EXPERIENCE THE WORLD VIRTUALLY THIS QUARANTINE Feel like you’re missing out on plenty of experiences with this quarantine? Don’t worry- we’ve got you covered with 5 virtual tours to help you learn more about some of the world's most well-known attractions. In an attempt to “flatten the curve” and ultimately reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus, governments have ordered the closure of the majority of businesses worldwide. So, whether that be your favorite attraction, or favorite place to go out to eat, chances are it's closed down- leaving citizens with tons of free time on their hands. Although it may not seem this way, self-isolating doesn't necessarily mean that you can’t experience the world virtually. In fact, many industries have created online activities, from museum tours, to live performances, to digital broadcasts. You can access the majority of these tours free of charge- and without having to leave your couch. Down below we have 5 ideas for virtual tours that are definitely worth your time. 1. The Louvre Last year, this very well-known attraction had a major issue with overcrowding and strange guest behavior. As a result of this, they created an online version of the Louvre- where you can experience the museum without having to physically be there. Visitors can check out tours focusing on Egyptian antiques collections, the Galerie d'Apollon, and many more. 2. Yosemite National Park Let’s say museums aren’t of much interest to you- why not try out one of the most well known parks in the world? This virtual tour is completed with sound, and allows visitors to visit some of Yosemite’s most well-known landmarks, such as the top of the Half Dome and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. 3. The Great Wall of China Believe it or not, even the Great Wall of China has its own tour! It offers some of the most visited sections of the wall, with over 400km which are walkable! A great experience for anyone wanting to see China’s most famous attraction without having to deal with the large crowds who’d typically visit it. 4. Sistine Chapel Since Italy started the national lockdown, it has been impossible to get any view of the beautiful Sistine Chapel. However, with more technological advances, they’ve put together an incredible tour, allowing visitors to experience interior artworks of the chapel, such as “The Last Judgement” painting by Michealangelo. 5. San Diego Zoo Passion for animals? Look no further. Not only does this zoo offer open-air, cageless animal habitats, but they now have a huge variety of live streams that you can watch at your own pace. Check out their adorable pandas, elephants, and polar bears- trust me, it's a site that you wouldn’t want to miss.
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DEVELOP YOUR LINGUISTIC SKILLS! Bored during quarantine? Here are a few steps to help you learn a new language! 1. Make a plan of action First thing you should definitely do is figure out what your goals are- what you want to learn, and why you want to learn it. If you're looking for some inspiration, we’ve listed a few of the most commonly spoken languages in the world below.
Although these suggestions are the most well-known languages worldwide, it's important to consider your interests. Perhaps it's about learning a language which can better help you understand a culture, or can add to your historical knowledge. At the end of the day, it has to be something that you are both interested and committed to- otherwise, there is no way to realize any success. Once having picked a language, it is crucial to set realistic, attainable goals. Research shows that having written down objectives typically increase chances for success. Here are a few examples to help you figure out your goals.
