HOME SHELTERING FUN LINKS

Stay safe and healthy. Please practice hand washing and social distancing.

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HOME SHELTERING FUN IN THE AGE OF CORONAVIRUS

Welcome. I want to start with a huge THANK YOU to our health care workers on the front lines and everyone else who is doing their part to keep us all safe.  A life saved makes it all worth it.

Connecticut’s “Stay At Home” Executive Order went into effect at 8 pm on March 23, 2020.  Fear  not.  Mark Twain wrote great books in his Connecticut home.   While you may be feeling your walls closing in, you probably have more room than Van Gogh did when he lived in Arles.  Home sheltering does not mean you still can’t have fun.  To help you, we have compiled a list of ideas to make ‘Staying At Home’ be ‘Fun At Home’.  Enjoy!

If you like this page, please bookmark it.  If you forget to bookmark this page I did place a link to this page on my homepage.  This page is separate and distinct from the rest of this website. 

Be sure to return here often.  I plan to add-on more fun links and ideas.  Be sure to read the disclaimer below.  While you’re at it you may as well read the Disclaimer for the website too.  Just be sure to come back when you are done.

If you have any legal questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Jerome N. Goldstein, Attorney at Law at 203-929-7773 or request an initial consultation.  During these unprecedented times we are waiving initial consultation fees.  We understand times are tough so payment plans are available.  We are also working remotely so initial interviews will be by telephone or video conference.   Sorry for the advertisement but we are here to help.

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ARTS & CRAFTS

Pinterest is filled with ideas but, if you want some instructions too, go to EasyPeasyandFun and MyKidcraft. 

Need Supplies for these arts and craft projects?  Oriental Trading will ship supplies direct to your door.  Check at RetailMeNot for online coupon codes on money off your Oriental Trading order and free shipping. Those coupons change on an ongoing basis so check back frequently. RetailMeNot.com is also great for all your shopping.

CHEER CARDS

Seniors in nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout our area are not able to have visits from their families and loved ones due to possible exposure to COVID-19. Regular recreational group activities within the nursing homes are put on hold for now, too. The seniors are lonely and scared, and they would benefit from knowing that people in our community care. Have your children write letters and/or draw pictures for them, and bring sunshine to our community’s most vulnerable. You can old school your cheer cards and mail them direct. Don’t forget to send one to your own seniors safe at home in their own homes.

Don’t know who to send them to? Take a picture of your work and send them to monique@jewishphilanthropyct.org. They will make sure your cards get to the right hands.

EXPLORE SPACE

Need more space in your life.  Start with a field trip to NASA.  There you can find NASA TV airing live NASA news coverage and a variety of videos including views of earth from the international space station.  Need to live in the instant?  NASA has a schedule of their live broadcasts.  NASA also posts “Image of the Day” so you can go back daily. 

Ready to take off?  You’ll need to head over to the Kennedy Space Center which is also posting videos on its Facebook page.  Explore space with your kids with Science Kids or National Geographic Kids.  Both are filled with what your kids crave to learn about our universe.  Want a more adult space travel?  See the history of space exploration at Aerospace.org or head off to Space.com.  Stay at Space.com and launch your space exploration with videos on skywatching, science & astronomy, and even the search for life.  Space.com even has a page dedicated to you Space Techies.

For Trekkies you can get your fix using any of the streaming options including Amazon Prime and CBS All Access.  Both have free trial times to do your binging.  You can also watch Lumiere’s 1902 thirteen minute space movie ‘A Trip To The Moon’ in its original black & white or colorized.

Time to head off to the stars with telescope and satellite feeds.  Slooh curates online telescope feeds for you.  Don’t forget the Hubble Space Telescope history of space views.

When you are ready to come back down to earth stop off first for a quick moon view of Earth.  Then you can explore all over our planet with the satellite feature of Google Maps.

BOARD GAMES

Old school fun. Everyone’s closets have long forgotten board games. This is the time to dig them out and rediscover great family fun. Facetime a friend, set up the same board game, and you can play against them no matter the miles between you. If you like, share recipes for favorite drinks and turn it into a virtual party.

FREE MOVIES & TV

NETFLIX
In addition to ongoing 30 day free offer Netflix now offers a NetFlixParty Install the app using your Google Chrome Browser, share the link to what your watching with friends and everyone can watch in their own homes together remotely. It even comes with a chat feature so you can discuss what your watching.

