Author Archives: memoriesandsuch

In My Hands Today…

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To Love a Sunburnt Country – Jackie French

23449436The year is 1942 and the world is at war. Nancy Clancy is 16 and left school to spend a year droving, just like her grandfather Clancy of the Overflow was famed for. Now Nancy’s family has sent her to Malaya to bring home her sister-in-law Moira and baby Gavin. Moira is British and married to Nancy’s brother Ben, who is now a soldier. Malaya is under threat from the Japanese, but despite the warnings, Moira has resisted leaving as she wants to stay near her husband.

When Malaya is invaded, Nancy, Moira and Gavin are fortunate to get out before Singapore falls. When their ship is bombed they end up stranded on an island where they, and some other colonial women, are captured. There begins the nightmare and horror of internment in a Japanese camp. Back home at Gibber’s Creek families are doing their bit for the war. They worry constantly about their men who are fighting – and now those who are missing after Singapore falls. Powerful, compelling and confronting, this is a book that pulls no punches.

In My Hands Today…

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Origins of Love – Kishwar Desai

14743860In Delhi, a small baby lies alone and abandoned. The product of IVF and surrogacy, she had been so coveted – until she was born with a fatal illness. No one knows how the infection could have been transferred to the child, but one thing is certain: no one wants her now.

Thousands of miles away in London, Kate and Ben are desperate for a baby. But, despite all their efforts, fate seems to be skewed against them. Then, as Kate suffers another miscarriage, she knows something has to change. She has heard of women who are prepared to carry a baby for others, and she knows this might be a way to finally find happiness. But will her desire for a baby stop at nothing…?

And between the two, feisty social worker Simran Singh is determined to uncover the truth behind the shadowy façade of the multi-million dollar surrogacy industry. Women and children are being exploited, their lives thrown away like so much dust. Is she is the only person prepared to stand up for what is right…?

2017 Week 44 Update

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Another week where nothing happened!

This week is my father-in-law’s annual shradh. This is a ceremony we hold every year to propitiate and sate your ancestors. In my community, this is more strictly adhered to than other communities. Maybe I will do a post on this ritual one of these days.

It’s on to another week of hoping and praying all issues are resolved and things are happy!

Have a blessed week, people….

2017 Secondary 2 Week 44 Update

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GG’s school issues are not yet over! On Tuesday she went to school to find out about her subject combinations for next year and she was told her old stream subject combination (there, she has pretty much gotten all the subjects she had asked for), but her form teacher also asked her to see the Math HOD who mentioned to her that she may have to do a coursework subject since that’s the option available with Pure History. GG categorically told the HOD said she didn’t want to do any coursework subject and wanted to do the subject she had opted for instead. The HOD took that into consideration and said she will try and work out something.  GG also didn’t get her holiday homework for the new stream subjects. The HOD was supposed to call and speak to me to explain everything but has not yet done so.

On Friday, GG and I went to her school to see if we could speak  to the HOD, but we found all the HODs were in a full-day meeting and we could not speak to them. So I decided to see if we could speak to her form teacher (who was not the one who gave her the subject combination on Tuesday) and after we explained the situation to him, he asked me to send him a message detailing the issue and he will try and help us. I’ve done that and the form teacher has said he has passed it to the relevant people who will get back to me, hopefully, tomorrow. We’re also going to both schools tomorrow to purchase the books and uniforms (for BB as he transitions to full-length pants in Sec 3)

I’m also going to see if we can meet the HOD  tomorrow and resolve this now rather than later.