2. Learn the most common words When you think of learning a language such as English, it can become pretty overwhelming, considering the fact that there are more than 600,000 words. Thankfully, you don’t need to learn all of them. In fact, 50 percent of the English Language is made up of the same 100 words, and 90 percent is made up of the same 1000. By focusing on these words, you can ensure that you don’t waste any time on words that aren’t as necessary to the language. 3. Study smart This is a key component to ensuring your understanding of a language. You have to find a technique that works best for you- and that will surely differ from person to person. Take flashcards, for instance. Some people have a lot of success memorizing words and translations through the use of this process. However, you may find it more convenient, to for example, use an app such as Duolinguo or FluentU. Try these different techniques, as you never know what's going to work best for you! 4. Implement the language into your daily life Whether this be as simple as watching a TV show in your chosen language, or having a conversation with someone who speaks it well, it is critical to speak/hear your language on a regular basis. The goal here is not for you to understand all words, but to understand a few. This will help you familiarize yourself with these sounds, which would help you in the future. 6. Learn about the culture Understanding a country's culture, history, or current events, will surely help you in the process of learning a new language. It can help you recognize reasons for which people say what they say, or do what they do. Although it may feel like a waste of time, it will be truly beneficial in the long run. It will ensure that you don’t make any silly, and potentially offensive mistakes in the future. 7. Test yourself Everyone is different in this regard. Personally, I know that having, for example, a big test come up is the only way that I’m truly going to be able to get myself to start studying and taking it seriously. There are numerous tests that you can take to validate your knowledge, in a variety of languages such as French, Spanish, and German. These tests will surely keep you motivated, as they are a main reason to ensure that you keep focus on your language, and don’t slack off as time goes by. A few of the most popular tests include the ACTFL OPI, which gives you a score which ranks you from “Novice-Low” to “Superior”. This is a very well recognized test, and is available in multiple languages. 8. Have fun! We tend to learn most when we’re having fun- so it's very important for you to do so. Every so often, why not switch it up? Play a new game, or watch a few videos in the language that you are interested in. Say for example, you love sports! What better way to learn your chosen language through watching sports online? To be completely honest, you’d be very surprised at how quickly you can learn/memorize words in a language when you do so having fun. HOW TO KEEP YOUR SWEET TOOTH SATISFIED Missing all those mouth-watering treats? Don’t worry- we got you covered with 7 simple recipes to help you get by this quarantine. We all know that feeling- when you walk into the kitchen looking for something to snack on, yet nothing hits just right. Here are a few ideas for not only delicious, but simple baked goods. No other way we’d want to spend our time during quarantine! 7. Cheesecake stuffed Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Muffins Find the full recipe here! https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cheesecake-stuffed-chocolate-chunk-banana-bread-muffins/ 6. Blender Lemon Pie Find the full recipe here! https://pinchofyum.com/blender-lemon-pie 5. Chocolate Covered Brown Butter Krispie Treats Find the full recipe here! https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/chocolate-covered-brown-butter-krispie-treats/ 4. Cream Cheese Swirled Pumpkin Bread With Salted Maple Butter Find the full recipe here! https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cream-cheese-swirled-pumpkin-banana-bread/ 3. Overnight Cinnamon Roll Bread With Chai Frosting Find the full recipe here! https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/overnight-cinnamon-roll-bread/ 2. One-Bowl Chocolate Chunk Chai Banana Muffins Find the full recipe here! https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/one-bowl-chocolate-chunk-chai-banana-muffins/ 1. Salted Caramel Pretzel Snickerdoodles Find the full recipe here! https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/salted-caramel-pretzel-snickerdoodles/ THE ART OF KEEPING YOUR SOCIAL LIFE ALIVE Worried that you may drift from friends during this time of isolation? Don’t worry- we have a few ideas for keeping these relationships intact! Last week we went over 4 activities that could help you cure your boredom throughout quarantine. Over the next month, we will be diving into each of these ideas to help you survive this world pandemic. So, let's say you’re tired of facetiming or texting your friends every night- you want to do something new! Here are a few suggestions that could keep you both occupied and prepared. 1. Netflix Party Unfortunately, social distancing prohibits any sort of contact- meaning no movie nights with your best friends. However, with this new chrome extension, you can simulate this exact experience. This free extension lets you sync up your shows/movies with your friends. Meaning, it will play or pause the videos at the exact same time. It also allows you to chat on screen- much like if you were sitting right next to each other. In order for this to function, everyone needs their own Netflix account. If they don’t have an account, Netflix offers free 30-day trials. So, now, how do you use it? How does it work? It’s actually pretty simple. Follow these easy steps to use this program.
