Being in lockdown is weird. We feel a bit scared. We’re worried for friends. We miss our routines and we already ate all our candy. That said, it need not be crappy. We (usually) have the sunshine beaming through the window and if you’re reading this, you’re already online. That mean’s there’s a whole world of entertainment available to us.
We should learn something, laugh at something, enjoy ourselves and feel no guilt. We’re already doing all we can by simply closing the door and avoiding going out for that extra packet of Pringles we’ve been dreaming of… so let’s geek out, together!
Small business owners
We’re going to struggle. Perhaps more than ever before. Although the Spanish Government are doing all they can to ensure we survive this, we can also use the time we have to further our skills and be super prepared for when the tourists return. It’s time to adapt and learn.
All of the links below are free of charge:
- Google has a vast resource for studying online marketing and using their platform
https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage/courses - HubSpot have a great course on blogging for business
https://academy.hubspot.com/courses/blogging-training - This very website offer free digital marketing lessons
https://www.facebook.com/business/learn - Shoppify offer a course on photography for ecommerce
https://www.shopify.com/academy/courses/product-photography
Parents and kids
Having the kids out of school is hard. Having them at home too is even harder. We understand that learning must go on and parents all over the world are adjusting to digital schedules.
Here are some resources that might help children and young adults.
- TED talks are pretty famous for inspiring adults. Check out this list for talks to watch with kids.
https://www.ted.com/playlists/86/talks_to_watch_with_kids - Apple’s iTunes offers awesome free courses for everyone. iPads and phones only for this.
https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/itunes-u/id490217893 - Codecademy is a website dedicated specifically to teaching coding. There’s a free option for clever kids and aspiring adults.
https://www.codecademy.com/ - Similarly, the CODE website offers free intros to coding for kids of all ages.
https://code.org/learn - National Geographic have loads of interactive resources for kids. And a not-too-scary intro to coronavirus too which helps answer all those questions they’re gonna ask.
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
Brush up on your Spanish
One thing we should all be doing is making sure we can speak fluent Spanish. It helps us bond as a community and it helps in a pickle.
Everyone has their own way to learn but DuoLingo is pretty good if you fancy something digital https://www.duolingo.com/course/es/en/Learn-Spanish.
Missing Culture and Tapas?
- The Metropolitan Opera in New York is offering something amazing. Every day for the duration of the Met’s closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series will be made available for free streaming on their website: https://www.metopera.org/
- If you’re more into modern sounds, louds of artists including Pink and Coldplay have done free online concerts. Check out the hashtags on twitter and Instagram to see who is playing next #SocialDistanceSessions #SDSessions
- Although we might be stuck in our homes there’s no need to stop exploring. You can spin the globe to anywhere you want with Google Earth https://www.google.com/earth/ and take a guided tour around the globe with some of the world’s leading storytellers. Just click on the Voyager option.
- Spanish platform Movistar + is offering its streaming service for free for a month to help entertain kids and adults during the quarantine. To receive the streaming service until April 30th, users must sign up and download the app Movistar Lite.
Local to home
Right here on the island there are loads of groups to join online, many of whom are offering participation events.
- For example Homemade Lanzarote are running isolation project creatives https://www.facebook.com/groups/570441926767049/ and the eating out group has a growing list of delivery options https://www.facebook.com/groups/104045403780021 just be sure not to read every resident update. We’re a freaky lot and we don’t do well in close confines 😉
- Lanzalux was one of the first groups on the island to offer a full food hamper experience and they are continuing throughout lockdown. Check out their website at www.LanzaLux.com for delivery options. We enjoyed one this week already and they are super clean.
Health
Finally, we know it’s a worry if your primary language is English and you need healthcare and advice. DoctorLanz and BSL Urgent Care would like to inform their patients that during the state of they continue to provide medical services.
They put a statement up at https://gem.godaddy.com/s/f50c601
If you suspect that you have contracted COVID-19, please follow the instructions provided by the Spanish Health Authority and call 900 112 060.
💪🌵☺️
Lockdown is a pain in the bum but it’s important for the whole world. Let’s comply. If you have a link to a free resource that people in Lanzarote might enjoy, please leave a comment. No commercials, thanks. We don’t run adverts, we have no sponsors and we don’t take freebies. Love you all. Gracias.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
