Hey, Arianna here, with some more activities to do while in quarantine!
Bored with the activities you’ve already been doing? Well, here are more suggestions to shake things up!
● Cooking/Baking: Don’t know how to cook? Don’t know how to bake? Wanted to bake but never had the time? Well you do now! Make those desserts you’ve always wanted to but never had the time or motivation for. Learn to make that one dish you’ve always wanted, or learn the joys and satisfaction of eating your own cooking.
● Be Fascinated by the World of Marble Racing: You read correctly: marble racing has taken off. Judging by some Youtube videos, you might think marble racing is stupid. Next thing you know, you’ve watched Marbula One videos and you’re a Team Galactic fan. Jokes aside, with sports and their venues being shut down, people have turned to other forms of entertainment. The wrestling world continues to hold matches without audiences and the UFC even began building an arena on a private island. They call it “Fight Island.” The Marble League has gotten so famous that Last Week Tonight’s host, John Oliver, is sponsoring the 2020 Season races and the winner of each event will have $5,000 donated to Food Banks and charities with the overall winner getting a $20,000 donation in their team name to the International Rescue Committee. Marble Racing, y’all, it’s taking off.
● Join a Virtual Book Club: Or even better, start your own. Got a list of books you’re interested in reading? Not motivated to read them? Join up with friends to read it! Using video programs like Zoom, Skype or Google Duo, you can meet up with your new book club. Each person can read a chapter out loud and you guys can discuss favorite moments and favorite characters. This can also work with TV shows. Have a Netflix viewing party and discuss the episode of that show after. Why did so and so do this action? Why is that one character so lame?
● Support an Institution: Crowds are sparse as we social distance and avoid one other. This means places that normally see a large influx of people are also affected. Museums, Aquariums and Zoos are deserted. Instead they have set up virtual tours/shows. Places like The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre now have virtual tours of their galleries. Virtual Cat Shows are also a thing. A virtual cat show allows you to send in a photo of your cat. These cats are then judged by licensed judges from The International Cat Association. Did you know social isolation also affects animals? For example, the spotted garden eels in the Sumida Aquarium in Tokyo, Japan, have begun burrowing into the ground whenever keepers pass by. This affects how the aquarium scientist can check and study them. The aquarium believes the eels have become unfamiliar with people and now have set up FaceTime calls so the eels can get used to people again. The Penguins at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium are also exploring other parts of their home. Other zoos also have animal cams setup. So support one of these institutions by visiting their websites and donating if you can.
● Turn to the Stars: Tired of news from Earth? Look at news from Space! Just because our lives are on or near complete pause doesn’t mean the rest of the universe follows our rules. For example, the Sun is now going through something called “Solar Minimum.” It happens every 11 years and we’ve been through it before! According to sciencealert.com, Solar Minimum is when the magnetic fields of the Sun flip over, which means their poles switch places when the star’s magnetic field is at its weakest. Minimal solar activity happens at this point.
There’s also the news that a star has been discovered orbiting a black hole! It was previously thought that black holes just sucked up and crushed matter. A supermassive black hole is also in the middle of our Milky Way Galaxy. Scientists have been studying it to test physics in extreme conditions. UniverseToday explains that the star moves in a rosette shaped orbit and proved Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. It’s a fascinating read and quite literally, out of this world. The cosmos can also be an inspiration to whatever activity you’re doing as well!
And that’s it for today! Hope quarantine is treating you well and you get to do the things you’ve never had time for. Hope everyone has a good summer and that you all stay safe!
Best, Arianna, Your Friendly Hostos Tech Tutor
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