2. Cards Against Humanity Online Let’s say you’ve watched all the movies that you can, and you’re in the mood for something new. Why not try playing your favorite card games online? Cards against humanity anyone? Simply search the web for “Cards against humanity online io”, and it’ll be the first link. You have now entered the game, of which you are the host. From here, you can share the link with friends via text and get ready for the best game night you could have, given the conditions. The game runs in sync- so, that means that everyone sees the same thing at the same time. This is also great as it permits you to video call, whether that be on skype or facetime, to capture everyone's reactions. Explained in simple terms, every player gets 7 white cards. A single player is chosen at random, to pick up a black card with a sentence and a blank. It's the other player’s responsibility to choose one of their white cards that fits the blank the best, whether that be logically or humorously. From there, the player that picks the black card reads out the sentence with each given white card. Whichever is the funniest is typically the one that wins. The player with the funniest white card receives the black card, and proceeds to draw a new black card from the pile. The other players simultaneously pick up a new white card- everyone should always have 7. At the end of the game, the player with the most black cards wins. Below is a diagram which could help you understand the layout of the website. This will help you get the game started faster! 3. Mario Kart Tour At this point, you’ve pretty much done it all. From watching shows and playing card games, you’ve been able to keep those friendships alive. Yet, you want something more- why not try out a classic game, Mario Kart Tour? This beloved game allows up to 7 people to play at once. It’s a pretty simple game, with many fun courses and tracks to take on. Not only is it a great way to pass time, but it also is very entertaining and allows your competitive side to thrive. This racing game is available on both the App Store and the Google Play Store. It is a free application, but it does contain optional in-app purchases. Additionally, each player must have a Nintendo account to participate. Nevertheless, this game is bound to keep you entertained for hours on end during this quarantine. CURE YOUR BOREDOM WITH THESE 4 ACTIVITIES NOTE : WE WILL BE DISCUSSING EACH OF THESE ACTIVITIES IN-DEPTH THROUGHOUT THE FOLLOWING WEEKS. Bored? Here are 4 things that you can do to get by during the COVID-19 quarantine. 1. Talk to friends
As you go through high school, your schedule becomes a lot tighter. Assignments, projects, and tests become one of your main priorities. Unfortunately, having such a heavy workload can drain your social life completely. So, now that school is off, and you have plenty of time on your hands, get in contact with your friends! Many online applications are available for fun nights, ranging from the most basic, such as FaceTime, to the more complex, such as Netflix Party. Quarantine is also the perfect time to get in touch with some old friends that you don’t regularly see at school. Surely, the experiences that you will have online will be different than meeting in person- but at the end of the day, having these connections with people will be one step to curing your boredom. 2. Bake some treats Let’s be honest- everyone likes a good brownie. The way that the gooey chocolate melts in your mouth- nothing compares to the experience. So, why not master the perfect dessert? With so much available time, try learning a few new recipes. You can find so many online, with a few of my favourite sources being the All Recipes, The Food Network, and Delish. Not only do these desserts taste great, but the process of making them is so enjoyable. Not to mention, that it can take up to a few hours to bake even simple sweets- a perfect way to pass time. 3. Learn a new language This one is definitely a little more ambitious than the other items on this list, but it can surely be accomplished if you put your mind to it. Learning a new language is commonly found on someone’s bucket list, but it takes months upon months. So, why not use this never ending quarantine to do something useful? To learn something that could benefit you in your future? This task can easily seem intimidating, so take it on slowly. No one’s expecting you to master it- even having a simple understanding of the language and the culture that comes along with it is a great start. Using an app such as Duolingois is an easy way to begin your journey. Trust me, you can do it! 4. Take a virtual tour The whole idea behind quarantine is that you can’t leave your living space- it is the restriction on any movement or contact with other people. Complete isolation therefore commonly has you itching to go out- whether that be local or even international travel. Thankfully, many businesses are conscious of this, and have made online virtual tours available. For example, you can do tours of the Louvre in Paris, the Van Gogh museum, etc. These are wonderful ways to spend your time while in quarantine- have fun while learning something new. |
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