My name is Surobi. I am a 15-year-old teenager who is among the 66.65 million people living in the UK who has been affected by this invisible virus. This article will be presenting some of the key highlights of how my life has been in these 6 months. 

March:

• Wednesday 18th March 2020 was the first day of lockdown for me. My school was partially closed but then on Friday 20th March, Boris Johnson himself announced a lockdown for the UK. This was the first time in billions of years that this ever had to happen. 
• Schools all over the country got closed down until further notice and GCSEs and A-Levels 2020 were cancelled, as well as people started working from home. This meant that as a Year 10 student, my GCSE Biology exams were also cancelled and I would get predicted grades from my Biology teacher. Most people slowly stopped eating out often including me and my family.
• There were certain precautions that everyone had to take which still exists today such as wearing face coverings outside, washing hands regularly and sometimes doing social distancing.
• I had to start doing online school where my teachers set me work through Google Classroom. Everyone had to adapt to staying at home for a long time.
• Since the NHS were and are the ones working hard and risking their own lives to save lives, the Government released a ‘Clap For Carers’. 
• On Thursday 26th March, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, himself got Coronavirus and even some other ministers got it too. 
• On Sunday 29th March, I made my first ever podcast which is known as ‘The Chat Library’ with my sister.We discuss all girl problems and we post twice a week still to the present day. This really boosted my confidence and pushed me out of my comfort zone. 

April:

• On Thursday 2nd April, I let my school friends know about my podcast which again pushed me out of my comfort zone but I got a lot of positive feedback and appreciation for it.
• On Friday 10th April, I started my second anonymous podcast which I will not share here but I also post there with my sister twice a week.
• On Thursday 16th April, I did my GCSE Biology Paper 2 Mock at home which was definitely a first for me and many others. 
• On 19th April, I started a mini series on my website where I shared 4 articles talking about my one-month experience quarantining.
• On Friday 24th April, Ramadan for us Muslims began, and this was the first time I was fasting in quarantine. Mosques were closed and families from different households were not able to eat together, but we went through Ramadan at home. Throughout this month and the next few months, I may have had a spiritual and religious awakening as I pray more and focus on my religion Islam.
• Boris Johnson was recovered after getting admitted to St Thomas Hospital and he came back to work. 
• As a person who used to watch Bollywood very frequently, I also found out that on 29th April, a famous actor called Irfan Khan passed away, and the next day Rishi Kapoor passed away (RIP to them both).

May:

• On 10th May, I started an Instagram for my podcast which is @thechatlibrary, where we post motivational quotes and podcast previews. 
• On Sunday 24th May, it was Eid-ul-Fitr which I celebrated at home and only went right outside my house to take some photos. Again, this was very different to my usual Eids.
• On Monday 25th May, one of the biggest tragedies which set a huge fire amongst many was George Floyd’s death, a man who was mercilessly killed just for being black. This went viral on social media, and people started raising awareness of ‘Black Lives Matter’ and even protesting outside during COVID-19. More people also started learning about racism and its history.

June:

• On 5th June, I activated my old Instagram @valuable.seconds and changed to @surobiscribbles. That is my personal/business account where I post poetry and photography. 
• My school decided to allow Year 10 students to come into school if they wished to only for 6 days before the end of the academic year. I did not go though.
•  On 14th June, I found out one of the biggest shocks ever. One Indian actor known as Sushant Singh Rajput passed away.
• On 20th June, I properly went out grocery shopping with my mother since lockdown began.
• Near the end of the month, I started having one-to-one meetings with my teachers via Google Meet and this was just such a new experience for me.

July:

• On 3rd July, a famous Indian choreographer called Saroj Khan passed away (RIP to her).
• On 17th July, it was the last day of school as a Year 10 student and on that day, I even went to Westfield Stratford with my mother. I took the bus for the first time since the lockdown began.
• On 19th July, it was my 15th birthday! I got ready, went to my local park with my mother, ate delicious homemade food and cut a small chocolate cake.
• On 22nd July, I met my three school friends after about four months at my birthday picnic. I, therefore, celebrated my birthday with my friends in my local park.
• On 24th July, I went to Lloyd Park with my sister.
• On 31st July, I celebrated Eid-ul-Adha by going to Gokyuzu Restaurant with my sister and this was the first time we ate in a restaurant since lockdown began.

