hi! i’m back from my hiatus. what i got up to while i was gone.

Posted on by ilsa

she protecc, she attacc, but most of all, she bacc!

i’m very happy to be back to blogging! i have so many new ideas for posts, and i’m feeling very positive about this all! i’ve been kinda busy while i was gone? so here’s a recap. (i’m going to try and not talk about books in this post because i want to a do a separate bookish recap soon)

one week break

I had a one week break from school in which i was unproductive and procrastinated by:

  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Baking
  • More twitter
  • More youtube

I’d like to say it’s only because I’m fasting (not eating from sunrise to sunset. 18 hours = no food or water!) that I’m getting zero things done. I obviously have low amounts of energy throughout the day, but honestly? Sitting down to do homework, reading, or studying for exams only requires MENTAL energy. Like, brain power. And I’ve just been slacking in EVERYTHING.

I’ll often read posts about people being “workaholics” and they can’t STOP working and while I’m sure it must feel terrible to feel you must always feel productive, I sometimes wish I WAS a workaholic. At least then I’d get stuff DONE instead of always feeling stressed I haven’t done anything and then procrastinating for as many days as I can.  I am actually the opposite of a workaholic. I just…procrastinate. All the time. I currently have SO many things to do and have I done any of them? NO.

people

okay i knew who jameela jamil was but I’d never actually paid attention to her. Honestly, now knowing about what she does + her I WEIGH campaign, I’m kinda obsessed with her. I genuinely believe the world needs more amazing people like her. She’s an advocate for equality, and for body positivity. I love how articulate she is about issues, and how she leads very nuanced and important discussions.

ramadan + cooking

Okay so the month of Ramadan is nearly over and honestly, this year fasting has been lowkey very hard. I find that I normally eat when I’m bored but I can’t even do that anymore so what am I supposed to do with my life? But I think fasting reminds of how much I snack on foods. I can’t wait to go back to normal eating though!!

Anyways to get me through the last hour of the fast I cook food. Honestly I haven’t done anything WILD. I’ve cooked falafel, a vegetarian dish, and I am in love with it. Everyone in my family seems to like it which feels great! Other than that, I’ve been baking cookies…which haven’t always turned out the best but I’m trying new things all the time. I really like cooking while fasting because I get to be surrounded by food and it passes the time very quickly.

slam poetry

I’m in love with watching spoken word on youtube. The power that slam poetry conveyes in a performance makes me feel so inspired. Some of my recent favourites include perfect, what guys should look for in girls and, explaining my depression to my mother! (pls watch them all. you WILL NOT regret it!!)

exams

In May, I had 2 very important exams which totals to sitting 4 papers. This was my first time taking REAL REAL exams, and I honestly wasn’t THAT stressed out. I felt lots of dread about revision and doing the exams, but all in all I think they went okay? I’m not a perfectionist so I don’t really care if I don’t get the best grades but I hope I did well! Anyways, I get my grades in August so! Here’s to me doing well!

birthday

My birthday is coming up (June 10th) so here’s a shameless plug to my amazon wishlist! it’d honestly mean a lot to me if you got me a book from here but no pressure at the same time! https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2YBOFAVID7RMD?ref_=wl_share

other thoughts

  • I love the colour yellow SO MUCH.
  • I’m creating a private twitter account!
  • I wrote an article about muslim voices rise up about he to be a better muslim ally!
  • Twirling pages followed me on twitter I am DEAD. I have loved her blog + youtube channel for so long and now she followed me? Like lol am i supposed to be okay??
  • This has been on my mind a lot lately but I just realised in other countries, that are not the UK, they don’t learn about religions? Like it’s not part of the curriculum which is WILD. if you don’t know, in the UK we do religious studies where we have to learn about two religions, one of them being Christianity. And I realised…other countries don’t HAVE that. Which is honestly pretty bad? It kinda explains why some people are so ignorant, and spew hate, because they’ve been taught nothing. Anyways, educate yourself people!
  • i’m celebrating eid tomorrow but EID MUBARAK!!!
  • i might have made a new goodreads account. (and i oop)

i think that’s all for this recap! please tell me how you are and what you’ve been up to. love you all so much!

eternally counting down the days until queen of nothing releases,
ilsa

41 thoughts on “hi! i’m back from my hiatus. what i got up to while i was gone.”

