From ordering take-out to watching live orchestras, staying indoors ain’t so bad.
It’s been a tough few weeks for us Australians (and the rest of the world). From a toilet paper shortage to major events being cancelled left, right and centre, many of us are feeling uncertain about what’s to come. If you’re like the one of many Aussies who are now working from home or having to self isolate for 14 days, you’re probably thinking to yourself ‘What can I do to make time pass quicker?’ We hear you, and so have many others who have come up with innovative solutions to help the days go by easier.
So whether you’re a film aficionado or gym junkie, we’ve come up with a handy guide on some of the best things you can do in the comfort of your own home.
Stream a live opera performance
Many performance venues across the globe are temporarily closing down due to a ban on mass gatherings. New York’s snazzy Metropolitan Opera, however, is not going to let this affect their performances and showbiz personality. They’re taking the virtual centre stage, announcing nightly live-streamed opera performances from its collection.
As of yesterday, the opera will stream a different show each evening called Nightly Met Opera Streams. The entire program will run for 20 hours from 10:30am (7:30pm New York Time), and will include high profile shows such as Bizet’s Carmen. Most exciting of all, the opera is completely FREE and will be streamed in high definition.
Met Opera
https://www.metopera.org/
Learn to cook online with Cornersmith
With a pantry full of supplies and more time on your hands, now could be the perfect time to sharpen your culinary skills. The team from Cornersmith has a series of easy-to-follow online courses, tackling everything from preserving to pickling to preserving tomatoes. The best bit? Everything is online! To explore the program of classes, click here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B92c3Itn0f-/
Order your daily necessities from Deliveroo
In response to those who are social distancing, Deliveroo has just announced that they will be adding kitchen and household products to their delivery services. So that means in addition to having your food delivered, you can now also order from your local shops and supermarkets and have supplies delivered right to your door!
The company has also added a ‘no contact’ drop off option, meaning you can request to have your driver leave your delivery at the front door of your doorstep instead of face-to-face delivery (in case you’re feeling sick or have just returned from a holiday).
Deliveroo
https://deliveroo.com.au/
Unleash your inner artist with Do Think Share
If you’re stuck for ideas, embark on a creative arts and craft challenge from 64 Million Artists, a two-week program full of fun and free creative challenges to do at home. The activities are easy and any materials you might need will be easy to find. You can attempt these challenges yourself or grab a small group (if you’re thinking of any weekend gathering ideas) and try it out together!
Browse through previous creative briefs and have a look at submitted works from other people around the world.
Do Think Share
http://dothinkshare.com/
Hop onto Instagram live for free ‘concerts’
Celebrity artists like John Legend and Coldplay have been trying to alleviate the stresses of social distancing by starting an Instagram live streaming music movement. Chris Martin of Coldplay tweeted “If anyone feels like chatting and listening to some music, I’m going to do a Livestream on the Coldplay Instagram,” with John Legend following suit with a Livestream of his own and asking his followers for certain song requests.
Wanting to continue the movement, Legend also asked for suggestions of other artists he should “pass the torch to.” You can follow John Legend’s twitter for more information on his movement, and catch a sneaky ‘concert’ or two whilst at home!
Move and exercise with workout programs
Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you can’t exercise! If you’re working from home and can’t take the time to exercise, schedule it into your day and create a small home-gym corner where you can go to relax and relieve stress. In fact, Melbourne-based Stephanie Miller and Laura Henshaw (co-founders of the online fitness platform Keep It Cleaner) are even hosting free workouts, with the next one to be live-streamed at 7 am on Friday, March 20th on their Facebook Page. Plus, Youtube channels such as Blogliates, Yoga with Adriene and Fitness Blender are offering hundreds of free on-demand workouts that you can access right from home.
If time is a constraint, The New York Times have a collection of easy and quick 6 minute workouts that you can choose from.
Take a virtual museum tour
Who doesn’t love exploring museums around the world? Thanks to Google’s extensive Arts & Culture collection, you can be (virtually) transported to hundreds of historical and modern museums around the world. Take a free audio tour of Japan’s Nagoya City Art Museum or Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. As your tour progresses, you can find more immersive stories to browse.
You can sort all of Google’s collections on a map, including the artwork and posters that hang from the walls of each museum. One example that listeners love: Posters from History’s Greatest Illusionists at the American Museum of Magic.
Binge your way through epic TV shows and movies (for FREE)
What better way to pass the time than with endless hours of entertainment? Luckily, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to TV and movie streaming platforms. And the best bit? You don’t need to pay for Netflix or Stan subscription to keep yourself entertained. Tune into ABC iview to stream thousands of episodes including comedy sets, documentaries, thrilling dramas and so much more for FREE. Plus, SBS OnDemand offers the same free streaming service with an extensive selection of international and indie films, TV shows and thought-provoking docos.
In case you missed it, read about the events and festivals that are canceled in Australia plus check out how Sydney’s hospitality venues are responding to the outbreak of COVID-19.