How we are spending our time at home due to Covid-19

Who has ever thought that when the virus was announced in January that it would turn into a world wide catastrophe. It is sad what the world is going through and how everyone’s life turned upside down and how businesses are not running smoothly but the planet is healing.

Tim and I are considered lucky and blessed that we are working from home, we have a home to keep us safe and a job to cover our expenses. Although I had a pay cut, I still consider it a blessing. I pray for each and every individual who is going through a difficult time during this crisis and I hope this will end soon.

Tim and I have been keeping ourselves busy and making sure we always have something to do. One of the pros of staying at home and being quarantined is that people get extremely bored and discover their hobbies and creativity. The amount of TikToks and videos that are going viral to entertain everyone in the globe is just wonderful.

We haven’t been doing anything crazy or anything extra ordinary but I would like to share with you, how we keep ourselves occupied all the time.

So here goes…

Weekdays from 8 AM – 5 PM: We have our breakfast and start working. During working hours, we put on music we never heard before or sometimes in my case, I listen to podcasts while working. Sometimes I do laundry, organise few things and cook lunch.

After 5 PM, we exercise a little then have dinner while watching Netflix. We also read books and take care of stray cats. We turned our porch and our back garden into a feeding station so cats can eat and we also place water for cats and birds to drink.

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On weekends, Tim gets to sleep a lot. He usually wakes up at 11 AM – 1 PM. I’m a morning person so I’m awake by 7 AM and make breakfast and read a book and by 10ish AM, I watch one episode of any series that I know Tim might not find interesting. When Tim wakes up, we prepare lunch then we either read, watch old movies or paint.

In the evening, we have crackers and cheese and sit and discuss things while having tea. We also arrange Zoom Meetings with our friends to catch up. We always end up talking about the pandemic. I try to avoid the topic but people keep bringing it up. When friends or families send me a whatsapp message about it, I ignore and not reply. I believe in energy and if it is constantly being brought up, you attract the negative energy on yourself and the universe. I believe in praying or asking the universe for good health and to decrease the illness and make the world a better place.

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Keeping our home cozy
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worked on my scrapbook 

Anyway this is what we have been doing at home and as soon as I finish reading 2 books, I will sign up for a Master Class and also an online language course to learn new things.

Let me know what you do and share how you spend your time at home.

Stay Home & Stay Safe

Favourite British Words

This is a random post I’d like to share with you. I wrote a blog post about  ‘15 Things To Know About Being with An Englishman’  and I mentioned “They say things differently and it’s a good thing because it expands your vocabulary” which is so true so I would like to share some British words that are my favourite.

Peckish: Slightly hungry.

HUNGRY

 

 

 

 

 

Bloke:  Referring to a man.

Bloke

Fit: Attractive or Hot so not necessary hitting the gym.

FIT

Knackered: Tired

knackered

Quid: 1 pound. As in ONE GREAT BRITISH POUND.

quid

Nutter: Crazy Person

Crazy Person

Here are some of favourite British words. I will share more words some other time.

CHEERIO

 

Bellion Travels Monthly Recap: March 2020

Here we are entering Q2 of 2020. Time is insanely fast and with this virus that is all over the world. Everything is just INSANE. We’ve been staying at home for 2 weeks now and although we are working from home, I find plenty of time to focus on organising things, learning to cook, I found time to paint and read a book and just working on myself.

I will blog separately about things I have been doing at home but anyway here is a recap of March 2020.

Destinations I’ve visited

  • United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah

Highlights of the month

  • Being quarantined
  • Seriousness of Covid-19 in the UAE and the WORLD
  • Visited my family and friends before this chaos.
  • Staying at home and discovering creativity lol.
  • We booked tickets for an orchestra that would have happened on 31st March 2020 but it got cancelled and the event coordinators will refund the amount.

What I watched?

Series:

Narcos – Season 2 (MEXICO):

Elite – Season 3:

The Chef Show – Volume 3:

Movies:

The Platform:

Spenser Confidential:

What music did I listen to?

 

What I read this month?

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What did I blog about?

 

This was a summary of what happened in the month of March and hopefully things will get better.

Stay at Home and Stay Safe x

Bellion Travels Monthly Recap: February 2020

Yeah! So much for promising more content and all. I know, I haven’t been writing or posting anything. Although, I do have 7 drafted blog posts about Ethiopia and places we visited in U.A.E.

Sorry readers, I haven’t been keeping my promises. My colleagues resigned, some went on leave and others are planning to take leave so everything was being handed over to me. I have a lot of work and that is not an excuse, I know. So I wrote a schedule and will religiously follow it to implement time management. To be able to read more, to blog and edit photos. To be able to work efficiently and head to the gym. I’m definitely working on it.

If you are wondering, NO! I’m not quarantined. I have been asked to work from the office.

Anyway enough with negativity, here is a quick update of what happened in February.

Destinations I’ve visited

  • United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai

Highlights of the month

  • Attended a Filipino Indian Wedding.
  • Went to Hatta
  • Visited the Mangrove Walk, Emirates Bio Farm and Al Ain Oasis.

I will definitely blog about those places.

What I watched?

Series:

Queen of the South

Next in Fashion

Love is Blind

Movies:

To All The Boys I Loved Before

 

To All The Boys 2: P.S I Still Love You

What music did I listen to?

 

 

What I read this month?

I’m currently reading 5 books and almost done with 3 of them.

Follow me on GoodReads.

What did I blog about?

So here is my February 2020 Recap 🙂

Bellion Travels Monthly Recap: January 2020

I can’t believe we are in February already. Time really does fly and I have to admit, I haven’t been using my time well.

Work is killing me, I have been finding it difficult lately to switch off work mode and enjoy my evenings. I also feel like weekends are not enough time to relax and take my mind off of work.

