How to entertain yourself while social distancing

This weekend bars will be closed, no one can dine out with friends and it is highly ill-advised to check anyone at their home. The government has called for social distancing to stop the spread of coronavirus.

For the foreseeable future, limes, social gatherings and small crew hangouts will be cancelled, at least in person. However, that does not mean all socialising should come to a halt, just in-person socialising. Instead, the nation can use tech to connect.

Here are some options for new weekend plans:

Storytelling live show online tonight

Makesi Algernon, 28, has been developing games since he was 13. Today was supposed to be the launch of his game Storyteller – a dice game that challenges people to develop and tell stories.

"It is a storytelling event for writers to get people to gather sharing stories and practise sharing stories through an open-mic event. The event is to launch my dice game, Storyteller. It is a tool to get young people to tell stories," Algernon told Newsday in a telephone interview.

The launch was supposed to be in the cosy space of the Oblique Imperative store in Newtown, Port of Spain. Since the country is being encouraged to socially distance, Algernon moved the game's launch to Discord.

"It is an open platform gamers use to do voice conferences. We are repurposing it to do public events. We are trying to see if we can make it into classes. We are working with the technology as the situation unfolds.”

Algernon will publicly post the Discord link on the Night of Storytellers' Facebook event page and viewers will get access to the server. People will also be able to share their stories and take part in the event.

Have a Netflix party

There is a Google Chrome add-on called Netflix Party which allows users to watch a movie simultaneously with friends by syncing their computers.

Netflix is the second-largest video-streaming platform online, with 46.55 million users. It is second only to YouTube, which is free, but does not contain most popular movies and TV shows because of copyright laws.

Uncertain of what to watch? Digital marketing specialist Sophie Wight is doing a series of videos with Netflix recommendations, trying to release a recommendation a day.

"(It's) something I have been meaning to do for ages, but I was always insecure. I thought I needed a high level of production, but this situation made me realise I should just mash gas and go. People need it now," Wight told Newsday via Facebook Messenger.

Wight does not want to give recommendations for shows that are already well known or trending, so her list will be of good but under-the-radar shows. Among them are Crazyhead and Zumbo's Just Desserts.

Her videos can be found on Facebook under the name Sophie KMW or on Instagram under Sophie Wight.

Pay attention to Twitter to find out what's going on

Out of boredom and sheer need to lime, digital natives Shanice Charles, Aidan De Gannes and Ajala Pilgrim threw a Twitter party with more than 500 people participating on #trinitwitter with the hashtag #VSD (virtual shindig). Many who found about it a day after wish they had been in the know or were vex they missed the lime.

When Newsday spoke to Pilgrim via Facebook Messenger on Wednesday he said the group of friends has done Netflix viewing parties, trivia and scavenger hunts aside for the virtual shindig to keep people entertained.

"We are only a few days in and some ppl are getting frustrated," Pilgrim said.

But pay attention, as many things on the internet are random, so too are these Twitter events.

"A lot of the stuff happening now are just random and spontaneous. Not much planning is being put into it," he said.

👕ON SUNDAYS WE BRUNCH! 👒
This Sunday from 10am-2pm get ready for @virtual_tt ’s first ever VIRTUAL BRUNCH!
Stay tuned for @chefbrigetterj ’s menu and her “how to prepare” tutorial!
Remember to use the hashtags #VSD #VirtualBrunch & #VirtualEventsTT .

LET’S BRUNCH!! pic.twitter.com/EkoP8xOEhV

— ajala pil/G\rim (@AjalaPilgrim) March 19, 2020

Play virtual games with your family

Just because you can't be in the same space with someone does not mean you cannot play games with them. Monopoly, Scrabble, chess, backgammon and checkers all have virtual options available for free.

Like word puzzles? Try Words with Friends. Similar to Scrabble, it is a multi-player word game where players take turns building words.

You may enjoy the rush of slapping down an ace to hang a jack when you play all fours with friends, but sitting face to face around a table may be too close for "corna-comfort."

