%20are%20riding%20this%20uncertain%20time%20out%20with%20us.%20%0A%0AAndrea%20Bang,%20actor%0A%0ADays%20have%20seemed%20to%20slow%20down.%20In%20fact,%20I%20don’t%20know%20what%20day%20it%20actually%20is.%20It%20doesn’t%20help%20that%20I%20wear%20the%20same%20thing%20every%20day%20–%20sweatpants,%20t-shirt,%20and%20hoody.%20It’s%20the%20same%20outfit%20I%20wear%20when%20I’m%20working%20on-set.%20AKA%20my%20comfiest%20and%20baggiest%20clothes!%20It’s%20the%20best.%20So%20Monday%20is%20the%20same%20as%20Thursday%20is%20the%20same%20as%20Sunday.%20That%20being%20said,%20what%20I%20do%20know%20is%20that%20I’ve%20gone%20through%2012-16%20seasons%20of%20RuPaul's%20Drag%20Race,%20All%20Stars%20AND%20Untucked!%20It’s%20brought%20a%20lot%20of%20joy,%20colour%20and%20sparkly%20glitter%20to%20a%20scary%20and%20unsure%20time.%20%0A%0AEspecially%20when%20my%20morning%20(and%20afternoon%20and%20evening)%20routine%20consists%20of%20updating%20myself%20on%20local%20and%20world%20news.%20Where%20emotions%20run%20the%20entire%20gamut%20of%20anger,%20optimism,%20fear,%20anxiety,%20sadness.%20Repeat.%20It’s%20important%20to%20be%20informed%20but%20there%20seems%20to%20be%20a%20point%20where%20it%20goes%20from%20helpful%20to%20unhealthy.%20And%20I’ve%20definitely%20teetered%20into%20the%20“unhealthy”%20portion.%20I’d%20feel%20fine%20during%20the%20day%20but%20I%20think%20these%20anxieties%20reveal%20itself%20in%20my%20sleep.%20Last%20night%20I%20could%20not%20stop%20scratching%20my%20head%20and%20I%20read%20it’s%20due%20to%20anxiety?%20Or%20dandruff.%20Maybe%20it’s%20time%20to%20shower?%20Wait,%20what%20day%20is%20it?%20So%20I’ve%20been%20limiting%20my%20news%20intake%20for%20mental%20sanity.%20And%20have%20turned%20to...%0A%0ACLEANING!%20Vacuuming%20the%20hair%20off%20the%20ground%20has%20turned%20into%20my%20favourite%20thing.%20Within%20a%20day,%20a%20once%20pristine%20ground%20is%20covered%20with%20hair%20again!%20How%20do%20humans%20have%20so%20much%20hair???%20And%20today%20I%20steam-cleaned%20the%20floor.%20It%20was%20gross.%20But%20in%20a%20satisfying%20way.%20Every%20day%20I%20do%20a%20little%20bit%20more.%20And%20while%20cleaning,%20I’ve%20started%20listening%20to%20Office%20Ladies%20–%20a%20podcast%20about%20The%20Office.%20It’s%20something%20I’d%20been%20meaning%20to%20listen%20to%20for%20the%20longest%20time%20since%20The%20Office%20is%20one%20of%20my%20favourite%20shows%20ever.%20And%20it%20doesn’t%20disappoint!%20%0A%0A%5Bcaption%20id=%22attachment_397145%22%20align=%22alignnone%22%20width=%223024%22%5D%20Image%20courtesy%20Andrea%20Bang%5B/caption%5D%0A%0AEven%20before%20this%20period%20of%20self-isolation,%20podcasts%20were%20a%20way%20of%20feeling%20like%20I%20was%20sitting%20and%20listening%20to%20fun%20conversations%20with%20interesting%20people.%20A%20way%20to%20feel%20less%20alone.%20I%20would%20listen%20to%20Kevin%20Smith,%20Bobby%20Lee,%20Armchair%20Expert%20etc.%20And%20now,%20Office%20Ladies.%20I%20listen%20to%20them%20on%20these%20noise-cancelling%20headphones%20that%20have%20become%20another%20appendage.%20In%20a%20weird%20way,%20when%20I%20wear%20them%20it’s%20a%20way%20of%20calming%20the%20chaos.%20So....%20I’ve%20been%20wearing%20them%20a%20lot%20lately.%20Plus,%20pretty%20sure%20I%20look%20really%20cool%20in%20them....%20said%20no%20one.%20I%20don’t%20think%20I’ve%20looked%20in%20a%20mirror%20in%20at%20least%205%20days.%20Or%206.%20What%20day%20is%20it,%20again?%20%0A%0AToday%20I%20cut%20out%20“googly%20eyes”%20to%20use%20for%20an%20Inanimate%20Funnies%20sketch%20I%20wrote.%20Basically%20they’re%20jokes/sketches%20told%20through%20inanimate%20objects%20and%20usually%20I%20use%20googly%20eyes%20but%20I%20can’t%20find%20them%20so%20instead%20of%20going%20to%20the%20store,%20I%20just%20drew%20them%20on%20a%20piece%20of%20paper%20and%20cut%20them%20out.%20Made%20me%20realize%20I%20miss%20this...%20doing%20crafts.%20And%20tomorrow%20is%20grocery%20day!%20Trying%20to%20limit%20visits%20to%20once%20every%201-2%20weeks.%20Never%20have%20I%20been%20so%20excited%20to%20go%20to%20the%20grocery%20store,%20but%20also%20dreading%20it?%20That’s%20not%20true,%20I’m%20always%20excited%20to%20go%20to%20the%20grocery%20store%20whether%20we’re%20in%20self-isolation%20or%20not.%20But%20now%20there’s%20a%20sense%20of%20dread%20attached%20to%20it.%20That’s%20new.%20%0A%0ADuring%20this%20unclear%20time,%20one%20thing’s%20for%20sure,%20it’s%20been%20inspiring%20to%20see%20and%20read%20about%20all%20the%20amazing%20and%20good%20people%20working%20the%20frontlines!%20And%20for%20their%20sakes,%20I%20want%20to%20tell%20everyone%20to%20“sashay%20away”.%20At%20a%20minimum%20of%202%20meters.%20){kind=link}