DISNEY PLUS
Missing your favorite Disney shows? Try Disney Plus for 7 days free.  Just cancel before the trial period ends or there is a hefty fee.

AMAZON PRIME
30 day free trial. BUT, you may just want to join as Amazon Prime also gives you free shipping for many items you buy on Prime. Not like you’ll be traveling to too many stores these weeks.

CBS ALL ACCESS

Watch latest Star Trek related shows on CBA All Access with the free trial now expanded to 30 days

HULU

Once free, Hulu now charges but also has expanded its trial period to 30 days.

NON-SUBSCRIBER FREE MOVIES & TV

Free movies online have been available long before this crisis.  As sites learn they can profit streaming movies this is subject to change.  Hulu was free for years but now charges.  Here are a few sites to enjoy free movies and even TV shows on:

CRACKLE – Owned by Sony Pictures so lots of offerings

POPCORNFLIX – Movies, TV Shows, & Viral feeds all in one place

YIDIO – Acts as  search engine to find a movie to view online

VUDU – Rent movies or watch with ads free

YOUTUBE – Free and to rent movies galore.  Plus cat vids!

SNAGFILMS – New & old movies free

TUBI –  Includes a whole category of “Not On Netflix“

IMDBTV – Not just for more info, but good for that too

PLUTOTV –  Watch live TV and movies from your web browser

FREE BROADWAY SHOWS, CONCERTS, OPERAS & MORE!

Miss your favorite band as many tours have been cancelled? Many artists are live streaming to their fans right now. Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook all are live streaming your favorite bands. Missed the live show. Type your favorite artist’s names into Youtube and you’ll find tons of great concerts and documentaries by your favorite bands posted both by the bands and the fans for your enjoyment.

Here are a sampling of Broadway Show, Opera, & Concert links:

HAMILTON FANS

Lin Manuel comes through with a cut Hamilton tune “I Have This Friend” & much more. No need to wait for it.

BROADWAY SHOWS
Get a 7 day Free trial of your favorite Broadway Shows at BroadwayHD.

METROPOLITAN OPERA
Free streaming nightly at 8 pm of Live in HD series. If you’re singing along please consider the neighbors when you hit those high notes.

METALLICA FANS
Every Monday Metallica is posting a concert video at 8 pm on their Youtube channel.  Some bands know how to treat their fans.

LAURIE BERKNER – Kids Favorite
Every Saturday morning at 10 am kids fan favorite Laurie Berkner live streams songs on her Facebook page playing her new and classic songs.

LIVE STREAMING CONCERTS
So many choices.  National Public Radio at WSHU posts updates regularly to its list of live virtual concerts  BandsInTown.com has more local and alternative artists.  Wall Street Theater in Norwalk is also regularly posting live streaming artists to its Facebook page.  Or type in “live streaming concerts” on Youtube for an overabundance of great selections.

SPREAD SMILES

If you are feeling the walls close in check out the Smile Squad. Their mission is to spread smiles to everyone. Their tools are fun short videos that celebrate and sometimes poke fun at life in a positive way. Check them out on Instagram & Facebook, & Twitter

PODCASTS

A whole new world of entertainment awaits you. Try it out. Podcasts are episodic spoken word digital files that are available all over the internet. Usually for free. Start your search with National Public Radio offerings or give iHeart a listen. Then Google to find your favorite podcasts.

SUPPORT LOCAL HOSPITALS

If you can sew please help by making Face Masks for our local hospitals. Bridgeport, Danbury, and Milford hospitals will accept them. The nursing staff are putting them over the hospital grade ones to make those last longer. Instructions on how to make facemasks can be found on Youtube.

BUILD A REMOTE CONTROL HEALTH DELIVERY SYSTEM

A few years back our son found both his parents down with a cold.  Wanting to help but not get sick he invented the RC Health Delivery System.  He took a remote control jeep and added weight to it so it ran a it slower.  On top of the jeep he built a Lego platform to hold a box of tissues and a juice box.  The platform was held on by zipties.  The remote control vehicle allowed him to deliver loving care from the safety of the hallway using a remote control.  It still runs all these years later.  (Gluing the Legos together may e the reason for this.)  If you have a remote control car in your house (not the new full size ones please) your kids can make their own platforms and health delivery systems to bring help to anyone sick in the house.  Remember not to touch the vehicle if you are sick.

