issue 5// vol 47 life & style // no. 17 Le afl Py 4 \ mo St Fes Illustration by Anastasia Simonovich Fun events for spooks and scares » Mask on and lights out Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor aw is in full swing, and October's spooky season has begun. Now that were starting to settle into our hectic schedules in the real world, it’s time to get some air post-being-cooped-up-for-half- the-year. Please do practice safety measures to protect yourself and those around you from COVID! PNE’s Slayland The Pacific National Exhibition is hosting this year’s “Slayland—Night of a Thousand Screams,” with all the fun of normal PNE horror nights—without the haunted houses. This time around there will be a horror-themed walkthrough, all the most popular rides you know and love, a drive- thru trick-or-treat experience, and for the first time ever, guests can wear costumes inside (just no face-covering masks or makeup!) The event will be held from October 9 to 31 starting at 6 pm and ending at 1 pm. Visit the PNE’s website for more information. Haunted Corn Maze Mann Farms in Abbottsford is one of the few haunted houses operating this year. With a kid-friendly pumpkin patch, to the spine-chilling haunted corn maze dubbed “Canada’s scariest corn maze,” this farm has something for everyone. The capacity has been reduced to 25 to 50 percent so everyone will have a much more intimate and scary experience. They're only selling tickets online and they're selling out quick, so purchase yours ASAP! Pumpkin Patch There are tons of pumpkin patches in the lower mainland, but a local favourite is Richmond Country Farms Pumpkin Patch. With food vendors, costumed mascots, wagon-ride entertainers, and an included pumpkin to take home, there’s nothing more Autumn-vibe than this! Tickets are available on their website. Lost Souls of Gastown Tour Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours give a fantastic, guided journey through Vancouver neighbourhoods, detailing the gruesome history of local areas and » The benefits of playing guitar during the pandemic Brandon Yip Senior Columnist Ihe pandemic has been difficult for many people. People who are staying at home during COVID-19 are finding ways to keep themselves busy. Whether it is watching YouTube or Netflix, Zoom calls with friends and family, or investing time in a hobby (such as playing a musical instrument)—these are all good ways to cope with being isolated from others. Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist at McGill University, weighed in on the benefits of playing music in an interview with Fender: “Playing an instrument can certainly improve a person’s overall well- being. Playing even five minutes a day can lead to a range of physical, mental, and emotional benefits.’ I first started to play guitar when I was in junior high school. The first guitar that T owned and learned to play was a nylon string classical guitar. I loved the sound that reverberated from the instrument. I remember just playing and strumming this guitar for hours. And whatever tension and stress I was feeling slowly dissipated the longer I played the guitar. landmarks. Guided by lamplight, this is the perfect spooky tour to view the city as an eerie place lurking with plenty of dark secrets. Tours will be held from October 13 to 30 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. For more info, visit their website. Halloween Mystery Nights Get your detective squad together (two to six players) and get ready to solve a murder mystery in the heart of downtown. Each team gets a kit containing everything they'll need to solve the mystery. Go Remarkably, Levitin says that his research shows that playing the guitar has positive effects on hormones involved with proper and healthy brain functioning. “Playing an instrument has a meditative aspect that can release positive hormones in the brain and can reduce the stress hormone cortisol, increase productivity, and create social bonding to combat loneliness in the digital age,” Levitin said. What’s more, I was enjoying playing the guitar so much that I began practicing and playing the intro to Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” and similar songs that sound better on an electric guitar! Notably, the most challenging guitar riff that I ever tried to play was The Police’s “Every Breath You Take.” I still don’t know how Police guitarist, Andy Summers, does it! Unfortunately, I have not played my guitar for many years. Due to life events and being busy with other things—the pandemic has not helped either—I stopped playing my guitar. I regret this, and I hope to go back to playing it soon. I am sure once I start playing my guitar again, I will be very rusty. But that is ok because it will not take long for me to get back that feeling of why I loved the guitar. 2 Ae Gi a2 E is c 9 La) ES a c ce) = ig cS s wv i) against other teams and see who's really the Sherlock Holmes of Vancouver. Tickets can be purchased on their website. There’s plenty of things to do in or out this fall, despite COVID regulations. With your close social bubble, you could always curl up and marathon scary movies at home. Try cooking or baking autumn treats, begin hand-making your costume, carve your pumpkins with friends, tell scary stories—the possibilities are endless! Now get out into that drive-thru and get your first pumpkin spice drink of the season!