It's been a year and a half since Covid-19 struck the Philippines. We are now under our third enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), which basically means only essential establishments and industries are allowed to operate. I have been stuck at home for the past year - only going out for doctor's check-ups and visits to my parents. It's been hard, seeing what's happening with the world and thinking about how to bring up a child during a pandemic. Being stuck within four walls hasn't been easy either, but compared to everything else, I can't really complain. There's so many things to be thankful for, but sometimes, you can't really help but feel anxious and stressed about what's to come. I've come to realize that I need to find ways to keep myself entertained and beat the quarantine blues at home. The busier you are, the less time you have to overthink.
1. Working out
When Covid happened back in March 2020, I started working out. I used to hate it, but then I realized, you can't just do any workout and expect to lose weight, you have to find something that you actually like and stick with it. Thankfully, I discovered videos on YouTube that were enjoyable and easy to follow, heck, I even wrote a blog post on it. There's a lot of dancing involved (which I'm terrible at) but I figured, no one's gonna see me anyway. What's important is that I stay active, keep moving, and have fun doing it. I had to stop when I got pregnant but it's been six months since I gave birth, so I'm hoping to be able to get back at it and start shedding the pregnancy weight soon.
2. Writing
From going out a lot to staying at home 24/7, it was tough. Prior to this whole pandemic, I would meet with my blogger friends to try out new restaurants and experiences regularly and write about them on our respective sites. Sowhen ECQ happened, all that stopped. And the worst part is, I didn't have people to talk to. I was at home alone most of the time. So I resorted to sharing my personal thoughts here instead. I wasn't writing for other people to read, but more of writing for myself. I shared life updates without caring if anyone actually read them. It definitely made me feel good to let it all out. I wrote about everything - including a list of my Netflix recos!
3. Taking photos
I love taking photos, especially photos of food. I enjoy ordering food (sometimes, establishments would send them to me) and I'd post them on my socials. I'd take my sweet time getting the perfect shot - I even got to a point where I purchased so many plates and bowls to use a props! You'll find everything in my Quarantine Eats series (1, 2, 3, 4)
4. Baking/Cooking
I used to bake a lot when I was younger. There were countless failed attempts, but I found the overall process really fun. I honestly enjoy baking more than cooking, but over the last year, I made sure to try my hand at cooking as well. It was mostly putting together ramen DIY kits or pan-frying a pack of gyoza (that counts, right?) Last year, I made oatmeal cookies with Quaker Oats and just recently, pancake muffins which my family absolutely loved! I really need to do bake more often, it keeps me busy during the day and is quite therapeutic, I must say.
5. Playing games
Remember Neopets? Well, I loved that site! I would be online day and night playing games and chatting with people from all over the world there. Unfortunately, Neo has gone through so many changes in the last decade and is crazy loaded with ads now! It's no longer as fun, especially with everything having to take so long to load. Recently, I discovered plays.org which is a website offering fun ads-free games you can easily play on your browser (no downloading needed!) They have hundreds of games available, whether you're looking to exercise your brain or just pass the time, there's definitely something for you on Plays.org. Sharing with you some of the ones I've played so far:
If poker's your thing, better check out Banana Poker. It's a cute version of Texas Hold 'Em where the players have unique personalities. For example, Albernstein likes to analyze every move, Lilith S. can be an aggressive player, while Sloth Marley is the chillest of them all. Unlike with most online poker games, this one is absolutely free to play. If you run out of chips, all you have to do is play Higher or Lower and earn at least 1,000 chips to join a table.
Guardians: Defenders of Mathematica
Now this is a game I'm sure kids will enjoy. If you want to make math fun, better get on board the Guardians: Defenders of Mathematica train. Here, you battle against evil trolls, wizards, dragons and spiders in 16 different categories to save the kingdom. You can customize your character based on the treasures and weapons you unlock. Even though this game is for kids, I honestly found some of the questions challenging. It's definitely a good way to get those brain cells working. You can also save up to three games on one browser so people at home can take turns playing and save their progress!
Do you see yourself as an exceptional typer? Check out Speed Type. I love everything about this one - the clickity clackity sound of typing, seeing that 99% accuracy rate, and beating my top score every single time.
This is probably my favorite out of everything I've tried so far. I could play this for hours, in fact, I did. Even when my internet connection died, I was still able to continue my game, so that was just amazing! The first time I tried it, my score was 16.76k. Current top score? 269.65k.