OLD TIME RADIO SHOWS

Want to speed the hours of the day. Listen to old time radio shows. Tales of the Lone Ranger will thrill as you visualize the Lone Ranger riding in on Silver to take on the outlaws with Tonto. Laugh to Groucho Marx, Abbott & Costello, Jack Benny, and hundreds more of the old comedy favorites. Quarantine-O-Ween day, March 31, is the perfect day to turn the lights low as you listen to the show that took the country by storm, War of the Worlds.

YOUR VIRTUAL LIBRARY

Even if your local library is closed you can connect online. Most local libraries have some form of electronic media service that will allow you to check out great books, movies, magazines, podcasts, and more to enjoy in your own home. All you need is to go to your local library’s website and bring your library card. Best of all most libraries provide this free.

ZOO TRIP

Many zoos worldwide have live cams on 24/7. Google your favorite zoo and take a virtual safari. Here’s a few links to start you off on your adventure: Smithsonian Zoo, San Diego Zoo, & Zoos Around the World.

EXPLORE THE WORLD

Live travel cams are set up all over the world. You can explore the world from you armchair. Try seecam, travel-cam, or Google to find your favorite travel cam sites. While Googling be sure to check out Google Maps. Using the Google Maps satellite mode you can take your kids on a behind the scenes visit to Disney World, Disneyland. or any other of your favorite amusement parks. Enjoy aerial views of your favorite rides or grab the small figure on the bottom right and place it all over the parks for fun views of the parks. You can even take a virtual stroll around the park by just clicking around the photos.

ROAD TRIP AMERICA & THE WORLD

Fan of the weird? Take a road trip online through more attractions and oddities than you can believe exist. But they do! Start close to home with DamnedConnecticut for weird places in our backyard. Many of these sites can be seen from the road if you need a quick road trip out. No getting out please until this crisis is over. Then move it on out to Roadside America Be sure to check out the history of the Muffler Man. You know you’ve seen them somewhere.

Ready now to take on the world?  Even under quarantine you can travel the world’s curious places at Atlas Obscura.  You won’t have to ask directions at Atlas Obscura.  You will need to be prepared to get lost in all it has to offer though.  The hours will slip by as you explore this amazing site.

ELVIS IS EVERYWHERE

True.  Elvis is everywhere. So its easy to enjoy Elvis online. It all starts at Elvis’s birthplace. Then move to Sun Studio followed by the one and only Graceland. You can even take a walk through Graceland or Elvis’s plane and cars. No Elvis trip is complete without a trip to Vegas. Unfortunately Elvis-A-Rama Museum has left the building and all roads point back to Graceland where his iconic memorabilia now resides. But don’t leave Vegas until you’ve checked out the Neon Museum. If you still need more, Elvis Youtube has you covered.

CELEBRATE ROCK & ROLL HISTORY

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has classes on rock history you can enjoy online for teachers and parents. Then move on over to the Stax and Motown museums.  Rock’s country underpinnings can be explored at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Want rock instead then head over to the Metropolitan Museum’s Play It Loud Exhibit.

The Met’s Play It Loud full exhibit is available here and now resides at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame until 9/23/20. Having visited the Met museum when the exhibit was live, read the book, and toured virtually, I highly recommend your checking it out.

ROCK HARDER

More of a Geology type rock fan?  We have you covered. Travel to these hard rock sites in DC and New York to get your rock groove filled.

VISIT A MUSEUM

You can’t get to the museum but you can make the museum come to you. Museums the world over have virtual tours available free.  Parents, please remember, art sites may have artwork inappropriate for all ages.  It is art.

The Louvre offers three of these. While in Paris wander down the street to the Musee D’Orsay. The Vatican museum offers even more. Tired of seeing the same old faces that you’ve been home sheltering with? Try the National Portrait Gallery. Have five hours to spare? Travel to St. Petersburg for the State Hermitage Museum. Jonesing for Rembrandt? Go to Spain’s Museo Thyssen before May 24 when he moves on.

Want to stay closer to home? Yale Art Gallery may be closed but many of their pieces can be viewed online. My favorite is The Night Café by Van Gogh. He paid his rent with this amazing oil on canvas of his landlord (in white). Van Gogh lived upstairs of the bar in a very, very small room.  A very, very small room.

