Recently, for Spring Break, I got to go to Oman, in the Middle East. It was a pretty cool trip and I got to experience and see a lot of things that I’m glad I had a chance to!
There was a lot of nature around us, from the Gulf of Oman to the desert. All of it was absolutely gorgeous and amazing to see.
Additionally, we visited many popular and beautiful areas like the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and the Royal Opera House. They were both awe-inspiring!
Lastly, we saw a lot of animals! Overall, there were many cats roaming the streets, especially in the souq. When driving to the desert, we saw many camels, including one that crossed right in front of our car. And lastly, we went on a boat ride to see dolphins and ended up seeing SO many. It was so wonderful!
Overall, I really enjoyed this trip and getting to see so many amazing sights. What’s a great vacation you’ve been on?
Here are 22 things I’m looking forward to in this new year!
The School For Good and Evil movie This is a movie that is going to be coming to Netflix based on the popular School for Good and Evil book series. I’m really excited to watch it!
Traveling more
Trying a new theme on my Instagram
Performing more Bharatanatyam
Learning more Mohiniattam items
Attending more book events
Improving my writing skills
Attending my school’s dance event
Expanding my Ninja Foodi cooking skills
Discovering new authors
(Hopefully) being a leader in 8th grade In our school, leaders lead lessons in homeroom 2 times a week. I’ve heard that leadership class and leadership camp (which you take to become a leader) is really fun.
Creating a project in my MUN class with my friends
2020 has been a strange year, but here are some of the things that happened.
1. Starting the year with family:
I love spending time with my grandparents. I’m glad I got to do it in the beginning of this year, even if I couldn’t make my annual summer trip to India ðŸ˜. I also got to spend some time with my uncle and aunt, before they moved countries.
2. Ending my elementary years and staring my middle school ones:
I finished 5th grade (virtually) and started middle school and the school of my choice (also virtually)! Virtual school is less than ideal, but I’ve learned to adjust. You can read about my experiences here.
3. ARCADIS Science Fair:
I participated in the ARCADIS science fair and did a project on supercooling and snapfreezing water. I learnt a lot and was really surprised when I won!
4. Mini Getaways:
Since we couldn’t travel a lot, I relied on a few small breaks to get away . My favorite one was definitely my birthday weekend getaway with a few of my friends and family. I also liked the Corpus Christi, Driftwood, and Pensacola Beach breaks.
5. Dance:
I spent a lot of time focusing on dance during these COVID times. I’ve taken place in a Bharatanatyam dance exam (for both theory and practical) and started learning a new Indian classical dance form, Mohiniattam. I performed a few solo items and recorded them. I’ve also began to learn Carnatic music to support my skills.
In Western dance, I was able to get one last performance on February in my elementary school dance company and I’m in my new school’s Drill Team. It’s less than ideal, but I’m hoping to be able to go back to performing soon.
6. Life Skills:
2020 has been a year where I learnt and tried so many new things.
I learned to crochet, and did a few art projects including tie-dye projects and wreaths for our door.
I cooked and baked (I even made my first layered cake!) and got comfortable in the kitchen. Some of the treats I made include mint chutney bread, cranberry cookies, brownies, and more. I also learned to make rice and keera kootu.
I’ve learned a lot of handy household chores like doing the laundry and handwashing clothes as well as ironing and sweeping.
7. Improved Technology Skills:
I started to use Instagram and I wrote on my blog more. I got better at using Google Drive, Docs, and Slides. I’ve learnt about different features on computers and got better at navigating through the digital world.
8. Writing:
I wrote 2 stories (which I’m going to edit this year) and a few short stories for my blog.
9. Reading:
I’ve read a ton this year and made friends with a few bookstagrammers. On my instagram, I took part in two challenges, the #mgbookmarch challenge in March and the #mgbooktober challenge in October. I’ve also started new series, and began to read a higher level of mglit!
(If you’re not following me yet, you totally should)
During the quarantine, I am spending a lot more time with my family. Board games are really fun to play (even if some of them are a bit long). They bring my family together and we can spend a lot of time laughing over these games. These are some of my favorite fun driven games. I do play some strategy board games like Photosynthesis and 7 Wonders, though.
Telestrations:
This is a drawing/writing version of the classic game, Telephone. This game relies on your artistic ability and your interpretive ability (don’t worry, the worse you draw, the funnier it is). Keep passing your board until you end up with yours. My family’s favorite part about this game was when we shared how our first word had evolved into something totally different. I was always in fits of laughter during this game and I definitely recommend it.
Double Ditto:
This game is perfect for all ages. Try to choose the same answers as your opponents and score a “double ditto”! Before the time is up, you should have written 2 answers for a topic which you think everyone else would write. My family’s favorite part about this game is when we compare the answers and see how alike we thought.
Imagine:
This game challenges how you describe a job, an object, a movie, and many more. With the transparent cards that are included, you get to act out something that you choose. My family’s favorite part was when we tried very hard to get it but to no avail.
Sushi Go!:
This game is very fun and easy. You’ll start collecting cards and trying to score the most points quickly. This game has 3 rounds and is very enjoyable. My family’s favorite part about this game is when we compare and hand out the points accordingly. Another fun thing about the game is the types of food. There are nigiris, puddings, sashimis and so much more!
These are some of my favorite games to play. What are yours?
When I went on my vacation to Langkawi, I was pretty surprised that our hotel was in the midst of a forest. The landscape there was very pretty and the animals galore.We saw so many trees and the water on the beach was very clear. The hotel atmosphere was very calming and the staff was very nice. We took some tours that let us see some of the best and most interesting creatures. One of my favorite parts of the trip was spotting a colugo and the other was ziplining.
I had been wanting to zipline for a long time but I was quite nervous. At Umgawa, I didn’t have to worry. The instructors there were very nice and walked us through the guidelines. We walked for some time and came to our first line. It was a practice line and I was nervous, but ready. When I flew through the air, I leaned back and relaxed. I felt so free flying through the forest.
The scenery was beautiful and I loved every second of it.Nothing could beat seeing the Andaman Sea or a waterfall on your side while flying through the forest. I spotted a whole family of dusky leaf monkeys leaping through the trees. A few of them had babies and they all played with each other. I found this to be a super cute scene. We also saw tons of butterflies flitting around the trees. My favorite animal of the day, though, was the hawk we saw. We saw it two times. Once when we were walking on one of the rope bridges and before we abseiled(went down).
I definitely recommend Umgawa to any family looking for adventures, wildlife(pictures), and tons of fun.
