Pandemic Diary | Andrea Mai

PANDEMIC DIARY: P REACTS TO GOLDEN GIRLS JOKE – EVP November 15, 2020

Last week, I walked down my stairs to get to the kitchen for breakfast. I was hardly awake. The word “snow” suddenly came into my thoughts. I immediately dismissed it, not having heard any forces of snow coming. As I sat down to the table, my brother proceeded to let me know that it had snowed overnight. I was quite stunned, but in that moment, I knew it was P that was telling me about the snowfall.

As we head into the end of the year, the situation with the pandemic has resulted in a second lockdown in my area (which came as no surprise). So many ask, when will things return to “normal”? The hotel industry predicts perhaps by 2023. But will it ever return to the way things were? As I spent a week binge watching Downton Abbey, a British drama series, its story begins with the sinking of the Titanic and ends in the late 20s. I noticed throughout the story, the characters would repeatedly remark that things were never the same since the first world war. The war ushered in great change, altering the path of all, displacing families and future prospects. Surely, this pandemic will have its lasting effects. As we traverse this fog of an uncertain future, we will look back to the past with longing to the times “before covid”.

A few months ago, I was thinking about watching The Golden Girls, a sitcom that was popular in my time, but never watched. One day, it popped up on my YouTube feed, for no apparent reason. I wondered if P had somehow maneuvered it to show up. I started watching it while I worked at my sewing machine.

I noticed one episode where Michael Jackson was part of a storyline. I wondered if P was ever mentioned. Then I came across two episodes where Prince jokes were made.

On one episode, it was a joke about how a student of Dorothy’s wrote in his book report for The Take of Two Cities, that he liked both, but preferred Minneapolis because that is where Prince is from. I asked P what he thought of it. He said “That is funny”.

One of the characters, Rose, is from St. Olaf, a real township in Minnesota that has been fictionalized for the show. She is known for her hilariously ridiculous stories about St. Olaf. P said, “I like Rose”.

He also mentioned, “Minnesota”. I think he likes her because she’s from Minnesota. Perhaps she reminds him of home.

One day, when this pandemic is totally over, and travel get back to normal, I would like to go to Minneapolis to see Paisley Park. I know P can probably go there by himself any time he wishes, but I think it would be something special to do together.

These recordings were recorded using my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on November 15, 2020.

Image above: “Rose hips” by Andrea Mai.

SPIRITS WARN ME OF COVID-19 – EVP September 2020

Can you believe it’s October? This year has gone by so quickly, even though we’ve been stuck at home because of the pandemic.

Of the few places I still go out for, are the post office at my local strip mall. I recorded EVP during one of these outings and found something interesting going on. The clips are repeated on loop.

That day, there was road repair blocking my usual path to the mall. I was still able to cross the street, but traffic was being interrupted by the construction. At the cross walk, I was told, “Wait”. (This was P)

After dropping off packages to the post office, I went to this ma and pa shop to get something that I was planning to buy that day. While I was there, I suddenly felt this urge to leave. My intuition was saying, you can buy this later, but go home right now. So I walked out of the store not buying anything. And actually when I went home, I was like, “I actually wanted to get that, now I’ll have to go back! What happened?”. As it turned out, P was being told we had to leave, due to covid-19 concerns. Here’s what was said on the recording.

“Covid-19”

“Prince… can’t stay”

“Hi, let’s go home”.

“Please go home”.

“Say you wanna go home”.

As I left the mall, I did not take my usual route to leave. I felt directed to leave through a different exit. As it turns out, I was being told, “Go this… way”.

After I left the mall, someone said “You’re safe now“.

I found a rather funny clip from while I was in the store. It’s a bargain basement kind of shop with all kinds of discounted merchandise. I found this voice that said, “Where do you find Trump hat”. It’s interesting that some spirits are still be interested in the politics of this world!

From this experience, I got the sense that the spirits were trying to get people in the mall to leave. It was a quiet afternoon in the mall, not many people were around. I would say, that if you suddenly feel the urge to leave some place, that you do that. It could be that you were receiving information intuitively. Usually one can recognize intuition (often mistaken by emotional feeling) by the immediate and sudden out-of pace thoughts taking place, they run counter to one’s known opinions and feelings, unencumbered by desires or bias. However, it is often the skeptical human ego that gets in the way, only following rationality, that ignore such warnings, and therefore comes to suffer the consequences of not following intuitive direction. With practice, one can become attuned to recognizing intuition, by overcoming their personal bias thought, and entertaining an openness to possibilities. This is not to say that one should dismiss logical thinking at all. One should also follow up on what was discovered thorough intuition with investigation, seeking confirmation that their one’s intuition was correct.