  2. Welcome back and Eid Mubarak!
    In my school we learned about different religions every year and had people in from each faith to talk about their beliefs and practices – really educational, although I still feel like I have a lot to learn.
    Looking forward to all of your new blog posts and thank you for the recommendations of slam poetry – I have never watched any before but now I have somewhere to start…

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Fasting for Ramadan sounds hard, in my church we have to go without meat or dairy the month before Easter and that’s hard enough
    Happy Eid!

    Other schools definitely SHOULD have religious studies as a requirement. I’m actually homeschooled, and I TRY to educate myself about other cultures and their history (though you can never educate yourself enough), but I do feel like my knowledge is kind of lacking in regards to other religions? I need to learn more?

    I consider myself a workaholic, but I still procrastinate >_< I just feel awful whenever I procrastinate, and I tend to put my self-worth in what I get done? Which isn't healthy, sometimes we need to take a break! Maybe you just needed a break before you can get back up on your feet ❤

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  4. How do you cope with cooking when you have not been able to eat all day and have to handle food and resist tasting?

    Learning about religion is so important. At school (also in UK ) I did Christianity and Judaism. So learning about Islam is coming later … visited a mosque 🕌 last year in Sheffield.

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    1. i mean the not tasting thing is a little hard but i actually love cooking while fasting? is that weird? i know it doesn’t really make sense but cooking just means the time before breaking the fast goes so much quicker and it just feels good? and that’s great!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. AAHHH YOURE BACK
    procrastinating too much is a MOOD. i just… can’t do stuff when i need to? and happy Eid Murabarak! we learn about the Angelician (basically Christian) religion at school….. because I go to an Anglician school. most public schools around me don’t learn about it. and happy birthday!! i’m in this month too 💖 except i’m cancer.
    i’m so glad you’re back, and YES WE STAN A QUEEN WHO CAN WRITE INTROS xxx

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  6. Oh my god I had no idea religion studies was a thing and I think that it’s so cool and we need this??? What are we doing omg. I feel like it would help minds open so, so much. I remember we watched a pretty vague video about Islam and the pilgrimage but like… we didn’t have ANY in-depth knowledge of it or any other religions :///
    Also omg FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS BINCH
    Aaand I’m so proud that twirling pages followed you!! life goals???
    ME TOO I WISH I WAS A WORKOHOLIC TOO even though I know it’s bad but like :(( ughhh it sucks to be a sloth because I feel like I’m a failure 24/7

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    1. yeah lol it’s kinda yikes. i think it’s definitely is needed tbh, bc like i remember one time u commented on of my posts (my bookish life timess) like what is ramadan or sthing and i was just like “wait u don’t know?” i’m not saying ppl are supposed to be born woke or anything but i think religious studies or just some religious teachings incorporated in the school system is such a good idea. also eek i didn’t mean for that Ramadan bit to sound so rude…i am also am an oblivious soul about so many things im sorry pls dont hate me forever!! ily!! i feel so annoying now. but yh, I NEED TO SET UP MY GR ACCOUNT BUT I’LL ADD U WHEN IM DONE. i know it’s so tiring and unhealthy to be a workaholic but at least i wouldn’t be a failure right??

      Liked by 1 person

      1. LMAOOOO ilsa i do not hate you DO NOT WORRY. I think I remember that ???? lmao I remember commenting about Ramadan and being like “it’s so cool that you’re Muslim” or something. yeah religious studies are… needed here in the usa esp. because of all the Christian coding which is SO ANNOYING. Yesss I feel like if I was a workaholic I would Not be a failure even if I was burned out. This way, I’m burnt out and also a failure 😦

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  7. Welcome back!! Happy Birthday in Advance. I’m a procrastinator as well so I can relate, I just wish I could be productive 24/7 but no I would rather do other things than what I’m supposed to do. I’m really trying hard to break the habit though. Can’t wait to read your blog posts. Once again, welcome back

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  10. I understand your problem with procrastination so much!!!
    I have the same freaking problem, it’s so so annoying because I know I could do so much more but I’m just too lazy to start.
    Happy Eid-Mubarak!!!
    And by the way, they teach religious studies in my country, Nigeria…both Christian Religious studies and Islamic Religious studies, (not all school teach IRS but most schools teach CRS) and to be honest, I don’t really think it has much effect on people. You can pass the exam but if you’re not in it, you’re not in it…
    I wish you success in the exams you’ve written and will still write

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks! But I mean if you do study it at least you have SOME knowledge of the religion right? Without that put in place, people literally know 0 things are are ignorant. I’m actually done for exams this year but thank you!

