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Dublin fighting the virus:
Events, advice and more

Hi all!

So, what’s your plans for the weekend? Is it a hike from the bedroom to the kitchen? Or a gig in the living room? Or maybe a book reading on the balcony (if you are lucky enough to have one)?

You won’t be surprised to hear from me that the options for free events are not very plentiful and – in all honesty – even if I knew about the coolest event of the century, I wouldn’t mention it (if it was not an online event) in the situation we are in. Oddly, I did find a few event notices for event that definitely should have been cancelled. Maybe the organisers just forgot to cancel it!?!?

We don’t have a lock down, at least not yet, so going for a walk or a drive or a cycle or a run is still absolutely fine as long as you stick to the advise about social distancing. But going to an event or training or workshop where the social distancing rules are not adhered to is NOT ok. Behaviour like that will increase the risk that we also will be put under lock down like in Italy, Spain, parts of the USA and from today also parts of Germany. So, please keep a 2m distance from other people that you don’t live with.

And speaking of “social distancing”. The concept makes total sense and there is more detail about it in my latest blog post here
www.joergsteegmueller.com/2020/03/21/the-corona-files-social-distancing-lock-down/
but I really really dislike the term that was chosen for it. “Social Distancing” is not something we really want. Yes, we definitely want “Physical Distancing in a Social Context” or “Spatial Separation”, but we do not want or need SOCIAL Distancing. Instead stay in close social contact with your friends and colleagues, but maintain a safe physical distance from them. You get the difference, right? Keep caring about others and ask them how they are, especially if they live on their own.

Despite all the limitations, I found some things for you to do again. “The world is moving online” is one of the new directions and the other advise is to use the time to learn something new or do something that you wanted to do for a long time. A good few suggestions can be found below.

Before we get to the events and suggestions, I need to let tell you again that the “Dublin Event Guide (for Free Events)” is 100% user supported and is also non-profit. That means your help is needed to pay the bills and all your donations will be used for the Dublin Event Guide, none will go to myself.

You can provide your support by visiting http:/www.DublinEventGuide.com and then favourably considering (!!) the advertisements there. THANK YOU!

And here are three other ways to help if they work better for you, they are not free, but help even more:
First: You can donate directly via www.paypal.me/DublinEventGuide (any amount is appreciated!!)
Second: You can “Buy Me a Coffee” here www.buymeacoffee.com/DublinEventG
Third: For the Revolut people among you it is super easy via 0872931571.

What can I do with my kids?

Because this is an extra challenge, here are some ideas and suggestions: You are still allowed to go outside and as long as you stay in your family unit, you can also easily adhere to the Social Distancing rules. Playgrounds are closed, but all parks remain open.

So, grab your kids, go to a park and run an nature workshop with them. Discover spring plants together, spot any animals in the park. Maybe do a mini treasure hunt with treats that you bring and hide (a form of hide and seek with treats). Or do a slow motion running race with them. Or play “Spot the daffodils”. Go on a scavenger hunt with items that you have listed. Or draw a map of the park together.

And during the week, work/study with your kids. If you can’t do maths or languages with them, read something about science or history with them. Teach them things that they don’t learn in school, but that are interesting (and you might learn something too that way ;-) ) there are plenty of resources on the Internet.

Here are some suggestions for websites to keep your kids busy: www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2020/0318/1123956-12-websites-to-keep-kids-busy-informed-entertained/
And if all else fails, there is a (not free!!) way of watching a movie while Social Distancing: In a Drive In cinema you stay in your own car and there will be a few film screenings this weekend at Junction 6 in Castleknock: www.facebook.com/PopUpMovies.ie

What can I do apart from watching endless hours of TV?

Here are some suggestions for activities that are not watching TV:

1) Use Facetime or Google Duo or Skype to meet friends for a chat using video and if you want to meet a whole gang of people, use Zoom (45 minute meetings are free…and you can reconnect after 45 minutes).

2) Take part in the “Create don’t Contaminate” challenge on RTE2’s Instagram Page at www.instagram.com/rte2/

3) Learn something new. You can do that on YouTube or by reading books or you can buy really good online courses about nearly any subject on Udemy: click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=/WFVYmx8raQ&offerid=507388.9273&subid=0&type=4

4) Read ferociously you can buy eBooks on Amazon www.amazon.co.uk/?&tag=dubeveguiforf-21 or printed books also on Amazon or (free of postage!) on Book Depository here www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=dubevg Two books that I definitely recommend are Atomic Habits (www.bookdepository.com/book/9781847941831/?a_aid=dubevg) and Start with Why (www.bookdepository.com/book/9780241958223/?a_aid=dubevg).

5) Do some sports, you can even do Bodyweight exercises at home with NO equipment. The app “Home Workout” on Android and on iOS is a good starting point.

6) Listen to radio stations from all over the world on a fascinating website at Radio Garden radio.garden/listen

7) Also check out the suggestions in this article www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2020/0317/1123762-25-things-to-do-at-home-while-social-distancing/