2020 WRAPPED

Before I continue with the last two interviews, I would like to reflect a bit on what the previous year has been like. The first few weeks, say months, of the new year are weird when talking about the previous year because it feels like you are referring to the year before the previous year but you actually mean the recent previous year. See what I mean?

So, before anything, I would like to pause for a moment and honor all those who we lost this year, especially due to COVID-19. I would like to take the time, and pay my respects to the wonderful souls that we lost this year. All the mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings and loved ones that we lost. May their souls rest in eternal peace.

Secondly, I would like to sympathize with everyone that has been away from home for a while now. Students studying abroad who haven't been home for years, and especially now, due to the Corona virus, friends and family members who haven't seen each other for months. My heartfelt sympathies on that note, I hope that soon and very soon, when all this is over that we will get time to make up for all the hugs and laughter we've missed out on. I really hope so. I pray that things will be different this year, not normal, because as we've learned and realized, what we thought was normal was not always good for the environment and for us too, it never has been.

Positive changes had been observed in the atmosphere and on land around the world, only a few weeks after the world went on lockdown. In cities like Delhi, marine life was seeing increased activity, pollution levels had dropped in almost all the metro cities and animals as well as birds were moving around on their own accord. Nature saw a chance to heal and grabbed it with both hands- literally. Carbon emissions were reduced by 25% in China and 50% reduction in nitrogen emissions. To round this up, COVID-19 was also a wake up call, because we were sleeping on Earth. Now, we have to educate one another and safe our planet, because we definitely don't have planet B- yet.

Now that I'm about to write this, I get flashbacks from scenes in The Handmaid's Tale where Offred talks about how the street had turned into a museum, or a street in a model town constructed to show how people used to live. That right there, just like Offred looks back at a world that she used to know, that's where most of us are finding ourselves right now. Because suddenly things are happening, not only are we dealing with the virus, but there have been protests all over the world, not to mention the Australian wildfires and the locusts in Africa. It's like just as soon as the 'normal' left, all the bad things came to light. And all we could do was come together and fight this, but even that seemed easier said than done.

Police brutality in America was now not only found there, rather, people in other countries had found the courage to speak up for themselves. I remember the weeks that followed after George Floyd's death, most of the stuff I read were suddenly about racism in so many countries. Police brutality, colorism and class differences. At several instances, I had taken breaks from the internet because it broke me to see how we could be so cruel to each other. How the color of your skin meant that you were this particular person, or how because of the color of your skin, you were made to feel bad because of the life you'd lived. It was horrible. I hated it. I still do, because even though all this was brought to light, it still happens out there, everyday. My only true wish is that it will get better, that children will be raised differently, and that the world will be a rainbow nation and embrace that.

The year was not all that bad all right, and if anything, the fact that we made it out alive is one thing we ought to be grateful for. Thank God some aliens didn't send a huge bomb to blow us up, because that would've been the end of us!

On a personal note, this year has been quite a rollercoaster. Exactly that. Our school year was cut short and after that, things were hard to read. I had no idea what was about to happen, what plans or whatsoever. As if it had all been written down in the book of 'This Is What Queen's Life Will Be Like', I was so bored and lonely, I started a blog and claimed back my sanity. I created a voice for myself, a digital one of course. I just patted myself on the shoulder because this I'm really proud of!

After lots of phone calls and tears, Aunt Iselin and I got lucky, and I got a seasonal work permit and a summer job nearby, saving me the trouble of transport money. If you've dealt with UDI before, you're probably used to quick and clear responds. Where? Towards the end of the summer break, Queen turned one year old in Norway, and boy was she thrilled! I had learned so much, met wonderful people that I'm probably never going to forget and made the best memories that will always be dear to me. I had a good year, quite insightful and relaxing- until Corona came.

It was also one of the hardest and emotionally draining years for me because I got to experience so much, and I had never been away from home for this long. I was proud of myself at some point, but there were days and nights where I missed being with my mom and sisters. Days where I missed the noise in the streets of Katutura and the smell in the air, not to mention the sun and well, Tafel Lager.

Towards the end of the year, my luck and blessings took another toll and Aunt Iselin found me a host family whom I've been living with ever since. I've joked about creating a YouTube channel 'Living with the Bækøs', because there's always something going on here. How grateful I am for having a roof over my head, and as if that is not enough, a wonderful family that has taken me in as one of their own and introduced me to their extended family. I even have a 'bestemor' here now, amazing right?

The first semester went okay, with me always telling myself that I don't want to be the same student I was in high school but it seems like I will always be that- hate it. The first semester has been about meeting people, sitting for hours after school in the library reflecting on what a lonely life I live and sitting in the classroom wishing I could speak Russian because only two other people in my class don't speak Russian, three with me and sometimes when the whole class suddenly speaks Russian, it just feels like I'm slowly leaving my body and that setting and disappearing to another world. A world where I still don't understand the language so there's no point in doing that. I've thought about learning Russian, and helping one of my classmates with Norwegian, that would be a win-win for both of us.

One more thing, this year is not just another year for me and my birthday won't just be another year of one year older, no. I'm turning 21 this year, and the more I think about it, the more I realise that I am proud of the life I've lived. Now all that's left to do is buy a house, some cats and dogs, a couple of sharks and dolphins, maybe penguins too and settle down. Though I still think that goldfish would be most suitable for me since sharks have a tendency to reject beautiful women who live alone because they are holy creatures, hate being tempted.

The only problem is that I'm turning 21, not 81 so I will have to extend that life long dream for a while now. Being 21 is huge, back home you get a 21st key to celebrate the independent human being you are becoming. The key is a symbol of guidance as you venture out there and open doors of success. Usually you get the key when you make it to 21 without getting a baby, but it's probably different from family to family. For as long as I can remember, I have waited for my 21st key. I didn't think that I would not get it because I knew I wasn't having a baby before 21, so in my head it was happening. Turns out, I'm in Norway now, away from home and although a tiny part of my heart bleeds because of this, I look forward to turning 21 either way, with the assumption that I will get my 21st key when I get back home!

The keys have no definite design, shape or size and can really look any form. It can be a necklace or on car key-holders or up on the wall in the living room, usually. The point is, these keys have guided some of us to abstain until we turn 21!

With all that being said, I would like to wish everyone a prosperous year ahead. Some getting older, some getting younger, and some just being the same old, there's no harm in that. Honestly I'm scared to make any promises out here about working harder on my blog or being better at something else because I have a habit of chickening out as soon as I make resolutions on paper- in writing. So, I'll keep that in my head. There will be different content on the blog now, inspired by the previous project I had and I hope you guys will support as much as you can.

Good luck and all the best with all those plans and goals that you haven't shared with anyone yet, I hope it works out for you!

love
Queen
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