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#CoronaVerses

14 Mar 2020 56 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Poetry

It seems the whole COVID-19 has got my poetic juices flowing, in a kind of stream of consciousness way…

#CoronaVerses

Self-isolating will be easy
If we ever need to, it seems
We tend to do it regularly
In a house of tweens and teens
 
Right now, I’m gracing the sofa,
Hubby’s upstairs, chilling in our room
Lil Man is on his laptop
Li Princess in her own little vacuum
 
The only difference, I think, will be
New supplies of anti-bac,
Regularly bleached surfaces
(By me - they don’t seem to have the knack)
 
The importance of handwashing
Has been truly hammered home
And cleaning down their electronics,
Especially their phones
 
If you’re going to cough, then I insist
Into your elbow or a tissue
And please make sure that when you’re done
Put it in the bin or I’ll take issue
 
Not quite sure what to say about
The necessity of toilet roll
Still, at least we have some
So I guess we shouldn’t moan
 
Every morning, recently, I’ve been
Greeted with one query
“Is today the day that schools are shut?”
My response makes them less cheery
 
“Not yet my loves, your school’s still on
No extended hols just yet”
They really don’t seem to realise
Just how fed up they’ll get
 
As panic ensues out in the shops
And crazed buyers empty shelves
They really should take stock
And be ashamed of themselves
 
For as they buy that extra pack
Of toilet roll, or wipes
That’s one less roll for someone else
Why are you buying all the hype?
 
Think sensibly, buy cautiously
Just make sure you have enough
And, maybe check on others
Who might be finding it tough
 
We’re all set, in case we’re told
To have a lengthy bunk-in
I’ve got my books and chocolate
And plenty of Pink Gin!
 
 Ritu 2020

Seriously, Peeps, I don’t wish to make light of this pandemic that is affecting us all out there.

Keep up the extra vigilant hygiene, be careful of where you are putting your hands, and cough into your elbow if you need to.

Don’t go crazy with panic buying. Don’t worry, the shops should get better soon, the panic buyers should go into hibernation with all their extra stock.

Check up on the vulnerable that you are aware of, especially if they live alone.

And I found this graphic, which is a good basic indication of symptoms, in comparison to colds and flu. I hope it helps to keep people a little calmer.

Stay safe, all my beautiful warriors. We got this, we can fight it!

Smorgasbord Book Reviews – #Romance – Marriage Unarranged by Ritu Bhathal

12 Mar 2020 Leave a comment

Many thanks to Sally who has written a wonderful review of Marriage Unarranged!

Thank you, Sally!

via Smorgasbord Book Reviews – #Romance – Marriage Unarranged by Ritu Bhathal

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Chai And A Chat #74 #ChaiAndAChat

09 Mar 2020 35 Comments

by Ritu in Chai and a Chat Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Catch Up, chai

Happy Monday to you all again. These Monday’s come around so fast, don’t they? Right, got your chai?

If we were sipping chai together I’d say that it’s been another week and a half, what with everything that is going on. When isn’t it, Ritu? I hear you ask… yeah, well, you know what my life is like!
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that school has been fun. We still have a few children off, for various reasons, not Coronavirus-linked so far, thankfully… And we were busy on Thursday for World Book Day! If you’ve known me for a while, you know I’ll take any excuse to dress up, and I am lucky enough to have a team who are just as bonkers as me! We were the cast of Little Red Riding Hood for this year! The day was spent with classes from the whole of Key Stage one and our Reception classes, going on a carousel tour around each classroom. As teachers, we had a specific story and activity that each class got to experience. I read Aliens Love Underpants – brilliant story! and the children got to design their own pants, and tell me why they were special!

