Quaranteens.

Have I just come up with the title of the first Coronavirus-based sitcom in this dystopian, post-apocalyptic science-fiction world we are surely approaching? I think I bloody have. Here’s the pitch: the end of the world is nigh, and our only hope is a ragtag group of middle-schoolers with nothing but their hazmat suits, their plucky attitudes, and a dream. No? Fair enough. Anyway – back to the real world: creatives in China have been sharing their tales of quarantine and how they have been making the most of all their new free time. This is at least an example of human resilience and versatility, with each of these young quarantinees extracting some positive value from an otherwise miserable set of circumstances.

Faster Food.

The utility of drones is staggering – but what if you’re not: A) a Military General, or B) a travel vlogger trying to get the perfect shot of the Whitsundays? Just Eat have announced their plans to give drones a properly useful function for the average person, with their promise of 3-minute aerial delivery. Shop till you drop, and they’ll drop the shopping. Great news for hungover students everywhere, but terrible news for men on bicycles.

You Like Dags?

When people think of Travelers, they probably picture something pretty close to a scene from Snatch. Well, it turns out they might not be too far off. That is at least according to this series of photographs captured by 27-year-old Luxembourgish Photographer Sebastiaan Franco, who spent 2 years living with Irish Travelers on the outskirts of Dublin. Sure, the Finglas Nomads may be lacking a perfect Brad Pitt doppelganger, but the scene captured in “PADDY, HIS GUN AND HIS FRIENDS” looks like it could have been plucked straight out of Guy Ritchie’s head.

Rasslin’.

It’s International Women’s Day on Sunday, so we thought we should cover at least a couple stories of sporting women (or girls in these cases) who are achieving far more than most mere mortals ever will – and are doing so before they can even legally buy fags. Firstly: Heaven Fitch, the 16-year-old North Carolina resident who made history this week by becoming the first girl to win a High School Wrestling State Championship. Heaven convincingly put each boy in her weight class to the sword and couldn’t help but feel a little bit smug about it in her winning remark: “It definitely feels pretty good to pin a guy.”

Howzat?!

Want to feel worthless about your own achievements? Great! Then just take a look at India’s next cricketing ‘Rockstar’, Shafali Verma – the 16-year-old girl who has been lighting up the Women’s T20 World Cup. Despite being a phenom from a young age, Shafali was almost denied the opportunity to even play the sport when she was younger, as none of her local clubs accepted girls. However, thanks to her Father’s quick-thinking and a pair of scissors, Shafali had a quick trim and was disguised as a boy. She joined the team, excelled far beyond anyone else, and now she’s tearing up the international scene. The hope now is that Shafali can be one of the key figures in the growth of the women’s game for years to come – both in India and around the world.

Gen Z Kimono Rocks.

To close out this Week’s COOL SH*T, we go to our Culture Corner for Kaz to give you her latest exhibition recommendation: So I’m Japanese, and when I hear the word ‘Kimono’ what I picture is a very subtle design that an old lady wears in Ryokan (Japanese traditional hotels). The only time young people wear a Kimono in Japan is for the celebration day of coming of age (Seijin no hi), and weddings. Welcome to London, Kimono gets more fashion than I could ever imagine. Kimono is now something pop, colourful, and somehow very cheerful even to watch. Now is the generation you wear Kimono with boots. With tattoos and piercings. Breaking the taboos of Japanese culture, ‘Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk’ is now on in V&A London. From the origin to the latest Kimono fashion around the world, this exhibition covers the dynamics in Kimono. Check it out!