2020-21 Covid Chronicles | Post-2020 Reflection | MAR 2020 (Lockdown Birthdays)

 Lockdown Birthdays

I turned 29 during lockdown.

It's not a significant age, but to 'stay at home' was not what I imagined I would be doing on a Friday.

As we all settled into lockdown, no one was sure about anything. In the chaos, I was relieved. I was waking up at 7:30 am to post work for students and was back to sleep by 8 am. My timetable was according to me and I was not working for my birthday.

When my birthday rolled around, I ordered as much food on Uber Eats and watched The Little Mermaid to make the best of the situation.

It was the best, but loneliest birthdays I had ever experienced in my life.

Next: Two Weeks They Said...

2020-21 Covid Chronicles | Post-2020 Reflection | FEB 2020 (Rumours of WWIII)

Remember When We Thought it was World War III?

February was crazy.

Do you remember when we thought we were on the brink of war when North Korea was testing missiles? Almost every 18-35-year-old female was like, "Oh, I'm no longer a feminist because I do not want to be conscripted!" Not to mention the rise of TikTok and the odd flex of showcasing how 'useless' Millenials and Gen Z would be on a battlefield. It was simultaneously entertaining and concerning.

Yeah, we took WORLD WAR III so lightly that karma hit us with a reality shock in the same month.

Governments were confused. They went from preparing for a possible war across seas to suddenly fight an invisible war in their homelands. Suddenly, it wasn't about taking up arms, it was washing up to our arms more than once a day. Eventually, things started to close down and we were counting down to the inevitable: a worldwide lockdown.

But week in and week out, there I was in a classroom with fewer and fewer students waiting for the announcement. I remember sitting in my classroom and the Headteacher came in to see if I was sticking around through this 'unprecedented time'. So, chronologically speaking, this brings us back to...

Why did I stay? After the depressing two months so far, why didn't I take the opportunity to head home?

Simple: it was easier. Staying meant I didn't have to pack up again. I just got here. 

By the time February hit, my backbone was so thick I couldn't recognise the girl in the mirror. I was different. To this day, I don't who that b*tch was, but I can still feel the numbness that she went through when I remember my early days in the UK. That version of me was a robot. I was so unfeeling that I was in the school building by 7:30 am and left at 3 pm. I came in so early I didn't see anyone until lunchtime. I would talk to people, but I kept mostly to myself. By the time the half-term hit, I was just working to distract myself from the hell I was living.

When the news turned from declaring war against a superpower to declaring war against a super virus, I felt like Robin Williams in The Bicentennial Man: I was becoming human again. Yes, 'the new normal' was emerging, but it was very clear that I was a caterpillar getting ready to build a cocoon. This version of me was about to disappear alongside normality.

As the news flooded facts about Covid-19, conversations in the classroom changed from content to our context. From a teaching perspective, I was fortunate to be in a school that was technologically advanced that online learning would be simpler than other schools. Regardless...it was about the when not if.

It was through all this talk that I saw some humanity from the very people I feared. Suddenly, a global pandemic saw the stifling system breakdown to remind everyone that we teach people not content. But the delay on schools closing down was very slow. It was so slow, we still held a parent-teacher evening before there was an official announcement. It was three painful weeks before we closed down. I remember ending the last Friday with five students sitting in my classroom and watching a movie. There was nothing else to do. 

Regardless, the announcement came and my cocoon came in a form of my blanket and the best sleep I had in weeks.

Little did we know, it was just the beginning.

Next: Lockdown Birthdays 

NEW SERIES (NB: Non-travel Related Content) | 2020-21 sL Covid Chronicles | JAN 2020 (Intro)

Do You Remember "1st January 2020"?

That date seems so far ago. 

You might be wondering why I'm posting this reflection 19-ish months late. Well, the simple answer is that I was depressed.

I had just moved to the UK in December 2019 and was learning the ropes in a new country. The first week was a rollercoaster: I got a job three days after landing in the country but found out renting a place was a lot harder than I expected. Essentially, I had work, but I was 'homeless'. My sister and I were sharing a room - emphasis on 'a single room' - in an Airbnb, trying to navigate the rental world without proof of having any 'previous tenancy'. To be fair, the slump was only two weeks - and we were in Hackney - but it was one of the longest two weeks in my life...well, until the real the sh*t show came around the corner.

Fast forward to a week before Christmas where we moved into our amazing little flat in West London. My sister and I were excited for the new year - heck, a new decade! We were gearing up for our first duo Christmas tradition: matching Christmas PJs from Primark, hot chocolate with whipped cream, and a real Christmas Tree!!! Things were looking up. We celebrated the end of the year with a typical British high-tea, courtesy of my sister's former colleagues, and a walk through the famous Hyde Park. It was freezing, but we were loving the new prospects of our new home. As the New Year dawned on us, we were super excited.

So why was I depressed?

Simple, I was homesick.

