Tomiwa's Postcard from Home

I have tried to keep a semblance of normality at home with this bizarre situation that the world has been put in. I am writing this from my home in Lagos, Nigeria where I have stayed throughout these troubling times with my family. Inevitably, I miss the active school environment and my friends. Sometimes, I just find myself sitting around trying to find the next best activity for me whereas in school there was always so much to do!

Not being able to watch or play football has been one of the toughest things to deal with. From sitting in the TV room in Chawkers, watching Manchester United dominate teams on a Sunday afternoon, to going out on the astroturf to play football with my housemates after lunch, football has always been my main hobby. Unfortunately, as these are no longer feasible options, I've taken to kicking a football around my garden continuously.

In lieu of the many school activities I am missing, I try to keep myself engaged during the lockdown with trying new things. First I started baking with the family. We baked numerous pound cakes and chocolate chip cookies, as well as sugar cookies. Then, after realising how unfit I was getting, I balanced my baking with fairly intense exercising as often as I could.

I exercise every other day. Some days, I do core circuits in the home gym and go skipping, or I go on a 5km run/jog. On other days, I take my daily outdoor exercise with my family, going on very long walks. I'm enjoying reading. I recently finished Lord of the Flies by William Golding, which I highly recommend, and a Percy Jackson book: The Sea of Monsters.  Over the holidays, I balanced productive work with sleeping, eating, playing games, more eating and more sleeping!

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