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If we were sipping chai together I’d say that I ended up with awful knee pain again on Friday. It could be an effect of geting absolutely soaked in a downpour on Thursday… Yes, I had to attend a meeting in my Little Red Riding Hood outfit, at the end of the day, and needed to get to a different school, which was around twenty minutes drive away, through village roads which were waterlogged by the amount of rain that had been falling. The parking was awful, and I had to walk nearly ten minutes in it to get to the school. Shoes soaked, coat dripping, I sat in the room with my coat haning on a radiator, and shoes off, in the hope that they would dry. The way back home was just as bad. The rain hadn’t relented at all. We nearly got splashed big time by a car who didn’t want to take notice of the pedestrian crossing, then as I drove home, a van approaching from the opposite side didn’t pay heed to a huge puddle and spashed me so badly that I lost vision in the car and nearly lost control of my car! But, I arrived home relatively calm… Still, the knee hasn’t stopped hurting since Thursday evening… Roll on April and my appointment…
If we were sipping chai together I’d say that I got a call on Wednesday to arrange an orthodontic appointment for Lil Princess. I’ve been through this rigmarole already, with Lil Man. He hated every minute, and ended up not wanting the braces in the end. Lil Princess, in contrast, has been waiting for the time the dentist said she was ready for hers! We were told that there would be quite a wait, a couple of months, before getting an appointment, but we were squeezed in on a Saturday instead. Two hours. We were seen late, because they were running late, then there was consultation, x-ray, re-x-ray then final consultation. She definitely needs the braces, but needs a sprink in her mouth first, to realign the tom back teeth, then four extracted, possibly a chain to pull some teeth down, before the actual fixed braces are put in! Three appointments have already been booked… I’m exhausted already! And feeling the pain for her.
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that on Sunday, we went to town to get our hair done, me and Lil Princess, celebrating International Women’s Day in our own way… And town was empty. the weather was mild. Was it people deciding to get out of their houses to do family stuff? Or lots of scared people not wanting to go out because of this COVID-19 virus? I’m not sure, but it was lovely getting in and not having to wait at the hairdressers! But, I was disappointed to hear that because people are scared of the virus, they seem to have been avoiding the nail salons… which are not operated by Chinese people, but mainly Vietnamese folk… yet uneducated folk are steering clear… so sad. Suck it up people.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9e_gGdAa61/

If we were sipping chai together I’d excitedly tell you that, even though I haven’t been able to write much on Book two… I have received over twenty reviews on Amazon and Goodreads for Marriage Unarranged! I am absolutely thrilled to see the words people have written about my book baby!

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If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d tell you that this we have moderation which is sitting with other Reception teachers in our Academy to see how the kids are getting on, and whether we are making similar professional judgements on the children… great fun! (that was sarcastically said…)
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d say that I am hoping to get my nails done too this week, let’s hope the virus doesn’t shut everything down!

Right, that’s me done Peeps! Let me how your week has been!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 262 – Viral Positivity

08 Mar 2020 70 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Positivity, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday

“What you think, you become.
What you feel, you attract.
What you imagine, you create.”
Buddha

Thank you, Spidey, for this. I think we all need to read, absorb and act upon this quote, especially right now.

So… heard of Covid-19, or Coronavirus? If you haven’t then where have you been the last couple of months???

For some it has become the biggest shadow in their lives.

And it looks like the panic is definitely setting in here, in the UK.

From people wanting to buy and wear masks when outside, to the supermarkets displaying empty shelves as people dive into panic buy mode, it is crazy.

It’s true. I went to do my normal shop last night, and thought I’d pick up some hand sanitizer whilst there so the kids could keep one in their pockets. But the shelves were BARE! There was no handwash, pasta was almost gone (Funny, even in panic buy mode, people won’t buy wholewheat pasta!) and the toilet roll was pretty much gone. ( I wasn’t aware that excessive tiolet going was a symptom?). And that is the picture that is being shown across pretty much all supermarkets at the moment.

If you so much as cough or clear your throat, you see people giving you a wide berth.

At school parents are asking if we are closing for some time.

It’s like no one is willing to think positively. Instead they grab the news and twist it into the worst picture possible.

It will be an EPIDEMIC!

We will all end up ill!

And Chinese Whispers don’t help, either. There was a rumour that a child in a local school had been sent home with the virus. My mother in law told me.

Really? I work in a school. We would be told of that immediately, and action plans set in motion, if that was the case.

But one of the local shop keepers had said it, so it must be true!

I checked online, and the story was that a child, displaying no symptoms of illness, was found to have been in contact with another friend, from outside our town, whose family member may have tested positive. The child was sent home to self isolate as a precaution, and get tested, but the school was not shutting, or going into deep clean.

Reassuring the in-laws that we were safe, I was then not surprised to hear others in the Indian community here, spreading the story. (Obviously the shopkeeper had been busy informing customers!) It had changed into there were two cases IN OUR SCHOOL! Someone asked me what the contingency plan was now.

I looked at this parent and had to stop myself from rolling my eyes, then told her that no, there was no cases in the school and if there were, it would be highly likely that the whole place would have been shut down for deep cleaning… so she would have known!

Seriously, it’s like people are just wishing for the worst to happen.

I am trying hard to stay positive about it all.

Yes, there is a chance that we will shut schools for a couple of weeks, if the Government advise it. But not at the moment. Things are just continuing as normal. We’re taking the opportunity to reiterate personal hygeine at school, in a roundabout way, without scaring the kids. Making handwashing a necessary fun activity.

I don’t plan to be ill, so I’ll do or not do all that we have been advised to do, or not do.

I’ll try to keep spreading positive messages to those around me, and quash feelings of fear as much as I can.

I’ll hope for a town that escapes the LURGY!

I know it’s scary.

It’s a new virus that is mutating regularly. But it still isn’t a worse killer than the flu.