As people around the country wind down their second week of self-isolation (and prepare for a third), FASHION is reaching out to some of our favourite Canadians to get a peek into how they’re living their lives in virtual lockdown (remember: #StayAtHomeSaveLives). Each week, keep an eye out for new self-isolation diaries from actors, designers, athletes and artists who are riding this uncertain time out with us.
Andrea Bang, actor
Days have seemed to slow down. In fact, I don’t know what day it actually is. It doesn’t help that I wear the same thing every day – sweatpants, t-shirt, and hoody. It’s the same outfit I wear when I’m working on-set. AKA my comfiest and baggiest clothes! It’s the best. So Monday is the same as Thursday is the same as Sunday. That being said, what I do know is that I’ve gone through 12-16 seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race, All Stars AND Untucked! It’s brought a lot of joy, colour and sparkly glitter to a scary and unsure time.
Especially when my morning (and afternoon and evening) routine consists of updating myself on local and world news. Where emotions run the entire gamut of anger, optimism, fear, anxiety, sadness. Repeat. It’s important to be informed but there seems to be a point where it goes from helpful to unhealthy. And I’ve definitely teetered into the “unhealthy” portion. I’d feel fine during the day but I think these anxieties reveal itself in my sleep. Last night I could not stop scratching my head and I read it’s due to anxiety? Or dandruff. Maybe it’s time to shower? Wait, what day is it? So I’ve been limiting my news intake for mental sanity. And have turned to…
CLEANING! Vacuuming the hair off the ground has turned into my favourite thing. Within a day, a once pristine ground is covered with hair again! How do humans have so much hair??? And today I steam-cleaned the floor. It was gross. But in a satisfying way. Every day I do a little bit more. And while cleaning, I’ve started listening to Office Ladies – a podcast about The Office. It’s something I’d been meaning to listen to for the longest time since The Office is one of my favourite shows ever. And it doesn’t disappoint!
Even before this period of self-isolation, podcasts were a way of feeling like I was sitting and listening to fun conversations with interesting people. A way to feel less alone. I would listen to Kevin Smith, Bobby Lee, Armchair Expert etc. And now, Office Ladies. I listen to them on these noise-cancelling headphones that have become another appendage. In a weird way, when I wear them it’s a way of calming the chaos. So…. I’ve been wearing them a lot lately. Plus, pretty sure I look really cool in them…. said no one. I don’t think I’ve looked in a mirror in at least 5 days. Or 6. What day is it, again?
Today I cut out “googly eyes” to use for an Inanimate Funnies sketch I wrote. Basically they’re jokes/sketches told through inanimate objects and usually I use googly eyes but I can’t find them so instead of going to the store, I just drew them on a piece of paper and cut them out. Made me realize I miss this… doing crafts. And tomorrow is grocery day! Trying to limit visits to once every 1-2 weeks. Never have I been so excited to go to the grocery store, but also dreading it? That’s not true, I’m always excited to go to the grocery store whether we’re in self-isolation or not. But now there’s a sense of dread attached to it. That’s new.
During this unclear time, one thing’s for sure, it’s been inspiring to see and read about all the amazing and good people working the frontlines! And for their sakes, I want to tell everyone to “sashay away”. At a minimum of 2 meters.