It Could Be Worse
Korean zombies, a spaceship on Earth, a screaming fox and virtual tree therapy.
Hello there,
Expressing gratitude on a regular basis is something you'll often find in mental health guides and Instagram memes (though its actual scientific value is debatable). One of the riskier strategies for distracting one's brain falls in this realm: reminding yourself that it could be worse.
Watch
Kingdom on Netflix is a risky show to watch in quarantine. It's about a plague, with a constant sense of dread threading through every episode, which can feel a little too familiar for comfort. But I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It takes place in the 1500s in Korea and involves political intrigue, an unfortunate amount of gore, and some of the most amazing period costumes I have ever seen. Come for the zombies, stay for the hats.
Occupied, also a show with plenty of political intrigue on Netflix, posits what would happen if Russia occupied a Western European country (Norway). It's fascinating, has lots of fast-paced action in the first season and a fun theme song. One of the most terrifying things about it is how little day-to-day life changes initially, which is also uncomfortably familiar.
Read
Did you know that in the 1980s, a group of eccentrics and a rich dude built a massive glass-walled facility in the middle of the Arizona desert to test if humans could survive in Earth-like environments in outer space? And that they raided ecosystems around the globe to fill it, and that in the ‘90s, they locked a bunch of people inside to go on “missions"? And that Steve Bannon was involved? Yes, it's true. The fictionalized tale about it, The Terranauts, is an engrossing read. It will make you feel grateful to be able to go outside and order groceries. (Bonus: There's a documentary on Hulu called Spaceship Earth that you may enjoy after you read the book. It's a bit credulous and sympathetic to Biosphere 2's brain children, but the video footage is really interesting.)
Follow
There's a woman on Instagram who rescues foxes and other assorted animals, but my absolute favorite of hers is Juniper, a beautiful red fox with a snaggletooth who makes the most delightful screeching sounds.
Also, this video has always struck me as something of a metaphor for America in the Trump era:
Do
In Japan, there's a concept called forest bathing which posits that spending time among trees improves health. This week I was recommended this wonderful site called Tree.fm, which brings you to forests around the world and plays sounds from those forests on a loop. I left it on in the background as I worked all week and it definitely made me feel more relaxed.
Until next week,
Rachel