Overview
Whether this year has been a good or bad one for you, one of the enduring downsides to 2020 has been this feeling that every day is on repeat. Whether you work from home or commute, there's a certain sameness to our routines right now. To help you shake things up, we've teamed up with Oporto to offer some ways you can build a little win into your working day — from escaping to the park for lunch to acting like a tourist in your own city. These quick, easy-to-action ideas will make you feel like you did something different with your break, and it'll hopefully boost your mood, too.
Adam Bruzzone via South Australia South Australian Tourism Commission
MONDAY: TAKE A FREE TOUR OF ART
When you live in a city with one of the most impressive art collections in the country, it's easy to take that for granted. Sure, you've seen some of the 38,000 artworks in the Art Gallery of South Australia's collection before, but when was the last time you really engaged with the story behind those works? With limited tourism at the moment, now's the time to use your lunch break to act like one. Every day except Tuesday, AGSA runs guided tours of its collection from 12.30–1pm. It's free, limited to 15 people and the guides are prepped to keep things snappy. Right now, its exhibitions include Love in the Time of Covid-19, Converging Currents: Bark Painting from Arnhem Land and Seeing Through Darkness — a 15-minute performance about how people with disability can sometimes feel about how they are perceived.
Christina Morillo
TUESDAY: STIMULATE YOUR BRAIN
If you've been drowning in emails all morning, allocate a slice of your lunch break to popping in your headphones and activating your brain in a different way. Whether you want to learn more about the world we're living in now, or escape it entirely, there are short and sweet audio treats that'll catch you up on the latest on social media and technology news or offer you a ticket to thirst town. Download This Show, for example, hosted by Marc Fennell and produced by the ABC, is a weekly dose of the latest news in social media, consumer electronics, digital politics and hacktivism. Rabbit Hole, produced by The New York Times and hosted by tech columnist Kevin Roose, dissects what happens when our lives move online. And, if you could do with a dose of humour, try Thirst Aid Kit. Hosts Bim Adewunmi and Nichole Perkins will have you chuckling away to yourself over who is hotter: John Boyega or Jason Mantzoukas? Spoiler: there's no wrong answer.
Elder Park, Josie Withers via South Australian Tourism Commission
WEDNESDAY: HAVE LUNCH IN THE PARK
It's the middle of the week. You haven't prepped lunch. Don't overthink it and head to City Cross Shopping Centre, Rundle Mall or Glenside Drive Thru to pick up one of Oporto's new Vegan Rappas. Each wrap has a pea and herb patty, mixed lettuce leaves, slaw, tomato and avocado, and a tomato and capsicum relish, all wrapped up in pita bread. If the weather is on your side, take your lunch to the park. In the city? Head to Elder Park for waterside views. If you're closer to Glenside Drive Thru, Carriageway Park (Tuthangga) is only a four-minute drive away.
Annie Theby
THURSDAY: BUY NEW MUSIC FROM A LOCAL RECORD STORE
If you've adapted to working from home this year, one of the benefits you've likely noticed is that you're in control of the music you get to listen to all day. No more generic playlists to appeal to a broad listenership. You're the DJ, so make the most of your break by turning things up to 11. If your CD or vinyl collection could do with an update, use your time off to pay a visit to one of Adelaide's top record stores — like Clarity Records, Wolfies Records and Rerun Records — where you'll not only have the chance to flick through the latest releases, but you'll also be supporting local businesses. At Wolfies in Norwood, time your visit with your usual coffee break and take a seat in the cafe while you listen to what's playing in store. At Rerun, in Renaissance Arcade, trade in your unwanted records for something new. And, if you're unable to leave the house, Clarity Records runs an impressive online store with speedy shipping, operating every day of the week.
'Rebecca': (L to R) Lily James as Mrs de Winter, Kristin Scott Thomas as Mrs Danvers. Cr. Kerry Brown/Netflix
FRIDAY: CATCH UP ON THE LATEST MOVIE TRAILERS
When you're WFH, you can miss out on that office banter about what your 9-to-5 buddies are watching, reading or listening to right now. And if it's been half a year since you visited the cinema, maybe you're feeling out of touch with the latest film trailers. Well, use that half hour in the middle of your day to play catch up. Have you seen Timothée Chalamet and the giant sandworm in the latest and highly anticipated adaptation of Dune? How about the ominous first trailer for Netflix's take on the psychological thriller Rebecca? It stars Lily James, Armie Hammer and Kristin Scott Thomas and hits your screens from October 21. And, if those have you fired up for seeing films on the big screen, why not book into a showing at Capri? Tickets are just $10 on Tuesdays. Or, at Windsor Theatre where you can see a flick for $10 on any night of the week. Here are our picks of what's on at the cinemas right now.
Check out Oporto's full Rappa Range here, then make tracks to your closest store — or order online.
Top image: Art Gallery of South Australia, Adam Bruzzone via SATC