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      1. Well…I feel knowing things is different from understanding something and you can’t apply something to your life if you don’t have an understanding of it and that’s why I feel religious studies will not change anything in a person

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  12. Yayy welcome back! I really enjoyed reading this 🙂 your birthday is the day after my two music competitions hahah so happy birthday in case I forget or something. I’m curious as to how you find religious studies; in NZ we have it, but usually only at private christian schools (and sometimes at primary like I had that but it you could opt out and my parents decided to opt me out and I’m forever grateful). Basically here ‘religious studies’ should be renamed ‘Christian studies’ and as you can probably tell I’m really not a fan. Do agree that people should get educated but I don’t think the way it’s done here is effective it essentially says hey here’s this one religion we won’t tell you about others but yeah this one’s the best the others don’t matter (I’m sorry that went on for far too long).

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    1. Aww thanks so much! Good luck on your music competitions!! and ahh that doesn’t sound the best yikes! i understand schools dont have time to teach you about all the religions, but they should make an effort to educate you on some general knowledge of the major religions?

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Hi Ilsa, it’s good to have you back! Can’t wait to see what you’ll post 💛
    And I had the exact same reaction when Twirling Pages followed me on twitter hahaha

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  16. Now that you mention it, I only had to study religion briefly in 8th grade and in my college logic class. I think it’s because the US views it as a personal thing and most people aren’t strictly religious, but who knows.
    Welcome back!

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  17. WELCOME BACK ahh it’s so good to see you back, missed you tons ❤ I LOVE Jameela Jamil so much just as well ahh such an inspiration. ❤
    I'll keep my fingers crossed for your exams' results, you can relax now hopefully, and happy early birthday ahh!! ❤ I hope your June has been and will be lovely ❤

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  18. Welcome back! I totally get you on procrastinating. I do the same thing. I don’t do stuff and then I stress about not doing stuff so I think why don’t I just DO stuff so I don’t stress about it? But then I don’t do stuff anyway and I feel really lame. And stress some more. Why is it SO HARD?
    Yay cooking/baking! I don’t cook much, but I think it’s awesome. And cookies are wonderful. 🙂
    Best of luck with all your doings!

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  19. you have no idea how excited I am to see your posts again!!!! (especially since I’m actually being active now lmao) I hope you did well on your exams and I’m very glad you’re not perfectionistic and don’t care as much about good grades (unlike me 🙃). also!!!! hello!!!!! give us (or at least me) the link to your gr profile please!!!!!!

    I wish I could send you a book for your bday but unfortunately I am severely broke so I only have all my love to send you ❤ and I'm very excited to watch those slam poetry vids you linked, I really love slam poetry but I don't actively seek it out lmao

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  20. Welcome back! I definitely want to go watch those slam poetry videos—I agree that spoken-word poetry is incredible! My daughter (here in the US) has learned about other religions as part of her geography class, but I guess I don’t know if that’s the case in all high schools here. And, it’s not a full class just on religion, of course.

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  21. WELCOME BACK! I’m so happy that you come back from your hiatus reenergized and inspired! Slam Poetry means a lot to me and I have phases where I basically consume them like they’re water and I’m a sponge because they are the only thing that can describe my emotions and sense of self at that moment. It’s such an interesting and effective art form and I’m a big fan (especially of “Explaing my Depression to my Mother.”) I can absolutely recommend Lily Myers’ “Shrinking Women”, Justice Hehir’ “I’m Not Buying It”, Dominique Christina “The Period Poem” and Dylan Garity “Rigged Game.” I hope you have an awesome re-start of blogging! Happy Eid! ❤

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  23. Ilsa I missed you a whole lot and I’m glad you’re back (even though I was on blog hiatus welp). Omg I have sm respect for Jameela Jamil and I think she’s awesome and I’m so glad you think she is too! I hope your GCSEs went well and I hope result day goes well too! And happy early birthday ahhhh. Also, what’s your GR because I’d love to be friends 🙂 Have an amazing day, ily ❤

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