What the heck is left to do in the new normal

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: SALMA HUSSEIN
Grab your bus pass or fill your gas tank, London is back in business.

Businesses are opening up, and life is coming back into London as the community heads back to school and the workplace.

We’re all still recovering from quarantine and life under heavily cautioned excursions and safety measures, however as the city opens up more and more activities and pastimes are available.

With proper safety measures set in place at restaurants, diners, parks, bowling allies, cinemas and more, are now accessible options. Let’s take a closer look at what activities London has to offer but, remember that wearing a mask in all public settings is mandatory or recommended for your health and safety and for those around you!

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Dine but don’t dash!

Breakfast lunch and dinner is served! Possible seating areas are now available at select restaurants and patios are a definite option. You can sit in for breakfast or lunch at Cora’s and dine in at 168 Sushi in the same day! Provided that you must wear a mask until you get to your table and that you have the appetite for it (which trust me, you do).

Some local business are not at full capacity and dine-in may not be an option for smaller restaurants, but takeout is available at most. A good way to make sure is to either check online or make a friendly call to your favourite grub spots. Let’s keep our local businesses thriving so we can enjoy them for more days to come.

Socializing Safely at the SocialBowl

Need a place to have fun with your friends, but also make sure your socializing safely? The Palasad SocialBowl is back in business and according to their website, “good clean fun and food have never been safer!” Dining tables are properly distanced for your safety and floor markings have been placed for social distancing. So put on your mask, air-grab your friends, and make your way to the social bowl for six-feet-apart fun!

Bookworms at Attic Books

Quarantine has given us time to catch up on our reading lists and neglected bookshelves. However, nothing beats walking into your favourite second-hand bookstores and soaking in the smell of old books. Book thrifting is one of my personal favourite excursions and pass times, and I know other book lovers feel the same.

So, if your favourite London bookstore, Attic Books being mine, was stripped away from you during quarantine, then I’m here to tell you it’s back! Second-hand bookshops all around London have opened their doors for instore shopping. Check out store hours online and head down to the only places you can spend hours on end in pure book-loving joy.

Leisure walks and fun talks at the park

Your gym hasn’t opened back up yet? Haven’t glanced at a treadmill in the past few months? Need some fresh scenery and a dose of sun after converting to vampirism this past summer? Check, check, and check.

Well here’s some good news, our beloved London is filled with an abundance of beautiful parks and rivers that are patiently waiting for your visit. Text a friend to have a socially distant picnic with you as a treat after you’re done your afternoon jog. Catch up on much needed conversations, and don’t forget to wear your lovely masks as you do so. Dig up your neglected runners, and pull out your gym clothes from the back of your closet and take a well needed walk around the park.

Popcorn and smoothies at Tuesday movies

Our Scene cards are filled with points, and I know we were all waiting for the grand doors of our local cineplex to open. With great patience we waited, and the wait is over. Cineplex tickets can now be purchased, and movies can now be watched in those lovely reclining chairs. Check out some good picks like Tenet and The New Mutants for starters. Save your money for discounted Tuesday movies and make sure to use the rest for snacks.

Hopefully, we can fit socially distant fun in our busy school schedules this year and get outside in the London streets. Be sure to stay safe by wearing masks, hand sanitizing, and keeping the goodfor- you-good-for-all distance!