August:

• Rishi Sunak, one of the Conservative MPs released the new ‘Eat To Help Out Scheme’ where you get a 50% discount on food or non-alcoholic drinks to eat or drink in (up to a maximum of £10 discount per diner) every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday between 3 and 31 August as many times as you like. People started going out much more often and posting food on their social media.
• I started promoting my podcast  and my website on my personal Instagram page @surobiscribbles. 
• On 20th August, along with the other GCSE students, I went to school (after about 5 months) and collected my GCSE Biology results. I reacted to it at home and told my family. Some GCSE and A-Level students had mixed feelings about this.
• Throughout the month of August, I had travelled to Lea Valley Park, Gokyuzu Restaurant,  Sahara Grill, Franzos , Koz Restaurant, The Urban Chocolatier  and also went normal grocery shopping.
• Near the end of the month, I disabled my Instagram @thechatlibrary (which had over 100 followers) and my Instagram @surobiscribbles (which had over 500 followers) for my own personal reasons.
• Chadwick Boseman passed away on 28th August 2020 (RIP to him).

September:

• On 2nd September, I went out with my friend to Walthamstow Wetlands.
• I also have done some back to school prep.

My school will be starting again from 7th September 2020 and I will, In Sha Allah, be going into Year 11.

These were some of the key highlights of what happened over the 6 month lockdown. It has been a very different experience. Of course, there is no denying that I did have some low and negative days but you know what, there were more positives than negatives.

I know that this COVID-19 battle has not ended yet and I know that the cases could increase in the future. All my thoughts go out to those who have either passed away, have had loved ones passing away and to every single person’s life who has changed because of this virus. Please comment down below how your life has changed due to COVID-19. 

Please check out my other articles related to experiences for more of the experiences I have been through or feel free to surf through my website for any other article.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day! 

I don’t celebrate Christmas, however, I love the spirit of giving gifts to others. But sometimes, it can be difficult to know what your teenage girlfriend, your daughter, your female sibling or cousin likes.

So here are some ideas for what you can give to your teenage girls; apply these gift ideas according to what the recipient likes. Also, buy how much you can afford – don’t break your bank and ask your parents’ permission before buying. So without any further ado, let’s get started:

Nail/Hand gift sets

If that girl is always checking her nails and making them pretty, then you should definitely consider gifting them a nail set to spice up their nail collection.

Gift sets

These are just the normal gift sets you can find at cosmetic stores such as Superdrug. You can find really cheap gift sets that have amazing fragrances and body washes.

Body butter

Girls love to moisturise their bodies and smell good, therefore it is a good choice to pick out a scented safe body butter for your friend.

Make-up

Girls are known for their make-up so if you ever see your friend showing off her make-up collection or often wearing makeup, it would be good to gift her a palette.

Jewellery

Jewellery can catch anyone’s eye so buy your friend a dainty necklace that is versatile and a must-have.

Accessories

I know so many girls who are obsessed with scrunchies, hairbands and hair rollers so buy them their essentials, which they can use all the time.

Gift cards

If you see your friend nipping down to the shopping mall often, then it is handy to buy her a gift card of her favourite shop or mall, so she gets her pick!

Books

I have a few friends who are book-lovers and love Harry Potter, so gift them their favourite series, a book from their favourite author, or a book that they have been wishing to read.

Stationery

Girls love to have cute stationery to take to school and show off to their friends. It can also motivate them to study so you may want to head to some stationery shops!

Clothes

Trendy, fashionable clothes are what girls want to wear so buy them some clothes (remember to know their clothing sizes before buying!)

Electronic devices

If you have many friends gifting the same friends, you may want to split the bill and buy her some AirPods for her birthday!

Personalised goodies

I personally love personalised goodies – with my name or my initials, so maybe buy your friend a mug with her face, a cushion with her initials, or a letter board with her name!

Friendship bracelets

You are never too old to get friendship bracelets, and if you can remember many treasurable memories with your friend, then it may be time to buy a friendship bracelet for her and yourself!