While social distancing to restrict the spread of coronavirus, one should keep a metre apart and avoid physical limes, but you can still play all fours with friends.

Game Pyong has an all fours online app to download on Google Play or the Apple App Store. All Fours Online, sponsored by Carib Brewery, is a well-known online game using AI, pioneered in 2005 by developers Alexander Paddington and Hasani Holder.

Pool lovers could try 8-Ball Online, chess players can use Lichess and maths enthusiasts can try to beat their friends at Speed Sudoku. Sites such as Pogo and Tabletopia have many online boardgames to play.

Parents, as a bonding exercise, could try learning how to play massive multiplayer online games such as World of Warcraft with their children. Some may gain insight into why you can’t just pause the game when called!

Twitch to the tunes with Colony

DJ Nick “Colony” Lalla has been livestreaming music on Twitch, an online streaming platform for gamers, for a year.

He makes music live and shares it with his international community for feedback. He does podcasts and interviews regularly. On Sunday, he featured Floridian electronic dance music producer SWARM.

“(I’m) planning on expanding to doing more streams as a result of the essentially worldwide quarantine we're living through,” Colony told Newsday on Facebook.

He runs his Twitch livestream on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays from 6 pm.

“This Sunday is gonna be a podcast-style stream featuring music producer UHNK who just had his first major festival cancelled. The podcast episode is gonna deal with covid19's impact on musicians and the industry as a larger picture.”

Your favourite food places can deliver now

While dining-in options in restaurants are unavailable, that does not mean the Friday or Saturday night treat must end. Restaurants are adapting to the new situation and providing curbside or delivery options.

They include Island Beer, Secret Sauce BBQ and Grill and Kaizan Sushi. Broodje Sandwich Studio and Doggie Deck in Woodbrook is offering delivery within a five-mile radius. Tommy's Brewing Company is offering delivery and curbside pickup of its craft beer.

For a wide range of restaurant options, there’s Food Drop. It's part of the Drop taxi ride share service and offers a delivery service for multiple restaurants nationwide. The app runs on geolocation and provides food options based on the app user’s location.

Restaurants such as Bite Me Bistro, Jardin, Burger Joint, Whipped, Papadums, Chaud, Hakka and More Vino are all on Food Drop. NB: payment is strictly by credit card.

Explore your sensuality

If you really have time all by yourself, then why not get in touch with yourself?

Tobagonian sex coach Onika Henry recommends people get in touch with their senses and indulge in sensual experiences they enjoy.

"Look at all kinds of things you could do that would delight your senses. Eat foods you really like. You want to savour things. Eat chocolate, ice cream, whatever fits your fancy. Explore touch with fabrics. Play around with feather and leather ice blocks, things that would be exploring touch sensations," Henry said.

She recommends exploring exercises that look at what your primary senses are.

"Are you more visual, oral, or do you like to hear sounds such as moaning and groaning?"

For couples, be they socially distancing together or self-isolating apart, she recommends psychological research expert John Gottman's relationship cards.

"That's an app. It is a research-based approach to relationships. It has open-ended questions to get you and your partner talking. You don't have to be in the same room. Each person can have their deck of cards. You can do it online or on the phone or you can do it by yourself."

As most arousal stimulants are produced and targeted towards men, she recommends, Dipsea, an app filled with short audio stories ranging from five to 20 minutes in length to sexually arouse women.

Masturbation has a lot of mental health benefits. A medically reviewed article by Janet Brito, PhD, in Medicine Today called Are there side effects to masturbation? says: “Helps people reduce stress, release tension, enhance sleep quality, boost concentration, elevate mood, relieve menstrual cramps, alleviate pain and improve sex."

Call a friend and connect

Though social distancing is a must, that does not mean we can go without community.

Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Skype and Zoom are all applications that allow people to connect. Have a Zoom brunch with the family. Friends can challenge each other to make the same dish and dine together on Skype.

Just because we must distance ourselves physically doesn't mean connection is impossible.