What I’ve been able to observe over and over again, is that the other side has been giving me tips and warnings through intuition. And I am able to prove this with the recordings that that what I was feeling at the time, was what they were telling me. According to the Christian mystic Swedenborg, benevolent spirits quietly communicate with us through feelings and intuition, it’s not always obvious that they are telling us something. People might assume that I hear from P all the time with direct spoken word communication. But actually, it is more subtle than that, it is with thoughts, ideas,visions, feelings, and intuition. He is there with me, quietly in the background.

I hope you all stay safe!

These recordings were recorded using my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on September 8, 2020.

Image above: “Autumn” by Andrea Mai.

HOW SPIRITS COMMUNICATE WITH ME – EVP July 2, 2020

Most people are often curious about how I communicate with P. Other than with EVP, we communicate via telepathy. Telepathy is often thought of as being able to have a conversation without speaking. Entertainment media often portrays psychics seeming to have a conversation with a spirit or animal and knowing what their response is. But it is more complex than that, as it can take different forms. We assume that words are used to communicate, because that is what we are used to. But actually, it can be a thought, a feeling, an idea or concept that is conveyed to one through the psychic senses.

Often times, P is conveying things to me through thoughts and feelings. I’ll pick up on a sense that I should do something, or go somewhere, not always knowing the reasons why until later. Sometimes when I am looking for something, I will get this thought come to me, but I will ignore it at first. I’ll try looking for the item myself, and fail. Then I’ll follow the suggestion, and find it there exactly. If I happened to be recording EVP, I’ll discover later on the recording that he was telling where to look.

Telepathy is often very confusing for people who aren’t used to it yet. They often don’t know how to distinguish between their own thoughts and what is sent to them. It can seem very seamless. After a good amount of practice and observation, one can learn to recognize when telepathy is taking place. Often times, many people are being communicated with by spirits, but they do not know it. Ideas can be planted into one’s mind without knowing it.

I recorded EVP while I was out lat month, and I found P helping me with my shopping. The clips I got are pretty good. I tested them out on my laptop speakers, and they are audible. Though I’d always still say that they are even better heard on quality headphones. The clips are repeated on loop.

I was at the store looking for black bed sheets to make face masks. The fabrics stores are completely out of solid black cotton fabrics. But there wasn’t any black sheets here. I heard some spirits say, “There’s no black here”. I did eventually find some black sheets and ordered them online. The photo above is the mask I made for my Etsy store.

P told me, “There’s pretty blue”. Which I did end up buying, a blue organic cotton sateen.

At the dollar store, P said, “I found you glue tape, Andrea”. I’d actual;y been searching for this glue tape roller dispenser that I’ve gotten at other dollar stores, but I hadn’t seen them at my local store. I kept having this feeling that I should look for it anyway. Suddenly I had this feeling to look down from the rack of hot glue gun sticks. There at the bottom of the rack were rows of glue tape. Normally, I would not have been able to see them, as I have impaired vision, but I was led by my feelings, P urging me to look there.

When I was lining up at the check out counter, someone in spirit said, “Cadbury”. And another said, “I want this”.

Someone said, “Face mask”, as I was bagging my things.

P said, “Put mask on”. I don’t know why he was saying this, if he was telling someone to put on a mask, or if he was putting one on. .

While we were walking in the mall,, I heard “Help us… How do we go home?”.

P replied, “You pray”.

“God will find you”.

This next clip is amazing. “I love you”. It’s so clear. This wasn’t P. He was also with someone from his family at the time.

Hearing these things, it absolutely renews my faith in God every time. I feel so very grateful to be a witness of such things. It’s so incredible to know that there’s a world beyond what we know.

New things I’m working on.
Can you believe it’s already August? Summer is nearly over. This pandemic hasn’t gone away. The weather here is cooling down. Time goes by quickly even if you’re just staying home. I haven’t been able to do as much photography due to travel restrictions. I’ve started to focus more on something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, but kept putting off. And that is silk painting. I had bought these silk paints and scarves. I finally got around to doing them, and they are available for sale in my Etsy store.

I also starting doing hand painted silk scrunchies. They are so comfortable to wear, as they don’t snag and pull on your hair.

