Virtual pub ‘U Novák?’
Amidst all this coronavirus situation, yesterday I went to the pub with my friends. We drank some beers, discussed the latest gossip and generally had a good time. However, we did not want to violate any lockdowns, infect anyone, or get infected ourselves, so we met online. Each grabbed his own drink and we spent a good two hours in what we called a “virtual pub ‘U Novák?’ (At Novaks)”.
No one felt asleep on a night tram or bus on a way back home, no one got sick in his Uber or Lyft. There were no inflated bills, no stolen phones or lost wallets. Our wives and girlfriends had us in their lines of sight all night. And this is not to mention the time that we would have spent getting to and out of the “real-life” pub.
With two of us living in Brussel, Belgium and Split, Croatia and the other two in Prague, Czech Republic, our virtual pub was our first get-together in months. Social distancing might have its bright sides too. In the recent weeks, I can see more people using messengers and online conferencing to interact. Lots of people (especially older ones) are finally learning how to use all these digital communication tools. They would have never bothered to do so otherwise.
The vaccine against COVID-19 is already being developed and will appear sooner or later but some social habits induced by the pandemic are likely to stay. Perhaps, the coronavirus is going to be the last thing needed to make us all realize that virtual interactions can be as valuable and enriching as those conducted in person. Education, banking and finance, gastronomy, or even entertainment industry might be the first to embrace this. Some rock bands and music stars concerned about the global warming and climate change have long suggested streaming their concerts to fans instead of taking transcontinental flights to perform in person on stage (aviation produces about 5% of worldwide CO2 emissions).
Restaurant, pubs and cafes will surely suffer from the coronavirus pandemic. But they will not go bankrupt if they learn how to adapt. People will not stop eating or drinking when in quarantine (as the story of our virtual pub demonstrates). Food and drinks deliveries are going to flourish if the gastronomy sector finally goes fully online.