Need a more contemporary flair? Art Gallery Venus Over Manhattan posts many of their history of exhibitions online along with great detailed information on its many artists. Also see Miami’s Bass Museum for more contemporary art. Just don’t step on the clowns.

As an attorney I have to include some virtual museums about the law. In Connecticut you can visit the American Museum of Tort Law. Memphis has the National Civil Rights Museum. Philadelphia offers you a trip through our Constitution. Organized crime interest you? See Vegas’s Mob Museum or New York’s Museum of the American Gangster, which is located in a former speakeasy. Those with an interest in trains should check out Laws Museum, which is actually railroad and historical site but its name is law related enough for inclusion here.  If you were only looking for a lawyer site check out our legal blog or Facebook page.   You will find there many interesting articles on a variety of laws.

Not willing to take Home Sheltering lying down? Go to the Mark Twain House & Museum and see the bed Twain wrote in. George Washington may seem to have slept many places there are two places you can be sure to see his actual bed. Of course there is Mount Vernon, his Virgina homestead. Another is just across the river in Tappan, New York. The DeWint House served as Washington’s Revolutionary War headquarters. The DeWint Hose site is under construction so see Washington’s bed here. Be sure to visit the house itself when this crisis ends. You’ll be amazed how Washington slept packed in a small room with many of his key staff and soldiers sleeping on the floor around him.  If the father of our country survived these situations so should we be able to.

More into Natural History museums?  Why not tour the American Museum of Natural History or the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.  From there you can tour the rest of the Smithsonian from your living room.  Want to travel to other museums?  The Smithsonian has you covered!

Still haven’t had your fill of virtual museums? Google is more than just a search engine. It also opens a world of virtual museums at its Arts & Culture pages. You’ll find lots to explore there including art, natural history, trivia, architecture, and many more types of virtual museums.  Atlas Obscura, which we mentioned above in Road Trips, also is filled with museums, both standard and bizare, for you to enjoy.

All of these virtual museums over powering your brain? Visit the Cushing Brain Museum. Its right here in Connecticut at Yale University and free to visit. Until it reopens you can get there take a look online. When it does reopen be sure to for the free guided tour as well.

LEARN A LANGUAGE

Free language lessons can be had at OpenCulture. 

WE ALL LIVE IN A YELLOW QUARANTINE – Learn to play guitar

Remember back when you said: “I wish I had the time to learn how to play guitar?”  Thanks to the coronavirus you now have it.  I won’t even mention all the household projects you told your spouse you’ll get to when you have the time.  If you don’t have a guitar handy you’ll be kicking yourself now for not buying that Amazon Prime yet.

FENDER GUITAR
You’ll have to get and enter a code to register but what is cooler than learning guitar from an epic guitar manufacturer.  Fender guitars is offering 3 months of free online lessons.

JUSTING GUITAR
Sometimes you just need another perspective to learn. Check out Justin’s site for over 1,600 free guitar lessons. He even has a video to learn how to play the Beatles  Yellow Submarine.

COLLEGE COURSES FREE

When your ready to stop saving the world sitting on your couch all day there are a massive number of free courses being offered online just waiting for you to audit.  Free!

IVY LEAGUE COLLEGE COURSES FREE
Learn something new with over 450 Ivy League courses online for you free.  Polo shirt not included.

1400+ FREE COURSES
From Particle Accelerators to an Introduction the the Law has you covered with over 1,400 free classes online at Class Central.  The site even ranks the best online courses if you’re having a hard time choosing.  They even have a course to teach you how to take an online course.  Beat that!

SPORTS FANS

HOCKEY FANS
Hockey season may have been cut short but you can enjoy all games played during the regular 2019-2020 season available to stream. For information go to

BASEBALL FANS
Get ready for the delayed season by watching Ken Burns 1994 documentary Baseball streamed free on PBS.

FREE PERSONAL TRAINER
Missing the gym? Gold’s Gym is offering its Digital Personal Trainer app free through May 21, 2020.

GET OUTSIDE

“Stay At Home” does not mean not safely venturing outdoors. Be sure to social distance when you go out. Avoid crowded parks. Do not go to playgrounds as these are not cleaned.  Ball sports where you are passing a ball with multiple people is also out.  A bit of fresh air may be just what the doctor ordered.