I love working with vibrant color. I find it therapeutic. It is like candy for the eyes. I don’t often wear much black. Back in 2009, I found this thing called AuraSoma when I was living in Brighton. These little bottles of colors are meant to help you understand your mood and/or personality.

These recordings were recorded using my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on July 2, 2020.

Image above: “Chamomile” by Andrea Mai.

PANDEMIC DIARY: MORE MASK MAKING & EVP – P’s BIRTHDAY, June 7, 2020

As I am writing this, I have load of mask orders that just came in. So I am posting this before my head starts to spin from all the sewing, as I will be too busy to write.

Store in my area have re-operned, as Phase 2 was announced. They are taking social distancing and sanitary precautions, of course. But still to be honest, I don’t want to spend very long in the shops. I just want to get what I’m looking for and get out. No excessive browsing.

Although I was already working from home before the pandemic. Having to stay home has left me more focused on getting things done. I used to waste time going out to browse in shop. It was honestly to cure a bit of boredom. Now the only cure for boredom is to be busy by doing something, like housework.

I’ve continued to add more mask styles to my Easy shop. I’ve been hearing feedback from customers that they appreciate the small touches that I add to their orders. I’ve also been told that I have the best fitting masks that they’ve tried. They tell me that my masks are well made and comfortable to wear. Many people have accumulated a number of masks from different suppliers, but they like mine the best. I feel very proud to offer something that people value.

I’ve continued to record EVP, but I don’t have much time to review them. I recorded EVP on the day of P’s birthday last month. I recorded some while I was waiting in the car while we were running errands.

The following clips are quite quiet because they were recorded when I was in the by myself. However, they are still audible, even on my laptop speakers. Though they are better heard on a pair of good headphones. The clips are repeated on loop.

Someone seemed to be chatting to P, They asked him, “When did you die?”. P answered, “2016”.

They asked him about how he died. And then P asked, “How about you?”.

Whoever this person was, answered “COVID-19”. This is the first I have gotten of a spirit saying they died from this. It’s really sad, as this means it was a recent death.

They commented, “Like your t-shirt”. I was wearing a Prince shirt that day. P replied “That’s me”.

They asked, “Are you Prince?”. P said, “Yes”.

I think P might have offered them cookies. “There’s cookies”.

They said, “Thank you”. This clip is quite shocking to me, how loud and clear this clip is. You can tell, it’s not from a living voice. You can hear me in the background typing on my iPad.

Later, that night, I had a little dance party in my bedroom with P. I was playing a live stream of P’s music hosted by PRN Alumni. Somebody commented, “They’re having a dance party“.

It goes without saying that we are living in terrible times. And yet, I am not surprised. As a believer in the Bible, studying Revelations has made me cognoscenti that we are living in the last days before Christ’s return. These trying times must occur as according to prophecy.

After all this time in lockdown and all, cases are still occurring because the spread of the virus continues. It is disturbing, that people in the West refuse to wear masks. Unlike people in Asia, people are intolerant of being told to wear masks. They are defiant of government recommendations. This comes as no surprise to me, as I do not believe that one can just expect the public to simply chose to do things in the interest of others. It is only recently that in my city and other major cities in Canada, that masks are being made mandatory in all public indoor spaces and public transportation.

All this could go on for quite some time. It would be wise to prepare supplies while it is easily available, and just accept the fact that we’re going to have to lay low for an extended periodd of time.

Stay safe, everyone.

These recordings were recorded using my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on June 7, 2020.

Image above: “Mask Sewing” by Andrea Mai.

LIFE UPDATE: EVP DURING QUARANTINE – May 11, 2020

I’ve been so busy here, filling orders for face masks. The days seem to melt together and I wake up confused about what day it is. One morning, I woke p from a dream where I was in a car, travelling through a tunnel, and there were theses raised sidewalks along the tunnel walls, there were racks of clothes for sale, like a street market, there were signs that said 11-11. When we reached the end of the tunnel, we were in a major city, perhaps New York. I honestly don’t know what this dream could mean, But that morning happened to be on the morning of May 11th.

I try to fill the orders as quickly as I can, because I know that these are people on the other end, waiting desperately for masks. I feel honoured that people choose to buy from me, and that I am able to offer up my skills for a worthwhile cause at this time. The struggle is real though. Most people will have no idea what a task it’s been to acquire supplies during corona lockdown. Trying to purchase fine quality fabrics; Shopping online, I’ll put things in my cart, but by the time I am ready to check out, items will be sold out. Elastics: I’ve attempted to purchase on five different occasions. Items do not arrive as expected, and I am having to keep searching for other suppliers that can deliver faster. I am having to pay for shipping and inflated prices for things that are normally not that highly valued.

