Playing virtual Games as way of socializing in this Covid outbreak

Empty supermarket shelves, no Panadol at Watsons, no medication, no bread, no meat, no vegetables, no fruits, are we living in the apocalypse? No. Hong Kong is going through its latest and hardest hitting wave since the beginning of COVID-19. Even though the Government had two years to plan for this, saw countless countries go through the Omicron wave and already has had many real-world case studies to prepare it seems the infrastructure is

still strained to its limits. This particular variant runs rampant through any community and there is little people can do to prevent it, being fully vaccinated and boosted though has shown that the risk of severe complications have been extremely diminished.

While HK has never seen the likes of this kind of lockdown before, we are all waiting anxiously for what the next restriction might be. Biding time and hoping that you do not test positive and get sent to one of HK’s infamous ‘isolation’ camps. Most people have decreased social interaction, resumed working from home, stopped gathering and generally just keeping at home. It is an eerie time to be out on the once bustling streets of HK with many transport routes and roads left to near ghost town similarities.

With so many people stuck in a HK sized apartment at times you can feel like you are falling over each other, with kids in their zoom classes, parents working on their laptops and helpers trying to do the vacuuming right behind you. Keeping sane and calm has been extremely difficult for some and now could be the best time to try and find ways to cope with this stress and generally do more things that keep you happy.

A group of friends and I have been watching a UK TV Show called “Taskmaster” (Starring Greg Davies and created by and co-starring Alex Horne). A unique game show that has 5 contestants each season all competing for a sculpture of Greg Davies’s head that is won at the end of the season. Each task is set forth and contestants complete these (usually individually) in the best way possible. But this is no ordinary game show, this is something that has been made from a quirky comedian’s genius mind. Some of the best tasks range from; creating edible face masks, getting round a wheelie bin obstacle course, attempting to get the basketball through the hoop without using any hands and one of my favourites is sneaking up on Alex Horne in an empty railyard without him seeing you.

These games are hilarious and I highly recommend watching the entire series as there have been some huge laughs in there for me and while you are sitting on your couch again on yet another Friday and Saturday night this is one way to forget about that FOMO.

How did we turn this famous award winning tv show into an epic home party? We all joined a whatsapp group and the “Taskmaster” (our friend) set forth our challenges to us. Have a look at some of the tasks and entries below.

Task 1: make the best tower with the tastiest thing on top.

Task 2: make the most desirable home fort. The most desirable home fort wins !!!

Task 3: Film yourself throwing something into something in the coolest way. (Still in Progress)

Judging is done by the winner of the previous week and carries on for a total of two months. At the end the winner gets a lovely bottle of alcohol!

As you can see we have made it easy enough to complete with simple household items and giving people a week to think of their submissions gives ample time to be as creative and funny as they like. After all, it's all about having a bit of fun and lightening the mood.

Since the judge changes every week the results can be quite subjective and it can be amusing to see peoples different interpretations of the task. Creativity is key and knowing who your audience will help tailor your submissions to maximise your points.

While at times it can be quite gloomy and a depressing state of affairs it is important to remember those who you love dearest are just around the corner and with the ease of communication there is no excuse not to give people a call or enlist in a different form of entertainment.

Photo Credit: Alex Beattie