Hello, hello! Welcome back to The 5 Minute Coffee Corner, it’s been a while! How the hell are you doing?!

This last week or so felt like a real resurrection. Last Monday (17th May) marked the first day that life as we once knew it began to open up again.

For many parts of the UK, the return of normality brought with it the reopening of cinemas, restaurants, hairdressers and bars. Up to this point, shops, hairdressers and beauty as well as bars and restaurants in other parts of the UK were allowed to stay open through to the end of the Christmas period before closing for the last few months, whilst here in Manchester, all things hospitality and leisure closed on 31st October 2020, and remained closed until just a few weeks ago.

As of April 12th, outdoor drinking and dining was permitted and we could go and get our hair and nails done if we should so wish (which of course, I absolutely did!). But the real treat was a week ago, when real life began to resume with cinemas, theatres and leisure opening, with bars and restaurants finally opening indoors. It feels like the best thing to happen in a long time.

I went out for food and drinks with friends last week, and this week, I am meeting up with friends I haven’t seen for over a year. I even have a UK holiday at the beginning of June – a holiday!!!! We just assumed it would be cancelled and rebooked 50 times like the honeymoon that never was, but all being well, it’s still going ahead. I can’t believe I’m going to see something other than the four walls of my house. It’s almost too much for me to cope with. I didn’t feel too fussed about bars and restaurants etc. reopening after the first lockdown, as I was quite content in my little bubble and newfound slower life, but after this third one, I am ecstatic about it all. I feel like I’ve got a new lease of life.

But just in case you’re not making the most of our newfound freedom just yet, here’s some recommendations for you with things to do!

Reading

Before The Coffee Gets Cold: Tales From The Cafe

I have literally only just finished this book, the same one that I was on back in March when I last posted!

This was the second book in the series, and both books revolved around the concept of going back in time. They toyed with the question: what would you do if you could go back to a specific memory or circumstance, but there were rules to adhere to in order to do so? You must sit in a particular seat in a cafe, the experience you’re going back to must have taken place inside said cafe, you can’t leave your seat when in the past, and you can’t do anything to change the future whilst there. And most of all, you must leave before the coffee gets cold.

This book introduced the concept of going to the future, and whilst I liked the idea and thought behind it, I got a little bored reading this one. Although I must admit, it was taking me so long to read it that the boredom could well have been because of the time lapsing between reads, because it was actually quite a good book. It was quite touching in parts, but I felt the general tone was just a bit off. I think sometimes translated literature can feel a little disjointed and there were linguistical nuances that I don’t feel were adequately portrayed at times.

Also something that may have only been prominent as a Westerner reading was that I found it a real struggle to distinguish and keep up with the characters from their names, because there were lots of similar sounding names – Kyoko, Kinuyo, Kei, Kazu, Yaeko to name a few. I suppose my lack of commitment to the book was only intensified by that as I just started to lose the will to care and just wanted to get to the end and box it off. Maybe it wouldn’t have been the case had I been reading more regularly!

Watching

Schitt’s Creek

I have watched quite a lot of things recently but I absolutely HAVE to bring attention to my favourite, the best show I’ve ever seen, Schitt’s Creek! If, like me, you had vaguely heard of this show but not really looked any further into it, please, I implore you to stop what you are doing RIGHT THIS SECOND and go and watch it.

I cried laughing during the very first episode, and for the first time in a long time, I woke up the following day actually excited to watch more episodes the next evening! And James was the same (though as we have now finished, I feel like I may be slightly more manically obsessed with it than him!)

The essence of the story is a rich family loses all of their fortune and are forced to go and live in a small town called Schitt’s Creek, which they once purchased as a joke. But oh my GOD – the characters, the episodes, the feelings it evokes, I cannot even begin to explain the brilliance of it all. If I had only one option of something to watch for the rest of my life it would be this!

I cried with happiness, I cried with sadness, and I sobbed like a baby on the final episode. I then had to watch the documentary about the making of it and I cried all over again. It is just so so beautiful and I loved every minute of it.

Listening

Go Solo – Zwette Ft. Tom Rosenthal

I can’t get enough of this song lately. I think I heard it on someone’s Instagram story or something like that but I love listening to it! So relaxing and gives such lovely vibes.

Before You Go…

My attention was recently brought to this by a client I write for and I think it’s really important that all women or anybody who cares about women and their health complete this survey. It took me about 10 minutes to do.

You have a real opportunity to inform the Women’s Health Strategy in the country and get all women, especially those who are marginalised or disadvantaged in any way improved access, information and education to issues that affect them.

As much as we all know Matt Hancock is a massive dickhead, his foreword hits the nail on the head (probably because he didn’t write it nor gives two fucks about it!)

You can click the link here Women’s Health Strategy: Call for Evidence and complete the survey, it’s only available until 13th June 2021 so be quick!

Have a lovely week friends and I hope those of you in the UK are enjoying our newfound freedom! Share with me what you’re doing – I am loving seeing everybody’s outings.

I’ll see you next week!