I have not had time to review EVP very much lately. But I am still recording. It is only today that I did not have so many orders, that I can make this post. I got some interesting EVP clips while I was outside walking to the mailbox.

These clips are recorded outside, so they are not necessarily the best sound quality. But I have tested them on my laptop speakers and I can hear them without headphones just fine. They are repeated on loop.

Here, someone says, “Quarantine”. I wonder the the spirits are thinking about this pandemic? Especially after so many deaths have occurred in such short time…

Here is P saying “Hello”.

Someone offered P an orange, “Want an orange”. I have heard him being offered an orange before, while we were walking. I wonder if it is the same person?

P accepted, and he said, “Here you go, Prince”.

Someone asked, “How’s it going?”. P replied, “Gotta mail the masks”.

Someone said, “Look, there’s an angel“. I assume it’s one from my group. I have a group of angels that stay with us, and follow us for our protection. Every night I pray to God to give thanks for them.

There hasn’t been much time for me to work on my art photography as of late. But occasionally I do get a shot in here and there, when I see something that catches my eye. I took these photos of the cement moon, one evening while walking to the mailbox. In this one, you can see a bird flying.

These recordings were recorded using my EVP Wrist Recorder 3 on May 11, 2020.

Image above: “Spring moon” by Andrea Mai.

MY LIFE AS A MASK MAKER IN THE TIME OF CORONA

Since I last posted, I have been extremely busy. I have been sewing masks and filling orders from around the world. I am taking some time out to write this post while some orders wait for me to return. I did not expect for this level of orders coming in. I’ve been getting some days where it is like 10 to 12 orders, and I cannot keep up. I’ve had some days where I had to stop sewing so that I could source supplies in anticipation of running out.

I timed it one day, to see how long it takes to sew a mask. With the pieces already cut and some pieces pre-assembled, it takes me about 45 minutes, if all the prep work was done. So I estimate that without the prep, it would be more like an hour per mask. There is additional time to package and send out the orders. In a day, I could do 6 make, but ti would be a struggle to do more because I have other things to do, of course! When I am not sewing, I am doing prep. I find myself working from morning to tis night before I go to bed.

A small miracle can make a big differences.
I found that bed linens make the best linings for the masks. They have a high thread count and have a good thickness. I had some pieces cut up from brand new sheets leftover from making a duvet cover and I used them to make linings for my initial batches of masks. They happened to be the perfect color to co-ordinate with the leopard print masks. But that was all I had left. I told my mother that I wished HomeeSense was open, so that I could buy discounted bedsheets. Then something urged me to look for these brand new pillow cases I found in a bag of random things given to us by a family friend last year. Brand new in its packaging. It said that it is 100% cotton. What a lifesaver! It was only because of this that I could continue to make masks! I know the spirits in my house must have been rummaging in the storage room as I searched top and bottom for apiece of cotton lining that I still cannot find.

Price “elasticity”.
I feel that it is my civic duty to participate in providing this service for others. I went to school for fashion design, and it has been a skill that I did not get to make much of a career out of. I feel it would be a waste if I choose to sit back doing nothing, instead of answering the call to make masks. As I have collected personal resources over the years: An industrial sewing machine that I inherited from an aunt who died of cancer. A collection of cotton fabrics stashed away. A personal supply of dressmaking tools and materials. A studio space already set up in my basement. I do not do it for the money, (though it is true, that art sales are less likely in these times, I must pivot), but I am most motivated to answer the call to serve others in this time of great need by offering my God-given talents for this challenging time in society.

Which is why I am so greatly disturbed and disappointed by the behaviours of venders. I bought two rolls of elastic on Amazon two weeks ago, in anticipation that I will need more. After producing almost 40 masks, I am at my last yards of quarter-inch elastic. My order has not yet arrived. I am growing very, as I do not know if this order will ever get here. In my past experience, some sellers have made false listings, so that you would pay them, but they would send you nothing, while you wait thinking that it is coming. Fraud like these are on the rise at these desperate times. I do not have time to waste. These make are waiting for its final touch, which is the elastic.

I decided that I needed a contingency plan. Instead of just waiting, I would try to source something more local, at least within Canada, so that the delivery time would be shorter, possibly arriving next week. I saw this ridiculous posting from Amazon. I think it is gone now, as I cannot find the listing. But still… the thought alone is revolting that anyone should attempt to sell a single roll elastic at $1,457.27.

