Staying Social While Distancing: Fun and Creative Ways to Connect while Staying At Home

By: Lou Maningas Cabalona

 

Just a few weeks ago, the term “social distancing” was unknown to many people. If the world was not collectively fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic, folks might even have guessed it meant temporarily abstaining from social media for good reason.

Nowadays, its everyone’s daily goal. Social distancing, also called “physical distancing,” — keeping space (at least 6 feet apart) between yourself and other people outside of your home — is one of the best tools we have to avoid being exposed to COVID-19 and help slow its spread in the community we live in and really, across the globe.

Staying at home 24/7 except for some essential trips (like grocery shopping and getting some outdoor exercise) may drive us a bit stir crazy. So, here’s a few handy ideas on how to make the most out of your free time at home and creative ways to keep in touch with friends and family who are far away.

Video chat with everyone: During isolation, being able to see someone face to face becomes more important for all, even if not in person. Good thing, there are a number of apps that allow free video calling online. Facebook Messenger works best If you want to say hi to your mom and ask her to teach you how to cook Kare-Kare or catch up on the latest with your barkada (close friends) of 3 or 4 while playing built-in games like Pac-Man right inside your screen.

For online meetups with a bigger group you can use Zoom or Google Hangouts. Both interfaces make it easier to see who is talking and has some useful features like screen sharing, digital whiteboards, muting and recording. How to maximize it? Organize a karaoke party among friends and online BYOB happy hour with games like Pictionary, Charades or Bingo (You’ll need a timer and a word /bingo number generator which are all available online) and everybody will want to be invited to your online party

Have a movie party: What’s better than binge-watching on Netflix all day? It’s binge-watching on Netflix all day with your favorite people! Because sleepovers is not encouraged right now, you can download an extension app for Chrome web browser called Netflix Party that allows you to simulcast your movie pick among friends.

On your Chrome browser, go to Netflix.com, pick a movie or tv show to watch. Click the NP icon next to the address bar and send the link it generates to your friends. You will be able to watch the show simultaneously and chat and react to it using a built-in chat window. This requires everyone in the party to have a Netflix subscription and Chrome (as well as the extension) installed in their computer.

If you would rather not do this setup or if you have another subscription like Prime Movies or Hulu, you and your friends can just agree on what and when to watch. Turn on your video chat so it’s just like you were sitting in the same couch. Just don’t forget to pause together if someone has to go for a bathroom break!

Take a course, master a skill, learn a new language: Learning never stops, even in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. As a matter of fact, now is the best time to take the ukulele you bought 5 years ago out of storage and commit to learning 1 song a week while in quarantine! Maybe you’ve been wanting to start a podcast but have no idea where to start; you want to know how to maximize deductions on your taxes; you’d like to learn meditation techniques; or you want to speak Japanese or Cebuano-Bisaya. Whatever it is, you are sure to find some good quality educational resources online starting with sites like Coursera.com, Udemy.com, Memrise.com, or Edx.org. Even YouTube has some gems of knowledge on every topic imaginable if you search with the right key words. Best way to learn, find a study parter and check up on each others progress daily!

Send Snail Mail: Take a break from your screens and use your extra time and creative energy in writing letters or making a personalized greeting card for your friends and family. Encourage some bonding time by making handmade cards together with kids and other household members. You can also mail personalized thank you cards to your frontline Nurse and Doctor friends or family, or leave one by the door for your mail carrier or delivery person who continue to work for us staying at home.

Make a short movie: Want to test your filmmaking chops while staying at home? The Asian Pop- Up Cinema (APUC) of Chicago announces their Funniest “Stay-At- Home” Short Film Competition. APUC invites individuals of any age and wherever in the world, to create a one-minute short film with a theme of funny aspects of life during this global period of isolation. Judges from an elite panel of global film experts including award-winning Filipino actor Christian Bables will select the top five (5) films to be shown during APUC’s upcoming Season 11 this Fall. Deadline for submissions is May 15, 2020. For details, check out www.asianpopupcinema.org/ funniest-short or email asianpopupinfo@ gmail.com

Volunteer to help others: While practicing good social distancing, you can volunteer for a business that provides food, shelter or other needs for economically disadvantaged people or other individuals in need. Using online sites like MealTrain.com, you can help provide meals for a friend who had just given birth or undergone a surgery or illness. You can also organize a thank you meal in support of essential workers in your nearby hospital or healthcare facility.

Within the Filipino American community, there are also some non-profit organizations that organize similar initiatives like the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Chicago led by President Edgar Jimenez who, along with birthday celebrant Andy Gaston, funded, packed and delivered 100 meals from Chicken Ati-Atihan Restaurant in Niles last March 30. The meals were distributed to the Emergency Room staff at St. Mary’s Hospital and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Chicago as a gesture of sincere appreciation for healthcare workers who are putting their lives on the line to help others during this COVID 19 crisis.

Finally, set aside 10 minutes or less to fill out the US Census. Every 10 years, the US Government takes account of every living person in the country and important information about us that will help appropriate hundreds of billions in federal funding every year, determine congressional representation and provide data that will impact communities for the next decade. Due to COVID-19 the deadline to answer online, by phone or by mail is extended til May 1, 2020. Go to 2020census.gov for information. You count, so be counted!

Family Chat using Facebook Messenger – Louella with 2 year-old son, Reign Malaya in Chicago and Sister Lee in Los Angeles

Virtual Dinner Party using Zoom with FYLPRO members around the US (clockwise from top left) Krystle Canare , Jo Boston, Louella Cabalona with Reign, TJ Medel, Mark Calaguas, and Leezel Tanglao

A Zoom COVID-19 Community meeting organized by AFIRE Chicago. The Cabalonas, Louella sings Usahay accompanied by father-in-law, Orlando on piano and husband, Baron on Upright Bass

Asian Popup Cinema Governing Board during their February 2020 Meeting in Downtown Chicago, (fr L to R) Justin Kao, Colin Hara, Gavin Guo, Louella Cabalona and Sophia Wong Boccio, Founder & Executive Director

Happy faces of the Emergency Room and Intensive Care teams at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Chicago’s Wicker Park receiving Chicken Ati Atihan lunch meals packed and delivered by Edgar Jimenez (right) and Anthony Andaleon (not in picture) of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Chicago (PACCGC) and Andy Gaston (2nd from R)