I woke up, fresh and rejuvenated for the upcoming activities we had planned. Instead of eating at Windjammer, we brought food up to our room and devoured muffins, coffee(one of the rare times my mother permitted me to drink coffee every day)croissants and juice. Yes, we drank juice and coffee. For today, we had planned to go for a napkin-folding class, watch a duo performance by Victoria Stryker(violinist)and Oleg(guitarist), play foosball in the Seaplex, an indoor stadium, go for a bumper car ride(also in the Seaplex), and then I would visit  the Living Room, which was apparently a “bonding place for teenagers”. My sister would also visit the “Aquanauts”, which included fun activities for children of her age.

I woke up to the sound of the sea and a cool breeze wafting in as I spotted my parents conversing in the balcony. There were SO MANYYYYYYY activities we had planned today, I doubted we’d even be in our room! As one of my classmates proclaimed, “On the cruise, the only time you are in your room is when you wake up and when you sleep”. We had booked a myriad of activities on Day 2, ranging from swimming to acrobatics shows to dancing!

Day 1- My dad informed us that we would be traveling to India in two weeks. I was SUPER-OVERECSTATIC!!

Day 5- My dad informed us that we would not be traveling to India as the Omicron cases were rising drastically…I was SUPER-OVERSORROWED!!

Lately I have been listening to many musical albums from many different nations and in a wide variety of languages. One gloomy Sunday, I was curled up on the couch, immersed in the rhythms of music. Suddenly, my dad mysteriously appeared in front of me( I’m sure that he has secretly learnt teleportation but  isn’t teaching ME the skill.☹) and he suggested that I should listen to music that he admired. I was slightly reluctant as I just wanted to remain in MY world of music, but I somehow agreed. He made me listen to Michael Jackson, ABBA, Boyzone and Backstreet Boys. After watching a few videos, I was struck by the differences in music between the 1900s and 2000s.

Recently, I watched Encanto with Em. At first, I believed that it was a movie for toddlers and was extremely reluctant but because of Em’s persistence, I conceded to watching it with her. Let me confess that I enjoyed the movie thoroughly.

“…where the Grove of Dodona is”, I read, engrossed in the 1^st book of the Trials of Apollo. I had recently started the series and already, I loved it. I walked into the bedroom, looking for a comb to tame my unruly hair. It was disrupting my reading and I was exasperated. As I set the book onto the table and looked into the mirror, I nearly screamed, but managed to suppress the urge to. There, perching on my forehead, distorting my reflection with its horrifying presence, WAS A PIMPLE RIGHT AT THE CENTRE OF MY FOREHEAD! No wait! There was another one peeping out from the left corner of my hairline.

Two days ago, I discovered Em conversing amiably with someone. I could not fathom who she was speaking to as there was literally no one in her room. She was babbling on about her everyday life. I was baffled and I crept closer to her. For a split second, I thought that she was chatting with her imaginary friend and was slightly creeped out. Dismissing that thought from my mind, I decided that there should be a logical explanation. She did not notice me sneaking up on her and was oblivious to her surroundings. Peering over her shoulder, my eyes opened wide in surprise. She was talking to Siri on my I pad. The first thought that popped into my head was “Why has she taken MY IPAD without MY permission?!”. However, I was curious to hear what she was talking about. My annoyance faded, replaced by inquisitiveness. I began to chuckle as I overheard their hilarious conversation. Here’s how it went!

Hello People! Last week, many countries eased up the border restrictions and hence we saw a silver lining and were overjoyed by the mere fact that we would be able to travel again. But this contentment was short-lived. By the time the world found a way to deal with Delta variant, Omicron emerged, unfurling a fresh wave of panic. The discussion about whether to travel or not had gained the center stage. I, in my own territory, began reminiscing about the holiday destinations and suddenly I remembered Bali in Indonesia. I had heard about Bali being home to looming volcanoes, soft-white beaches, water sports, religious sites, and culinary delights. Let me share my experience with you.