I just need to relax and I still can’t apply for annual leave. Also, they are terminating people left, right and centre and my emotions are just EVERYWHERE. In addition to that, I barely see Tim, he is constantly working and I don’t spend enough time with him. So to whoever is reading my blog, I’m sorry I haven’t contacted you but I really need to clear my mind.

Tim and I are not travelling anytime soon, I’m extremely broke and need to focus on finances. I over spent in December and need to start saving. Hence, our outings have decreased and I’ve been spending most of the time at home.

In March, I will start putting a lot of effort and energy to get content and will share it on the blog.

Anyway, enough with my complains, here is a quick recap of what happened in my January.

Destinations I’ve visited

  • United Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

Highlights of the month

  • Experienced Theatre by Rhodes and watched Dr. Dolittle
  • Visited Sharjah to catch up with family.
  • Visited Global Village.

What I watched?

Series:

Movies:

What music did I listen to?

What I read this month?

I’m currently reading 5 books and almost done with 3 of them.

Follow me on GoodReads.

What did I blog about?

I will do my best with better content and use my time efficiently. I wrote down a lot of plans and it is time to implement them. 🙂

Happy New Year 2020

OMG! I can’t believe it’s already 2020. This is insane!!!!!!

Happy New Year Guys

2019 had it’s ups and downs. The down part was that some of my family and friends moved abroad and left the U.A.E for good. Other than that, Tim and I had a wonderful year together. We managed to travel to Philippines, Beirut, Taiwan, Indonesia and Ethiopia.

Here are the 2019 recaps:-

One of the highlights of 2019 is that I started a new job in Abu Dhabi. It isn’t my dream job and it isn’t my favourite but it does pay the bills.

I am no ‘New Years Resolution’ type of girl because it never works but I did write a few things in my journal that I would like to focus on.

Here is my “New Years Resolution” list and I will keep you updated on my blog, Instagram and Twitter.

  • Read more books.
  • Attempt to read books in other languages such as Arabic, Spanish and Tagalog.
  • Save money. (laughing inside)
  • Work hard to get closer to achieving the bigger goals.
  • Sign up for a writing class.
  • Blog more.

So far this is what I would like to achieve or “try” to achieve hehe! Actually there are few events happening in 2020 which I’m looking forward to.

  1. Expo 2020
  2. Our condo handover.
  3. Whatever comes in the way. 🙂

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Anyway I would like to wish you a wonderful 2020 and may it be a prosper year for you all. 

 

 

December 2019 Recap

Honestly, I haven’t blogged at all. I decided not to be active on social media but I couldn’t resist Instagram lol. I wrote a few drafts of our trip in Ethiopia but other than that I really did not work hard.

I have a love hate relationship with the month of December. I love it because it has UAE National Day (Public Holiday), My Birthday, Brothers Birthday, Friends Birthdays, My Dads  Birthday, Christmas and New Years but then I hate December for the same reasons.

So here is a quick recap of what happened in December.

Destinations I’ve visited

  • Ethiopia
  • United Arab Emirates

Highlights of the month

  • I accidentally ate bees in Ethiopia.
  • I had a quiet birthday at home. I turned 31.
  • Celebrated my brothers birthday in Ras Al Khaimah. We visited the Ghost Village and Jebel El Jeis.
  • Celebrated my dads birthday at Din Tai Fung.
  • Lulu got me a F.R.I.E.N.D.S Birthday cake.
  • Had a Christmas meal with Lulu and Alan.
  • Had a late Christmas meal with Tim’s friends.
  • Celebrated New Years Eve at our place then Al Bandar to watch Yas Island Fireworks.

What I watched?

Series:

Made sure it was something Christmasy

Movies:

 

 

What music did I listen to?

 

What I read this month?

Does the newspaper count? hehe

I’m trying to finish the books that I have started.

What did I blog about?

 

November 2019 Recap

It was an eventful month. We attended a lot of events and also took the opportunity to travel to Ethiopia for 5 days which I have a lot to blog about.

So here is a quick recap of what happened in November.

Destinations I’ve visited

  • UAE
  • Ethiopia

Highlights of the month

  • We went to Ferrari World
  • Attended Abu Dhabi Art Fair
  • Attended Taste of Abu Dhabi
  • Travelled to Ethiopia during the National Day Holiday

What I watched?

Series:

Movies:

What music did I listen to?

 

What I read this month?

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What did I blog about?

 

October 2019 Recap

Lots of events happened in Abu Dhabi in the month of October and honestly, it was a blast. A good start for Q4, can’t believe we are approaching end of the year.

It’s insane and my 31st Birthday is exactly in a month. Anyway here is a quick recap of what we’ve done last month.

Destinations I’ve visited

UAE

Highlights of the month

  • Attended Movies Under the Stars (Yas Movie)

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  • Went to Eminem’s concert.

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What I watched?

Netflix Specials and Series:

Peaky Blinders:

Elite:

Between Two Ferns- The Movie:

The Laundromat:

Movies I watched at the Theatre:

Joker:

What music did I listen to?

What did I blog about?

 

 

ABU DHABI – EMINEM Return Concert

Yup! Eminem performed in Abu Dhabi AGAIN!!!!! This was my first Eminem concert and we had an awesome time. The show was phenomenal and we really had a great time.

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However, the organisers did a horrible job. First, they locked the main gate to get to the concert which delayed the event. It was a 40 minute walk from the car to the concert. Afterwards, there was a long long long long……line which apparently did not lead to the entry gate. This situation delayed the concert and honestly, I do not want to talk much about it but like the say, the picture is worth a thousand words.

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Other than that, EMINEM was AMAZING and we had a blast and we still can’t recover from the concert. It really was GREAT.