In most cases, it is a mild cough or cold that clears up. Those at risk are the elderly and those with underlying health issues. They are also at risk from any other cold, flu or virus too.

The biggest things you can do are:

Not panic.

Wash your hands.

Don’t unnecessarily touch your face.

Live life as normal unless you have been told otherwise.

PLEASE!

So… tell me, how is the coronavirus affecting where you live?

Have a peaceful, healthy Sunday Peeps. And enjoy your week! ❤

Chai And A Chat #73 #ChaiAndAChat

02 Mar 2020 64 Comments

by Ritu in Chai and a Chat Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Catch Up, Chai and a Chat

Happy Monday to you all! The first week back to school has finished. February is done and dusted and March is here with us already! You got your drink ready?

If we were sipping chai together I’d say that it’s been another tiring one for various reasons. First off, we are back at school. Some of the children were still unwell from before the week’s break, so you can see that there are some pretty awful bugs around, coronavirus apart. And as we haven’t had a decent cold snap to kill off some of the bugs, they just keep spreading. As you know, we had our lovely break to London, Canary Wharf, to be precise, last weekend. Well, mid week, Hubby Dearest heard on the news that three companies in Canary Wharf had sent employees home because someone had been away, and was unwell, being tested for the virus. Obviously, it sets off worries. We were there, and in London the whole weekend. But then I think to myself, unless we have been issued with a warning, we should take the relevant precautions and continue with our lives, am I right? Then on Thursday morning, I woke up with a horrible sore throat which developed into a running-like-a-tap-with-an-old-washer nose. I was not well. Not knowing what lurgy I had contracted, I dosed up and soldiered on for the day, leaving early for a rest. The next day, I really couldn’t be off. It was our class photo day. I had to be there! I’m not usually a make up at work person, but I had to add a bit of something to me Rudolph-esque nose as it would have shone like a beacon! Another day of just about getting by, then I dashed home as soon as I had tidied the classroom for a rest.
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that I have another new child who started in our class as well. Growler is still settling, but doing better, and the new child is a lovely, smiley one who is quiet, but hopefully he’s happy. Seems to have settled in well, to be honest.
If we were sipping chai together I’d have to mention something that really tugged at the heartstrings this week. One of the children who left our class to move to a different town had been with me since nursery. I was gutted that she left; an EAL child who was blossoming. But I couldn’t kidnap her and keep her… Still, last week, one of the ladies from the school office came to find me in our planning room, and this child’s mother had popped in with a little something for me. I have to admit to a slight moistening of the eyes. It is now framed and on my desk!

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If we were sipping chai together I’d remember another funny school moment. Bunchems. Have you heard of them/encountered them? They are little balls with hooks and eyes on them that stick together, that can be built into whatever a child imagines. Now, we have a wonderful child in our class with the most amazingly textured hair. I have never seen anything like it. It is like a natural crimp, but not… but that makes no sense whatsoever! Still, we joked that the Bunchems would stick in his hair, so he tried one out. Yup, it stuck. I commented that we both had hair that Bunchems would like. A moment later, he came over to me with a pair of Bunchems ‘clips’. Placing on one either side of my head, he said, “Here, Mrs Bhathal, I made these for you!” It triggered a whole load of children making ‘clips’ for me, and one of my colleagues… a pretty effect, but it was absolute hell getting them out after!

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If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you I have been trying hard to stick to the Noom plan, and even with my feeling unwell, I still cooked to make sure I was eating well… but that went to pot on the weekend, when I took Lil Princess with me to Covent Garden, in London for a surprise birthday luch held for a cousin sister-in-law of mine. We ended up eating plenty, then took a detour to the market where we left with bags from Ben’s Cookies, Godiva Chocolatier and Venchi… But, it was worth it! A lovely day out, and yummy treats to munch on at home after!

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If we were sipping chai together I’d mention that I had an opticians appointment. I was convinced I’d leave with glasses of some sorts, as it has been over ten years since my laser eye surgery, and all the screen work and reading must have taken its toll, but no, I am all good to go still! Just dryness which can be combatted with eyedrops. (Another little side effect of the laser…)
If we were sipping chai together I’d tell you that I haven’t done any writing though, and I feel really bad about it. But I haven’t been well. I just couldn’t make myself. But I am working on Book Two, I promise! But here’s a T-shirt I bought myself that suits the mood…

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8_98utAnYK/

If we were sipping chai together I’d just leave you with a little picture of me and my book, headed home from London…

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If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d tell you that this week it’s WORLD BOOK DAY on Thursday, so there will be a little dressing up happening! Photos to follow!
If we were sipping that chai together, and possibly reaching for cake or cookies I’d say that I don’t think there is anything else I have to plan for this week… outside of normal life… for a change! I might just get some writing done!

Right, that’s me done Peeps! Let me how your week has been!