Home sweet home.

It is in moments like this, right now, that those words seem most appropriate. At this moment, I sit wrapped in the warmth of my home, with the lamps on and all other lights off. I am sat in my conservatory with no other living soul near me. Everyone’s tucked into their beds- probably on their phones (what else do you expect in this digital era?) – whilst I sit comfortably reporting on my experience of the past two weeks.

What a great two weeks it has been. A hint of stress, a pinch of hunger and a bag-load of tiredness sums it up quite accurately. The stress would be a result of my aforementioned English NEA. This stress wasn’t even necessary; I just wanted to ensure that my essays were completed in sufficient time before their due date. Consequently, once I was done, a few days prior to the deadline, I ultimately felt foolish about the stress I had placed upon myself. The hunger inevitably comes down to fasting and tiredness is just an underlying issue that many humans, unfortunately, possess.

Contrastingly, I have also had some fantastic days in the last fortnight, such as my mum’s birthday. It was an exhausting yet rewarding day. My sister and I planned a whole three-course meal the night before and had ordered these beautiful flowers (the ones in the picture of my cosy, little learning nook) in a personalised vase (It may not seem like a lot but she insisted that was all she wanted, provided that we cleaned the house top to bottom and didn’t make her lift a finger).  The day went off to a brilliant start; the house was spotless (compliments to myself) and my siblings and I behaved like angels, but then came the catastrophe. In short, there was an electric trip due to a certain someone (my sister) catching fire to the wire of a kitchen appliance, some very undercooked potatoes and the exquisite, yet possibly the reason for our sickness the next morning, baklavas. Despite all of that, however, my Mum was happy; she appreciated the thought and gesture and If I recall correctly, she affirmed that “[It was] one of the best birthdays [she had] ever had”. A definite, much-needed win for the Hanif siblings.

Other than that, schoolwork has kept me occupied and each passing day seems identical to the last. Yet I have more to look forward to in the coming weeks, such as Eid, and you never know what changes will be imposed on the nation as we gradually exit lockdown, so all we can do is wish for the best.

I wish you all the best in these uncertain times.

Mahreen