Chocolates/candies

Lindt, Ferrero Rocher, Kinder – they are all good! But make sure your friend likes it first!

Memories book

This is a bit more time-consuming but is definitely worth it! Print out your favourite pictures with that friend and make a small collage or book with all those beautiful memories! You will definitely see that smile light up in your friend’s face as all those memories will ignite in her mind!

Bag

A small handbag or backpack is very versatile and handy for a girl to use and they will remember you every time they take it outside!

An experience

A gift does not always have to be a physical object – it can also be a memory. Buy your friend some tickets to go to the cinema – or to a theme park, whatever she likes best!

Phone case

If you know what phone your friend has, buy her an appropriate phone case that she can use to upgrade her phone.

Face masks

This links to cosmetics but buy her some hydrating face masks to give that glow to her face and you can even do this with her on a rainy day at home!

Reusable water bottle

A reusable water bottle is a way to also save the planet!

These were some of my ideas for teenage girls as I would love to gift these to my friends. I really hope that this gives you some ideas and make sure to share this article with others if it did. Here are some articles you can check out:

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

Jabir ibn Abdullah reported:

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would return on the day of Eid by using a different route from which he came.

We have finally come to the last Ramadan article of the year…In Sha Allah, we will live to see another Ramadan. But for today’s article, I wanted to write a very exciting article on how to prepare for Eid-ul-Fitr. As exciting as Eid may be, it does come with a lot of preparation and in order to make sure you can make the most out of the day, you should plan ahead. So today, I will be giving you a step-by-step guide on how I like to prepare for Eid which will hopefully help you guys out. I will also give you guys a rough overview of what to do on Eid and how to manage your time.

But before I start, remember that you should not spend too much time preparing for Eid because it is also the last ten days of Ramadan when you can gain blessings. Don’t fall into the traps of the devil by preparing too much instead of worshipping Allah. If you want to know more about this, check out my article:

http://surobiscribbles.com/how-to-maximise-your-rewards-for-laylatul-qadr-the-night-of-power-my-ramadan-series/

W H A T  T O D O B E F O R E  E I D

Buy your outfit, makeup and accessories

It is Sunnah to buy or wear your best clothes and go out to see your friends, family and relatives looking and smelling good. This will help you to feel excited for the day which will make you feel happy.

Decorate your house

You don’t have to splurge all your money on decorating but by adding a new vase of flowers or by giving a simple touch to your room can make you feel different and remember about Eid.

Plan on what you will do on Eid

Eid can sometimes become a bit hectic if you don’t plan ahead, so by knowing what time you will wake up or when people are coming to your house will help you to be prepared.

Prepare your gifts

Eid is a time of joy and expecting gifts from each other. It is good to prepare some gifts for everyone as seeing that smile on their face from receiving your gift is amazing in itself. For the children, you can also give an extra small bag of candy.

Invite others

Inviting others will help you to meet up with your old relatives and let them have some amazing food cooked by you or your parents. Send invitation cards, call or text your relatives to invite them to your house (remember to ask your parents first though).

Prepare the food

It is good to cook some dishes the night before Eid to make sure that you don’t get too busy cooking in the morning of Eid. Some prepare the sweet dish for breakfast the night before to wake up to a lovely breakfast.

Make sure to relax and don’t worry too much about how the day is going to go because you don’t want to stress out. It is a brilliant feast and time for breaking the routine for fasting.

T I P S  F O R T H E  D A Y O F E I D

• Don’t miss the Eid prayers. I know of many who miss the Eid prayers because they forget about all that they have done during Ramadan. Remember, Eid is not the time for you to stop all your good habits from Ramadan, it’s just the start. Then you can go home, wash up and dress in your new outfits.
• Give to charity. By giving Eidi to the younger ones and giving charity to the poor can make sure you are not forgetting about the power of charity even on Eid.
• Spend time with your family and relatives. This is what Eid is all about so enjoy it!

Those were my tips on how to prepare for Eid. Make this Eid the best Eid yet! And little disclaimer: Eid is not about showing off and forgetting your etiquettes of Ramadan, remember all the good that you have done in the past month. If this article helped you in any way, please share it with your family and friends so that In Sha Allah you get the reward too. If you enjoyed this article, check out my other articles too:

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!