More specifically, I was routine-sick. I love my mum and dad, but I was video calling them so often it was like I never left Sydney. No. I wasn't home-homesick, I was work-homesick and friend-homesick. The school I was working at was SUPER strict and unloving that I almost quit one week into the Spring Term. I didn't hate the students, I hated the system. I felt like I was being watched 24-7 and I was going to lose my job at any time. I was also really confused with church life. I felt like people saw me, but I wasn't seen. They heard me, but in reality, no one was actually listening. Needless to say, 2020 did not start well for me. professionally and socially. I was ready to pack my bags and head home ASAP.

I missed the friends I grew up with, studied with, and worked with; I missed being familiar to, well, anyone. I felt invisible.

So, why did I stay?

Next: FEB 2020 - Rumours of Wars

MERRY CHRISTMAS | 2020 Poem | Upcoming NEW SERIES: 2020-21 sL Covid Chronicles

The Little Potted Christmas Tree

She was a small tree, cute to see.

She was a unique tree, one of three.

She was covered in faux snow, this tree.

"She's outside the florist's window," she told me.

We walked past the florist; one, two, three.

"We need to get that tree," she said to me.

We walked towards the florist, "Come and see."

We stood and scanned the tree, "I agree."

We had no free hands to carry the tree, 

"Let's come back later," said me.

Later came and went; we kept looking at the tree.

"We need to buy the tree," said she to me.

Rushing, always rushing, when our time was free;

All the while postponing the time to buy the tree.

"I will take these things home with me,

If you can, could you please get the tree?"

"No promises," said me.

I walked and walked, thinking of the tree;

When I was almost near the florist with the tree,

I looked at my hands, then I looked at the tree.

"Oh, what the heck! I'll take it home with me!"

Shopping in one hand and the other held our tree.

The look on my sister's face was filled with pure glee.

"Oh! You got the Christmas tree!"

Only small LED lights were wrapped around the tree.

"I cannot do this, can you please help me?"

So, I untangled the lights operated by battery,

"Ok, leave it up to me."

She stood on a small table between my sister and me.

She stood bright and proud, our little tree.

"And this," said she, "This!

"This is Christmas to me."

- strictlyLeisure (AK)

~ Based on my first Christmas in London ~

BLARNEY CASTLE & GARDENS | IE | Ireland Series Finale

Blarney Castle is home to the famous Blarney Stone that is said to hold magical powers to give traveller a gift: The Gift of the Gab. Legend has it that those who kiss this magical stone will be able to talk anyone's ear off.

Now, you don't have to kiss that stone if you don't want to - and note, you're upside down if you do choose to kiss the stone - but getting in line to kiss the stone is the fastest route through the castle. If stairs are not your thing, don't stress, the Castle's internal courtyard is still a great view point of the magnitude of the castle.

Outside has not one, not two, but twelve different types of gardens that surround the castle. All unique in their own way, the gardens offer both historical information as well as excellent natural scenery. Although I am not a green thumb, I do enjoy a great garden. We saw many castles throughout the tour, Blarney stands out due to it's legendary stone and its beautiful gardens. 

Go see it!

sL xxx

CLIFFS OF MOHER | IE | Ireland Series

Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way is a west-coast trail that stretches from Ireland's north to south. Ireland's best costal views and mountain ranges dazzle along this tourism trail. We started from Donegal's beautiful peninsula and costal town to the iconic Cliffs of Moher then towards Skellig Michael, best known as a Star Wars location.

But I want to focus on the famous cliffs.

The Cliffs of Moher are breath taking and their view of the Atlantic Ocean is just as stunning. I know my photo does not do the site any favours, but it's clear that even on a day that's slightly overcast, these cliffs are still majestic and enigmatic. Standing close to the edge gets your heart racing and the wind reminds you to stay within the fenced areas. Nevertheless, the cliff's edge is one you need to have a selfie on and "with," hahaha! (Disclaimer: If you visit and it's a very windy day, do not be brave, your life is more valuable than your IG story or post.)

The Wild Atlantic Way is another wonder on its own, but you must stop at the Cliffs of Moher. They are a must on any Irish Tours.

Until next time,

sL xxx

INIS MÓR | IE | Ireland Series

Inis Mór, aka. Inishmore, is the largest of the Aran Islands. To get to the Aran Islands you need to catch a ferry from a port just outside of Galway. Inis Mór features beautiful farmlands that retain their ancient stonewalls and house many grazing farm animals. Some locals speak Gaeilic (Irish), but most people closer to the port are friendly and will help if you have any inquiries.

Everyone who visits needs to either hire some bicycles and cycle through the island to see the incredible sites where acres of green meet skies of blue. If physical exercise in not your thing, then there are bus tours that will take you through the entire island. There's also a local Tesco and pub just a few minutes from the port if you want some snacks or a feed before or after your tour.

I highly recommend cycling through the island; let the wind blow through your hair and immerse yourself in the calendar-like scenery. I also recommend having a great picnic with a charcuterie platter! Either way, it's a great break from city walls.

If you're ever in Galway, and if the whether permits it, take a ferry to Inis Mór and spend the day there, a day is really all you need.

Until next time,

sL xxx