FISHING
Connecticut fishing season opened early this year so get out and fish!

 Just remember to social distance at least 6 feet apart from your other anglers. You will also need a CT fishing license if you are 16 years of age or older. You can get your fishing license online. Many State and Municipal parks may still be closed so check with your local municipal Parks and Recreation Department websites before you go. Local fishing and conservation group, Nutmeg Trout Unlimited, offers a good site to find where to fish in Connecticut.

BACKYARD BIRDWATCHING
Your backyard holds an amazing array of birds that, up to now, you’ve ignored.  But now you have the time to learn your neighbors and be able to learn more about them.  Especially that pesky woodpecker that keeps putting holes in the side of your house.  Audubon has an app to help you start.

CHALK A WALK
Pull out that chalk from your Arts & Crafts supplies and draw or write encouraging messages or pictures on your driveway.  then take a walk around your neighborhood to see what your neighbors wrote.

DONKEY TRICK

This trick is so old but also so tough.  The trick is simple but will take those who don’t know the secret a long time guessing and trying.  Family fun at its best.  Print page “2” from this link (which opens to a PDF).  Cut the drawing along the black lines.

 

The rules are simple.  Rearrange the three pieces so that each rider is on their own donkeys.  You cannot fold the pieces.  The horses cannot overlap each other.

Be sure to sneak a peak yourself at the history and answer to the trick at Wikipedia before you start the family trying to solve it.  Knowing how it is done will provide you more laughs as you watch the newest contestant keep getting it wrong.

NATIONAL THEATER

Like British theater?  Every Thursday starting April 2, 2020 National Theater will broadcast another archived show for a week on its Youtube Channel.

BOSTON CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

While it is not hands on it is eyes on as your kids take a virtual tour of the three floors of the Boston Children’s Museum.

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM

One of my favorite museum buildings is the New York Guggenheim with its spiraling core.  The New York Guggenheim has since spread to four other countries, all with their own iconic Guggenheim iconoclastic type.   Starting with the original lets take a virtual tour of New York’s Guggenheim.  You can also tour through its exhibits individually too.

Then we fly across the Atlantic to Bilbao, Spain.  There we start with its very own iconic Guggenheim museum.  You will want to move down the museum’s page, stopping at all the different views of the building and its masterpieces.

Step outside to tour Bilbao itself in a deluxe virtual tour of the city where you will take in the sights and sounds of the city.  Before you leave the city take another look at the Guggenheim museum’s architecture.

Venice’s Peggy Guggenheim museum’s exterior is one of the more sedate Guggenheim buildings.  Its holdings will still astound but you will have to go to its Youtube site to see them best in video.  The next stop is the future.  Check out

the plans for the Guggenheim Abu Dahbi.  You can also see how Dubai grew to its present status as a world city over 50 years.

 

Before we leave the Guggenheim Museums be sure to stroll through its Online Collection.

NEW YORK CITY VIRTUAL TOURS

If you  like virtual tours this site is filled with them allowing you to quite fully explore New York City safely from your home.  There are a multitude of virtual tours all over the city all originating from this one site.  There are enough different tours of New York museums, neighborhoods, and history here to fill a week of touring.

GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Get beyond your four walls and explore the Great Wall of China virtually.   From there you can explore all over China with virtual tours of many parts of the country.  We have all heard of Wuhan, the region where all this trouble started.  Take an aerial tour of Wuhan and  see how it is much more than just a marketplace.

FARM LIFE

Fulfill your inner farmer with this 360 degree virtual tour of Canadian farms.

Whether you’re into cows, chickens, wheat, dairy, oats, pigs, apples or just about any other area of farming, this site has it all.  You will definitely get your fill of farm life here.  You can even check to see if egg farming is for you with videos of careers in egg farming.  I told you they had everything.

If you have had your fill of the coronavirus you can join in with this sheep.  Then you too can Google “Why do sheep say baaa?”.  Here is one answer from the land down under.  Australians know their sheep.  Australians even worked out which came first, the chicken or the egg.  If you don’t believe them look here.  And to all those fighting over that last roll of toilet paper, all we are saying is give fleece a chance.  (Apologies to John Lennon).

AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS

From sea to shining sea the United States is full of National Parks thanks to President Theodor Roosevelt’s establishment of a National Park System.  This site lets you explore many of those parks virtually.  For those who don’t know, Roosevelt is also famous for sparing the life of a ear that was chained for his hunt to be made easy.  Roosevelt felt it was not sporting and spared the bear.  A political cartoon made the act famous and the newly designed bear doll became officially called the “Teddy Bear”.  Shortly after this the song Teddy Bear Picnic was written but it took until 1950 for Bing Crosby to sing the best version of it.  Let’s all go marching around the house with this song and have fun.

GEORGIA AQUARIUM WEBCAMS

Bring your swim trunks when you visit the Georgia Aquariums’ array of webcams.  At least you don’t have to worry about getting wet.

GREEN DAY’S NO FUN MONDAYS

The President announced the extension of home sheltering to the end of April.  Green Day announced it is issuing a cover song every week until we ‘re let back out into the world.  I vote Green Day makes all future announcements.  At least with Green Day you can go on Holiday and have the Time of Your Life and be Welcome(d) To Paradise.  Green Day’s main muse, Billie Joe Armstrong, recorded the great Tommy James and the Shondells song “I Think We’re Alone Now” in his bedroom last week.  By home sheltering and social distancing we are all in this together in my view.  Thanks to Green Day and all those doing their part.

SPIELBERG’S AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE DAILY FILM

Steven Spielberg steps into streaming movies with a daily film release on the American Film Institute’s website.  To watch you will either need an HBO subscription (which you may have through your cable or streaming subscription) or to buy or rent the movie on various streaming services.  Day 1 was the Wizard of Oz!

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MORE NEW ADDITIONS:

TORNADOES – History, oddities, & facts

Tired of coronavirus information?  Learn instead how Tornadoes impacted our lives.  Filled with amazing facts and trivia.  You can even read what were the worst tornadoes to hit your state.

EARTHQUAKES

Not everyone in government is  working to protect us from the coronavirus.  Some are protecting us from EaRtHqUaKeS.  Real time earthquake data is tracked and reported by the U.S. Geographic Survey division of the Department of the Interior.  Go to FEMA to learn fast facts and your earthquake risk.  If your now worried about an earthquake happening to you go to the Department of Homeland Security’s ready.gov to learn what to do to protect yourself in an earthquake.

OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS

In slower times the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has time to study more than the pandemic.  See more of what they do at Natural Disasters and Severe Weather.  Just want the facts?  Go to Factmonster.

WEDDING CUSTOMS AROUND THE WORLD

The number of babies may increase from home sheltering.  So may divorces.  What is delayed is weddings.  Learn wedding customs around the world and know why we do what we do at weddings.  As our world becomes more multi-cultural these customs will be coming to a wedding near you.  Brides.com has 47 wedding traditions from around the world.   Buzzfeed has 21 more.  White wedding dresses are the norm i the U.S. now.  That was not always the case.   Read about different wedding dress colores around the world and see  pictures of those wedding dresses.

An old hindu marriage custom is to have the bride marry a tree.  This was adopted by Mexican woman who are marrying trees to protest deforestation from illegal logging.

Jewish tradition is filled with marriage customs including the groom breaking a glass.  Jewish weddings also traditionally take place under a chuppah, which represents a Jewish home.  Non-traditional wedding ideas flourish on the internet.  Google unique, strange, or even weird weddings and you will get your fill of places and ways to try to get married.  Just be sure to get your spouse to okay your plans first.

CUSTOMS AROUND THE WORLD

What do the married couple do after the wedding?  (Okay, after that.  This is a family page.)  They travel on their honeymoon!  Travel brings with it the need to not embarrass yourself as you make your way through your destinations.  Learning a bit of the native language will always go a long way. Check out our links on languages above.  For a quick reminder of what to think about when traveling go to expatexplore.  Awesomeinventions has a quick etiquette rules for other countries.

When visiting France you’ll want to dress nicer in Paris.  A jacket and slacks goes over better than denim or shorts.  The rest of the country is where casual clothes are more acceptable.  The French Riviera has even looser clothing rules but again, this is a family page.  For some country specific etiquette rules go to Business Insider, drprem, mobal.  To delve deeper into customs around the world and be ready to tracel when the world reopens go to Dondoo, type in your destination, and click your way around the world.

