How do you know if a mood swing is just a mood swing or something more than that? This week was not a great one, because mood swings.
I got almost nothing done nor did I want to. I just wanted to curl up binging on Netflix or sleep. And when I did actually pushed myself to do something, I found it real hard to focus and then I gave up.
I was just chalking it up to “a phase” but then a friend asked me to note down my mood swings and if it was becoming a pattern of some kind, because there has been a quite a few of them in the recent weeks. (Yes, I have some smart friends!)
So I have started to track my mood every day in my calendar since then. Fingers crossed, I will update you guys soon on how that goes. Anyway guys, mental health matters!
This was not a great reading week either, as I mentioned already. But on Tuesday I decided to do nothing but read.
I picked out Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index by Julie Israel, because it was on my mobile and I didn’t have to move from my bed.
I really liked this one and I think it will be a great book for someone who is grieving over the loss of their beloved ones. It was deeper than the YA book it appears to be. I will try to get a review out soon.
I have started reading Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson, a non fiction about understanding people and trying to interact with others better. I am enjoying it as of now, fingers cross.
What I watched this week
I finished watching the Korean drama series “Romance is a bonus book.
I loved that it is set in a publishing house, the male lead is a writer/author and almost every character loved books and reading.
I also started watching Chilling adventures of Sabrina Season 4. And I am on the fence about it. I liked it but it seemed like an anthology. I love (some of) the characters so much that I could overlook most of the cons. Sadly, another good series that ends in 2021!
On my blog
In case you missed the posts from my blog, last week.
Happy Valentine’s day to everyone! I hope everyone (with or without a partner, currently) has a fabulous day. As I was telling someone else, today would be a great day to give yourself a treat and do all the self love that you deserve.
I am glad to announce that I finally got my second dosage of COVID vaccination earlier this week. And the second dosage administration was more streamlined than the first and we were out of the vaccination centre within 10 minutes.
Last week I spent a lot of time trying to choose what to read but at the end I didn’t read much.
But I did finish a book from one of my favorite authors, Gillian Flynn – finally.
Sharp Objects has been sleeping on my bookshelves forever and I am glad I picked at least now. AND I LIKED IT. I will have to post a review pretty soon.
What I watched this week
I am so glad decided to give another chance to Parks and Recreation. And am at the end of the season 2 and I am finally getting into it.
I also started watching the popular K drama “Romance is a bonus book”, and so far it is quite interesting.
On my blog
In case you missed the posts from my blog, last week.
Yesterday was my last day with my volunteering at Emirates Literature Festival 2021, here in Dubai. As expected we had a many virtual sessions with authors like Malala Yousafzai, Elif Shafak, Thomas Eriksson and Oyinkan Braithwaite and some in person sessions with authors who were able to come down.
Despite all these, it was just not the same because of the less crowd and all the other necessary protocols. The volunteers and the team underwent the PCR test before the event and we all maintained strict social distance.
I am kinda missing it already, even though I am really tired and my voice is coarse because I talked to so many people.
Quick January’21 updates
I am very disappointed to say January 2021 didn’t miraculously make all the problems of 2020 disappear. COVID is pretty much widely spread, the travel bans and social distancing are still there. There are bad presidents and worse politicians even after the new year’s eve.
Anyway what else happened to me personally during the month? Let me give you some of the highlights.
After some really good months, the Covid cases in the UAE has been increasing. But with the excellent mass vaccination programmes around, I am desperately hoping there will be a fall soon.
We had some foggy, winter mornings for exactly 5 days and then I guess we were done with the winter. But the weather is kinda good and pretty.
A pretty good reading and viewing month. More about that follows in a bit.
What I read this month
I read 5 books last month and I am happy that I liked all of them. Yay me!
I am on my 3rd (almost) rewatch of my favorite series House MD on Prime. But this is the first time that I am watching it in order, as a complete series. Needless to say I am loving it. Have you watched it?
I also watched the Idris Elba starring UK crime drama series Luther, which I really enjoyed. It had a Sherlock vibe, without witty dialogues.
Over the last week, the number of COVID cases have shot through the roof at the UAE – about 5000 cases each day. Have been hearing that it maybe because the Government had not stopped the incoming flights, especially the ones from the UK as soon as their cases went up.
Anyway, the UAE is encouraging people to take the vaccinations innovatively. Some restaurants are offering discounts if we have fully vaccinated. But as of now, we are back to the dire situation and we may have to get into the second phase of the lockdown. Fingers crossed.
Despite these, I am so excited for the coming week and especially for the weekend. I will be volunteering at the Emirates Lit Fest 2021 over the coming and the next weekend.
I have to take the COVID tests over the week as a part of it. I will get my final course of vaccination during the week starting the 7th, so maybe I will get to skip the second round of tests for the Litfest.
What I read this week
Last week was another good reading week. I finished two books and I enjoyed both of them immensely.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
I am in the mood of reading some non fiction over the week. What are your suggestions?
What I watched this week
I am back to watching my guilty pleasure House MD, on Prime. I have watched most of the House MD over the years, but I am re-watching the episodes and currently on season 2.
Also I have started watching BBC’s Luther, a British cop thriller starring Idris Alba.
From the Insta-world
Here is what I posted on Instagram during the week. Give me a follow, will you?
I am glad to say I got my first dose of COVID Vaccination done this week and I have not been feeling any different since then. I was warned of some headache or other flu vaccine kinda symptoms, but fortunately I didn’t have any of those either.
My second dosage would on second week of February (21 to 28 days from the first one) and I can’t wait to have that one too.
It is disheartening to hear that people, even my own friends, are hesitant to have the vaccine even when they are free here in UAE. Apparently, they want to wait for more information and time “because these vaccines came too early”. Obviously they came early, because the scientists are busting their asses to get it done for us. Sigh.
As much as I want to not comment about it, it is getting really hard not to.
This week was fairly good to me in terms of reading, though that did stop me from doing other things on my list.
I finished
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Duke and I, The (Bridgertons, #1) by Julia Quinn
And I am currently reading Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple, which has been on my TBR for a long time. As I promised to myself earlier this year, I would focus on clearing my TBR shelf rather than adding more to it, so that is what I am doing for now.
What I watched this week
Last week I watched Wonder woman 1984. Despite a few glaring plot holes, I actually enjoyed watching Wonder woman and Gal Gadot. Yay for more female filmmakers and superheroes.
Paranoid on Netflix was another series that I watched this week and it was meh at the best. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
What are you guys watching this week?
On my blog
In case you missed the posts from my blog, last week.
What do you think? Would you be getting your vaccines as they are available to you or what is your logic? When do you suppose you will get your COVID vaccines? Let us talk.
