Best Ways to immerse in a new destination or culture without leaving your home

Best Ways to immerse in a new destination or culture without leaving your home

Are you bored of Net-flixing your way through the pandemic and endless working from home?

Looking for new ways to spice up your date than just blowing kisses through your mask while dining outside?

Hi, I am Aadharsh. I ran Mommy’s kitchen for my twin toddlers through most of the COVID19 pandemic. Here is a slightly modified version for adults. Through the medium of food, music and movies, travel with me vicariously to a few iconic cities..all from the comfort of your couch.

Top 4 Destinations to immerse in without leaving your couch

Destination 1 – Paris When It Sizzles

1. French Music Playlist

Start the evening by hitting the right notes.

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Choose a French jazz playlist with artists like Avalon Jazz band and Zaz who would give a modern twist to famous French numbers while surreptitiously transporting you in space and time.

If you have an ear for classics, give a listen to Edith Piaf.

2. French Cuisine at Home

Le French apero

Make an effort and dress up even if it’s the spouse you saw all day long. Put on a cologne or the perfume. Channel your inner Chanels and red lips. Effortless elegance is the name of the game.

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Now all you’ll need is some good French cheese (e.g., Camembert, Brie, Emmental) , a bottle of bubbly or some French wine or both. A great shop to recommened is Cheeseshop.sg.

Le French diner

Create a romantic dreamy dinner nook:

Flowers ? – Oh yes please! Flowers will bring a smile to not just your belle but relieve you of your week’s worries. If you don’t believe in flowers, you could pick up a twig and some fresh green leaves. It’s the thought that matters. Go the extra mile, set the table even if you Dabao-ed the food from uncle downstairs. Lay a cute looking napkin, lay out the cutleries. Take your time to dine and remember to keep your mobile phones face-down and on mute. 

Forget not the dessert! It can be as simple as an Icecream or some fruit yoghurt (for the health conscious), but indulgence of the senses is a must. 

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3. Le French Cinema from home 

Let’s put our legs up shall we? If you can get your hands on the likes of “le fabuleux destin d’Amelie Poulain” , “2 days in Paris”, you are all set. These films take you through the streets of Paris and before you realize, you’ll find yourself disappointed at not waking up for a croissant and coffee.

Destination 2 – Rome La Dolce Vita

1. Musica from home

Listen to music from the heart by Andrea bocelli and allow his operatic singing voice gently lead you to to another world. For the chivalrous, venture on to listen to one of the most celebrated opera singers of our times, Luciano Pavarotti. 

2. Italian Food and Cuisine at Home

Bake your own Pizza Italiano – even if you haven’t stepped into kitchen before, we have services like Bella Pizza Singapore that deliver all the raw materials including prepared dough, tomato sauce, toppings of your preference, cheese and basil. You just need to assemble the ingredients and put it in the oven and let the warm smell of pizza baking slowly deliver you to an Italian countryside.

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For the slightly adventurous souls, have a go at homemade tiramisu , a recipe that doesn’t even need you to bake.

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3. Italian Movies List at home

“Pani e Tulipani” (Bread and Tulips), “Il Postino” (The Postman), “Cinema Paradiso” and more recently “Mine Vaganti”, “Perfetti sconosciuti” are sure to make you laugh, cry and dance in ecstasy as the universal language of emotion as communicated by the popular medium of cinema lets you travel through the country of Italy and its rich culture. “Under the Tuscan sun” is another Hollywood movie that captures the sunny side of life in the Italian countryside. 

Destination 3 –  Barcelona A Love Untold

If you cannot travel and make a road trip to the iconic cities of Barcelona, Madrid and more, bring the spanish mood into your homes with these easy steps.

1. Spanish Music at home

Tune into the likes of Mecano, Manuel Carrasco, La ketch up and find yourself swaying to some catchy Spanish numbers.

2. Spanish Cuisine and Food

Its Sangria and Tapas time. Put together some cold cut sausages, patatas bravas, olives and cheese on a board, make your own Sangria, have some friends over (not more than 5 until phase 2 is over) and you are ready to start your Spanish expedition. Singapore has its very own Tapas delivery places like My Little Spanish Place for those of us who do not fancy cooking.

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3. Spanish Movies List

Drama lovers, open your living room to the unfolding of spanish drama “Volver” with the ravishing Penelope Cruz or tune into the French take on student life in Barcelona in “Auberge Espanol” – Spanish movies are full of passion and emotion just like the Spaniards. 

Destination 4 – Mumbai The Maximum City

1. Indian Music

You must have listened to some kind of music from Indian cinema if you are in your 20s… However, try tuning into Ghazals, soft music for a lighter feel on your ears. Gulzar, Jagjit Sign, Rahat fateh ali khan and some slow numbers of A.R.Rahman are sure to erase the stress off your creased foreheads. It takes a certain getting used-to, but definitely worth giving them a try.

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2. Indian Food and Cuisine

Try the eclectic burst of sweet, sour and spicy flavours in your palate as you gobble some Pani puris from Chaat places in Singapore like Kailash Parbat. For the adventurers in you, try infusing a little bit of vodka in the tasty soup in the puri and start your soiree dreaming of marigold filled land of Mumbai. Any amount of articles and pages are insufficient to contain the life that is teeming in this city abuzz with passion, emotion and love. Day or night- this is one of those cities that never stops.

B.I.R.Y.A.N.I – period. If there is one dish you have to try when in India, it has to be this. The gentle mélange of spices and the rice cooked in the broth to perfection, and the melting in your mouth meat are all signs of the best biryani made with love. Luckily in Singapore, we have more than one places that can send some of this goodness over to yours.

3. Indian Movies at Home

“Slumdog Millionaire” is an award winning movie set in this city. “Wake up Sid”, “Lunch box” and “Maska” are all though less known internationally, wonderful movies set in this exciting city teeming with life. Its an experience in itself watching any Bollywood movie. If you haven’t done so , now is your chance. 

That brings us to the end of our world tour. 

I hope the world heals faster and the borders allow for unrestricted travel sooner than later, until then, let’s work on those bucket list of places to visit.

If you happen to have more such food/music/movies to add/ propose, feel free to drop comments below!

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