For some, confinement means boredom and loneliness. Meantime, others are seizing the opportunity to do things they have always been dreaming of. What if you also started doing things you never find time for? Expats around the world talk to Expat.com about their achievements in spite of the lockdown in their host country.
Sports and fitness seem to be today's favourite pastime among expats. If you haven't yet got the chance to rid yourself of those extra pounds, now is the time! Millions of people are following sports and fitness classes every day, including yoga, Zumba, dance, etc. Elisa, an American expat in Norway, talks about her challenge. "I've got a full-time job and two toddlers. I think that's enough challenge for now! But I am also working on keeping my gym routine going, and they have a bunch of online challenges you can sign up for, which I've been joining". Meanwhile, Marion, a French expatriate in the US, is trying to take a walk in the evening. "Since I am confined, I spend most of my time working on my computer, so walking 3-4 kilometres a day is good for the body and the mind."
The same goes for Jasmine, an Egyptian expat in Kuwait, who is also working out to drop those extra pounds. She also signed up for online courses, some of which are free of charge during the lockdown. "It was a great chance that some educational websites offered a bunch of great free courses with lifetime access! Ok so I achieved the enrolment step; however, it is still a great challenge to start the courses".
For some, like Raymond, an American expat in the Dominican Republic, learning the language spoken in their host country remains a significant challenge. "At the moment, my Spanish is not good. This is partly due to my very poor hearing and usually being in places where several people speak at the same time and not being able to pick out a single conversation from the bunch. Finally, I have no one who is bilingual to practice with so they can correct me when I make mistakes." Raymond would be happy to find someone to help him online during the lockdown.
What if you go a little bit further? Like outside the house, but still in your yard. Julie, a French expat in Portugal, found the ideal way to keep herself busy and socialise from a distance. “Since the beginning of the lockdown, we started painting our houses. We are helping each other with the ladders, etc., and there's still a lot to do, but this helps us avoid the 'cabin fever' which can result from confinement. Every day, she chitchats with neighbours from a distance during tea and coffee breaks.
Then, there are those who don't know much about baking and pastry even if they do know how to cook. Ghislain, a Belgian expat in Mauritius, takes this as a challenge. Due to curfew, bakeries are closed until further notice, so he is trying to make his own cakes, Belgian waffles, and well as bread. "I would love to make brioches even if the hardest part is to knead the dough by hand, but as long as I have flour and eggs, I will go on”.
What if you're a nomad at heart, but you're stuck at home due to lockdown? Martine, a French expat in the Dominican Republic, has found the answer. As navigation is her passion, she took up a virtual regatta challenge. “As I cannot sail for real, I've got back the boat that I had launched for the Clipper Round The World competition and many others. Ten years have gone by, but my boat was still there, waiting for me”. Martine explains that Virtual Régatta, an online gaming website, created a particular race called The Great Escape. "Normally, this platform is based on real races, but now they created the La Rochelle - Curaçao race with three different boats: Imoca, Class 40, Figaro and Ultim, each with different speeds. I'm still sailing wit Imoca, but I'll be reaching soon. It's an excellent pastime even if without the spray and the salt on my lips".
Still running out of ideas? No need to panic. You can find a lot of groups on the social media offering exciting daily challenges. Why not take them together with your friends and dear ones?