When traveling don’t forget that tipping has negative as well as positive meanings.  Some countries see tipping as an insult.  For your tipping etiquette try these sites: travel channel, cntraveler, and lonely planet.

TRAVEL ITALY

Italy may be suffering now.  That does not mean you can’t virtually travel Rome.   Enjoy the customs, cuisine, fashion, art, and history of Rome.    Go to Fodors to Pretend You’re in Rome When You’re Stuck at Home.

 

CHINA CUISINE

We know bats are eaten in Wuhan China.  We also know fortune cookies, chop suey, and General Tso’s chicken all originated in the U.S. and are not part of traditional Chinese cuisine.  Fortune cookies come from our West Coast while General Tso’s chicken originated in New York.  Chop suey, as eaten in the States, is unlike Chinese style chop suey, which comes with rice, not noodles.  For more on Chinese cuisine go to SheKnows or head to China Discovery.   Before traveling to China properly you should brush up on Chinese manners and etiquette.  You can then spread out starting with Southeastern Cuisine, where bat soup has been consumed since pre-historic times, and then on to to the world’s cuisines.

BAT SOUP – all apologies in advance

You say you want to try bat soup?  American food culture has vastly expanded in recent years thanks to the wider diversity of immigrants to our country and world travel.  However, I don’t see bat soup catching on here but for those who need to go there here is your bat soup recipe.  Don’t worry, eating bat soup was not directly the cause of the coronavirus.  Bat soup is not the only way at is eaten around the world.  In South America fruitbat is eaten with coconut milk.  That dish has been served over corn bread pudding in a Florida restaurant.  I kid you not!  And please note that I only compiled the information.  I have no plans to eat or advocate eating anything bat.  Although I read it tastes like chicken.  Just a bit more gamey and sweet.  Another site said that fried bat tastes like pigeon.  Yum or yuck.  your choice.

Bat soup may not catch on in the States but Martha Stewart, of course, has a spicy bat wing recipe for your Halloween meal.  Like Martha, you can substitute chicken wings for the bat parts.  Your kids may also like this bats and cobwebs recipe, for which no at was harmed.

There are many other weird foods eaten regularly around the world.  Check them out at hostelworld and roughguides.  Don’t be too harsh on other culture’s food choices.  At least they stop short of Rocky Mountain Oysters.  I hope you were reading this on an empty stomach.  I don’t know about you but I’m properly skeeved.

FREE MOVIES & TV ONLINE

See the newly expanded section above.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Naming this section required research. Acceptance on the term to use is debated even by indigenous people. Like Europeans, Asians, Africans, and people of all lands indigenous American people prefer to use themselves by their tribal self-names. The person is not an “Indian”, “native” or “indigenous” American. They are Hopi, Xavante, Pequot, Utes, and more. For simplicity’s sake we still used Indigenous People for this section and apologize in advance.

Europeans have long abused the indigenous people of the Americas starting with altering their tribal names on their meeting. Europeans did not meet “Indians”. That name was incorrectly given when Columbus thought he discovered a new route to India. The “new” land he “discovered” had been discovered, developed, and made livable by people who came to the Americas at least 20,000 years before. Names of the indigenous people here before Europeans arrived are only slowly returning. “Eskimo”, a term meaning “eaters of raw flesh” did

not exist before Europeans arrived.  Despite being the first European here Columbus did not name the Americas.

To learn more of the history of our indigenous people there are many choices. Start at the Smithsonian in DC or stay closer to home with New York’s Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian or the American Museum of Natural History.

Even closer to home is the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center near Foxwoods Resort Casino. There you will learn the history of Eastern North American’s people. The exhibit starts with a great exhibit on the last glacial history. You then move through the history of the Pequot. We definitely recommend touring the museum when it reopens. Until then you can read more about it on Wikipedia.

Too much of North American indigenous is only known from old westerns. Try these sites to learn more of Native American Customs, Rituals and Ceremonies, and Traditions.

The 1960’s civil rights revolution had a great side effect. America’s indigenous people also began to be heard. Began is the key. To date, the America’s indigenous people are far from having their rights returned.

