Anyone who knows me knows that my memory sucks. When asked what I did over the weekend or what I had for lunch, my answer is usually a blank stare. Samsung notes is literally my life’s MVP. So here’s a time capsule of 2019, for when I have dementia or …you know… tomorrow.
2019 was the year I screamed my identity off of roof tops
I connected with the roots so to speak (with all the cliches that you can imagine): I read more in Arabic, spoke more Arabic (read “Tunisian”). I even started taking Baladi classes and watching Arabic shows (The Voice and Top Chef on MBC). I also watched more Egyptian movies and followed this channel on youtube called Dahih (which apparently means “nerd” in Egyptian). I made some Arab friends too and it’s taught me so much about the stereotypes they have on Tunisians.
2019 was the year of the Genius Diet
This book is a gem. The title is misleading. It seems to insinuate that “if you eat these foods you’ll be a genius” when actually it means ” certain foods are genius and we are so dumb not to eat them”. So yeah. Get it, read it and share it. I’ve literally gone Jehovah’s Witness on everyone around me, preaching the word of Max Lugavere!
One noticeable change is that I now eat like a bird. A bunch of seeds and nuts:
- morning seeds: Flax, Sesame, Hemp, Chia
- Evening nuts (kamia): Sunflower, pumpkin, walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, pistachios and literally any nuts I can get my hands on as long as they’re not salted or roasted.
This is only true of the last 2 months of 2019, so we can’t really say that the full year was “genius approved” but considering how this is changing my gut microbiome aka my second brain, you could argue that I am a brand new version of me and if that’s not big enough to mark the entire year I don’t know what is. Your girl has been in ketosis for the last 2 months and my sweet tooth days are officially behind me.
2019 was the year I turned into a booty guru
I wish this was a spontaneous impulse to preserve my youth or to part with my low maintenance ways and splurge on self care but alas…sudden and unforeseen acne that ravaged my otherwise porcelain skin is what thrust me in this world and lead me down the skin care path. I basically went to a doctor to see how I can treat my adult acne. And I’m not even going to repeat the nonsense she prescribed…
Modern Medicine being thrown out the window, I turned to Youtube & Instagram and found that there’s actually a plethora of resources that can help…The most interesting being Olena Beley. Since I started following her, I actually started a skin care regimen… as in I have a skin care routine… like products that I know by name and that I get excited to cake my face with… like I wake up and I wash my face and I know what I am going to put on it in what order…And the same goes for when I get ready for bed.. Unbelievable! I know
For those who are curious this is my routine:
- CeraVe foaming Facial Cleanser
- Hada Labo Hyaluronic Lotion or the Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 as a toner/humectant
- Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12% or straight up Benzyl Peroxyde as the active
- Hydrabio Gel as the moisturizer
Once or twice a week, I might exfoliate with some Glycolic Acid 7% and I might cut me some of this military grade sterile band aid and slap it on a pimple. But that’s it. KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid.
2019 was the year of podcasts
And to complete my transformation into a hipster, I have actually listened to quite a few podcasts:
- Ottoman History Podcast is the absolute best. It’s amazing how much insights you can pack into an hour. It’s also amazing how complicated the Middle East is. Like you know it’s bad. But this makes you realize it’s actually worse.
- In our time. I may or may not have a crush on good ol’ Melvyn Bragg but that’s beside the point.
- Breakfast all day: The crew from what the flick stopped making videos on youtube and started a podcast. Love their energy, I’ll follow them wherever they go.
- Slow Burn I only heard 2 of the 3 seasons and I am going to follow Leon Neyfakh who now moved on to host Fiasco (which I still have to figure out ho to listen to for free… because yo girl is cheap)
- And of course my weekly dose of TLo in the Popstyle opinionfest
2019 was a mixed bag when it comes to who I am as a person
Humility was a key word in the last 12 months. (Humbleness is also apparently a proper word). Not to say that I was not humble before 2019. It’s more that I realized that certain traits in my character are actually insidious forms of ego. I realized that being jaded for example is pretentious, that being pessimistic is presumptuous and that my overall attitude was screaming to the world “ugh whatever I already know what’s going to happen, it’s going to turn to shit” which, let’s face it, is not a good look. So I kind of toned that down a bit in 2019.
On the other hand, I seem to have run out of fucks to give: I used to be a crowd pleaser. I used to actually care that people that I met enjoyed our conversation and had a good impression on me. Like I used to carry the weight of the conversation on my shoulders and try to smooth any bumps we run into. I used to do everything in my power to avoid awkwardness. But in 2019, slowly but surely, I started realizing that the flow of a conversation is not my responsibility. And if it’s awkward, then FUCK IT! while that’s such a weight off my shoulders, it actually has some drawbacks, namely that some poeple now find me awkward…So I guess I came out of my awkward closet. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Rahma Lama Ding Dong 