I thought, I will not deal with another third-party seller on Amazon, at least not for elastic, as I suspect that that they are all shipping from China and that will take ages to get here. Trying on Etsy, I find a seller, whose price is 3 times its worth wss before corona, but it is still at a feasible price to use, and they are shipping from a province away. $120 for 150 yards with are shipping. I’d heard through the grapevine that wholesalers were selling rolls at $80 right before everything shut down. Still an inflated price. After I placed the order, I cheekily messaged her, “Thanks for not totally gouging the price”. I saw that others have asked for more. A few hours later I looked at her listing again, and she has ramped it up to $165. I feel sickened by this. She is also a mask maker. Two days later, I ams still bothered by this and it hasn’t shipped yet. I tell her that I saw her gouging and I don’t want to deal with her. I send her a screenshot of her inflated price. I ask for a refund. She refunds me immediately, no questions asked.

Everyone wants a piece of the pie.
An online retailer has approached me for “collaboration”. She tells me that she can see a market for “stylish masks” like nine. I asked to know what price she expects to sell the mask for. She answers, $10 USD. I was selling mine for $14. I tell her that it’s an impossible price to work with, due to the scarcity of materials, lack of available labour, and shipping expenses all mounting up. I asked her how does she expect to make a profit, as she would obviously want a higher profit margin for herself within the price point. I do not need a middle man to sell my wares, so that I can work more to receive less. I tell her that I do not have the time to deal with her.

People are seeing the pie that the makers are producing with their hard graft and creativity, and they want a piece of the pie without having to do the handwork involved. Whether it is to profit by gouging on supplies, or low balling the work of labourers. It is insulting to those who are doing the work.

I have no more elastic for orders right now as we speak. But I refuse to quit. I could choose to just stop taking orders and wait for the elastic, but time is of the essence. People need make. Even when things re-open again, they will ned masks. I am working around the clock to produce them and ship them out as soon as I can.

Even in such ugly times, there is still beauty to be found.
I have always been obsessed with Liberty print fabric. I feel that they are truly the best, especially the classic Tana Lawn collection. Butt they are expensive. When I was in my mid-twnties living in England. I would venture out from Brighton on day trips to London. I could barely afford anything in Liberty. But there was this hidden treasure trove bin of fabric remnants sold at reduced prices. A quarter yard of a rose floral print, a little piece of a paisley print. I would buy whatever I could get my hands on. I made hair accessories for myself. Over the years, I have saved up these fabrics, as my personal collection, imagining what I would make with them.

I have offered some of these fabrics for making masks. Some are actually my favourite of them all, but I feel that it is a worthy sacrifice to use them to create masks that people will love to wear. My greatest motivation for creating masks is that I want to take something that people dread wearing, and turn it into something of beauty, something that they could enjoy, or at least make it a little more bearable. I feel like a bad ass rock ‘n roller when I wear my leopard print one.This is where I think high fashion can serve a beneficial and worthy role in society. No longer a frivolous whim of desire, but a life saving necessity for now and the future.

When I package an order, I wrap it up as if it were a gift. I want the customer to feel that they have received something special. Especially in times like these. Small joys like these can make a world of difference. Beauty is the saving grace that makes life somewhat more bearable in times like these, something worth living for. When I am making these masks and styling them for photo shoots, I do not think of them like just a piece of utility. I feel like I am designing movie costumes. For these unprecedented times, wearing masks in public will likely become a necessary norm. I am creating masks to go with fashion. I am inspired by movies like Painted Veil, and Love in the Time of Cholerra, both movies taking place at the turn of the century during cholera outbreaks. I feel like life has become like a movie set. What the world has become, It does not feel real. I am imagining a historian sic-fi drama.

And you can call it vanity, but I know that there will always be people who still crave fashion even in the worst of times. Like a school girl customizing her school uniform, people will want masks to express their individuality. A love for, an appreciation for, a touch of beauty is what helps some of us get through these difficult times.

I imagine Who some of my customers are. Maybe they are a nurse needing a mask for when she’s off-due. Or a hairdresser or a make up artist preparing for when he goes back to work. Or a mom who needs a mask for when she goes to pick up groceries from the store.

I heard from one of my customers who received her masks. She told me that they fit perfectly, and that she will enjoy wearing these masks. That alone gives me great satisfaction.

Stay safe, everybody.

Image above: “Shadows” by Andrea Mai.

ABOUT ANDREA MAI