We’re still indoors … but we’re having FUN!

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Paint. Cook. Sing. So much fun to be had at home. 

If you’re artistic and a keen traveller, why not explore the world with a paintbrush? Gather the fam and ‘Zoom’ in for a virtual paint night. Head over to Yaymaker South Africa on Facebook and find out how you can join in on a colourful journey around the world. It’s on every Wednesday and Friday from 6pm and on Sundays from 2pm. All art supplies needed can be ordered and delivered to your door. Details: Deon on 083-653-7185 or  [email protected]

 

Remember when tea was just … well, tea? Then, hello rooibos. Supertea! It’s not just for sipping … it’s great to cook with and makes wonderful cocktails. To show how antioxidant-rich rooibos can enhance dishes, as well as how versatile it is, celeb foodies Kamini Pather (MasterChef SA winner) and well known pastry chef Sebastian ‘Bas’ Newman will be experimenting with the tea over the next few weeks in a series of videos that will be posted on the SA Rooibos Council Facebook page. Details: facebook.com/rooiboscouncil

Sing the blues, rock around the clock, take centre stage. It’s karaoke time!  Simply download the AirConsole App, which turns your smartphone into a mic – and you’re all set to sing your favourite hits. Great, great fun! Details: airconsole.com/play/apps/karaoke

Just write the book

‘I’d love to write a book, but I don’t have time.’  Well, now we’re spending more time at home, that excuse no longer works. Whether you’re a rookie or experienced writer, a storyteller, influencer, company leader, speaker, an expert with insight to share, or just someone who loves putting words on paper, Sarah Bullen, Kate Emmerson and Tessa Graham’s Write Your Book in 100 Days is going to show you how to write your story. Its practical, step-by-step process includes technical writing tasks alongside heart ‘n soul exercises. Expect easy-to-follow, practical tips and guidance. R340 (includes courier to your door).

Details: thewritingroom.co.za

Shows we’re watching on Netflix this month

If you love your murder mystery docs, Unsolved Mysteries (S1) will be up your (dark and deserted) alley. This 12-part docu-series show uses re-enactments in a documentary format to profile real-life mysteries and unsolved crimes, lost love, cases involving missing persons and unexplained paranormal events.

The Old Guard follows a group of soldiers led by Andy (aka our very own Charlize Theron). Pack members are immortal mercenaries who’ve seen a lot over the centuries, and now they’re pretty bored with life in general. But things start to get interesting when they discover a new immortal is serving in the US Marines … and when their undying existence is captured on camera by a murky organisation, events start to spiral out of control.

 

Reunited by their father’s death, estranged siblings with extraordinary powers uncover shocking family secrets – and a looming threat to humanity. The White Violin, Spaceboy, The Kraken, The Rumor, The Seance and The Boy are all coming back for the second season of The Umbrella Academy. This quirky superhero show follows the dysfunctional, superpowered Hargreeves children who reunite to solve the mystery of how their father died.

 

Cable Girls is returning for a fifth and final season. The series revolves around how four young women’s lives change when they start working in the modern telecommunication company in Madrid. Every one of them has distinct difficulties but also has a close friendship with one of the group.

 

Based on real incidents – a woman escaping a cult, a refugee fleeing with his family, a father trapped in a dead-end job and a bureaucrat on the verge of a national scandal. Inspired by true events, these people find their lives intertwined in an immigration detention centre. A gripping six-part series, Stateless is not-to-be-missed.

Sensational choices on Showmax

Our pick of what to watch this month kicks off with the brilliant Little Fires Everywhere. Based on Celeste Ng’s bestselling book, it stars the amazing Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington and follows the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and an enigmatic mother and daughter who disrupt their lives. The story explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, the ferocious pull of motherhood, and the danger in believing that following the rules can avert disaster.

 

I Know This Much Is True (S1) follows a mentally ill man, Thomas, and his identical twin brother, Dominick (both played by Mark Ruffalo), who protects and cares for him no matter the sacrifice. As the story feels so real and handles matters like paranoid schizophrenia and unconditional, painful love with such nuance, it might make viewers think it’s based on a true story, but it’s actually a work of fiction.

 

In Little, businesswoman Jordan Sanders has become a bully … she runs her own tech company like a dictator and treats her employees very poorly. Then a child, to whom  Jordan’s been unspeakably rude, uses a toy magic wand and wishes for Jordan to be a kid again to take her down a peg… The wish comes true ¬– and next morning Jordan wakes up as her 13-year-old self!

Everyone is guilty of something. Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner, this drama series follows the origins of American fiction’s most legendary criminal defence lawyer, Perry Mason (S1). When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason’s relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and, just maybe, a pathway to redemption for himself.

In crowded, expensive London, a couple decides to take in a housemate to help pay the bills … and finds the perfect match they never knew they needed. Trigonometry is an unconventional love story about three people who are made for each other.

Burden of Proof’s (S3) Joanna Chang and Billy Crawford are working together in their new boutique law firm, Crawford Chang, when an old friend abruptly re-enters Joanna’s life in desperate need of help. After this case, nothing will be the same again.

In Das Boot (S1), a German TV series, we go back to the autumn of 1942, when the U-boat U-612 is ready for its maiden voyage, preparing to head into the increasingly brutal warfare with its young crewmen, including the new captain, Klaus Hoffmann, on board. As the 40 young men take on their first mission, they struggle with the cramped and claustrophobic conditions of life under water. Their personalities are pushed to the limit as tensions rise and loyalties begin to shatter.

Robot Chicken (S10), Adult Swim’s legendary stop motion sketch comedy, is back with more black comedy, pop culture parody and surreal humour.

 

Based on the real life of WWE superstar wrestler Paige Knight, the British comedy Fighting With My Family really is one for everyone. When Paige and her brother Zak are invited to try out for WWE, she’s ecstatic – until she’s accepted into the gruelling training programme, forced to leave her tight-knit family behind and make her own way in the sport and the world.

In 43 AD, the Roman army – determined and terrified in equal measure – returns to crush the Celtic heart of Britannia, a mysterious land ruled by warrior women and powerful druids who can channel the powerful forces of the underworld. Or so they say. Britannia (S1 & S2) may well be the new drama Game of Thrones fans have been waiting for.

 

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