Abuse of indigenous people is not new to the Americas. Amnesty International works to protect indigenous people all over the world. Conquering indigenous people is how the world reached where it is today. Through it cultures have been both suppressed and spread. Think of Alexander the Great or Genghis Khan. These conquerors spread cultures with them as they took over lands. Scientists are still uncertain whether the Neanderthals, that populated Europe and parts of Southwestern Asia, were conquered by Homo Sapiens or did the Homo Sapiens just intermingle with a species on the way out. Check TimeLineIndex for a time line of history’s conquerors.

CULTURES & DIALECTS OF NORTH AMERICA

Conquerors also forced indigenous people to relocate to new lands as their land was taken over. Perfect examples are the Russian Pogroms and the Holocaust that brought many Jewish people from Europe to the States. The American English language itself derives from a mix of the Spanish, Dutch, and English conquering the land in succession along with changes brought about by immigrants mixing in their heritage and language. New York dialect would not be what it is if not for immigrants. As the immigrants assimilate New York’s accent may disappear.

Louisiana’s disctinctive dialects is from two separate origins.  Cajun are the French colonists who settled the Canadian maritime provinces (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) in the 1600s.  They were here before the Pilgrims!  Forcibly moved to Louisiana by the British when they refused to change from being Catholic to English Protestant they found themselves in Louisiana.  Slowly “Acadian” changed to “Cajun” as others found the accent difficult to understand and adapted.  Cajun dialect is a mix of French and broken English.  Until the 20th century “Cajun” was considered a derogatory term when it proudly became adopted by its people.  Cajuns continue to identify themselves as a separate and proud group.

Creoles are a mix of French, Spanish, and African people already in a region.  As they intermingled and intermarried they built a history all their own.  Creoles are found in many other others beyond Louisiana. Examples of creoles are the French-based creole spoken in Haiti, the English-based creole spoken in Jamaica, the Spanish-based Creole spoken in Curacao (called “Papiamento”).

Isolation can lead to the development of a distinct subculture.  The Appalachian mountain people are an example.  (ot try the shorter version – but where are you rushing off to anyway?)

You can watch a speaker on U.S. accents or see locales and their accents from all 50 States.   To explore cultures of North America and the world go to EveryCulture.com.

CT SUPREME COURT VIRTUAL TOUR

Connecticut court access is limited but you can still tour our Supreme Court.

WASHINGTON D.C. VIRTUAL TOUR

Spring Break for kids often meant a trip to Washington D.C..  For all you  home sheltering Spring Breakers here is your virtual trip. If you have not een to D.C. efore plan your trip with either in 360 degrees, a video or a virtual map.

First stop is the White House. You can take a historic tour with former First Lady Jacquelyne Kennedy or go more modern with a tour by former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama.  For a deconstructed tour of the White House architecture try this video.

Did you know that Grand Central Station would not be here if not for Jacquelynne Kennedy?  I mention that because you can get to Washington’s Union Station from there.  For more on Union Station and train stations across the States go to Great American Stations.

Next stop is the U.S. Capitol Building but first you will need the pre-tour video.  Don’t miss the Capitol Dome or Secrets of the U.S. Capitol building.  Be sure to check the official site’s virtual tours.  Be sure to contact your elected Federal official while on this virtual tour.

We move on to the U.S. Supreme Court.  After your tour watch this video on how our Supreme Court works.  Then take a break at the Kennedy Center’s video collection.

We then head outside to the Lincoln Memorial official site and a tour.  Head down the National Mall to Washington’s Monument for a tour both inside and an explanation why the grounds were never developed.  Around the National Mall are many other places to explore, including the Smithsonian Museums and the National Portrait Gallery.  If you are looking for unusual things about D.C check out AtlasObscura.

Interested in how Washington D.C. was built try here or go here for how Disney World was built if that was your original destination this year.

MORE FREE TUNES – Be sure to cancel your trial subscriptions

SiriusXM is streaming free to all until May 15 but may extend longer.  Enjoy.

If you did a trial subscription you may need to contact SiriusXM to cancel before it changes to a full subscription and you are charged.  Check your SiriusXM account online to be sure.

COUNTRIES THAT NO LONGER EXIST

With covid-19 we venture out less and may wonder how the world has changed.  Over the years many countries that did but no longer exist.  You can see a compilation of some of these at Far and Wide.

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Thank you so much for visiting.  Hope you enjoyed yourself! 

Stay safe & Social Distance Please.

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