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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!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 261 – Lurgy

01 Mar 2020 39 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Ill, Mindset, Quote, Sick, Spiderman, Spidey, Spidey's Serene Sunday

“For a while, she considered being ill, but she changed her mind…”
Tove Jansson

Interesting quote there, Spidey. Have you, perchance, spotted the pile of tissues in the bin, and the cold and flu medicines stacked by my bedside?

Yup.

For the first time, in a long while, the lurgy has caught up with me.

I consider myself pretty lucky. I have been in the Early Years setting for a good few years now, and if nothing else, it has been great for building my immune system!

Little kids are notorious for spreading germs.

My class at the end of last half term was proof, with the class depleted by nearly a third, as various bugs spread through Reception class, like wildfire.

I thought that a week away would be a good thing. It would give the children time to rest and recuperate, so they arrived back in class, fit and healthy.

Instead, we had a few still off, having not fully recovered.

Then, after our wonderful weekend away in London last week, I came back home from work on Tuesday to Hubby Dearest, sitting there worried sick. Apparently two or three businesses in Canary Wharf (where we stayed) had sent employees home because someone there may have contracted the Coronavirus after travelling…

Do we worry? How much should we be concerned? We were in the centre of London for three days.

And on Thursday, I awoke to a horrible sore throat, which developed the addition of a constantly dripping nose…

Great.

The lurgy.

But I can’t be off sick. There is too much to do at school!

And we had our class photos on the Friday.

And, I had to be better for yesterday, as we had a planned trip to London (again) to celebrate the 50th birthday of one of my dearest cousin sister in laws.

So I decided – mindset change. I will beat this lurgy.

I got up, dosed myself up for two days, and drank plenty of fluids. Stayed out of the cold, wrapped up warm when I did go out.

And woke on Saturday, not cured, but better.

My voice is rather deep and gravelly at the moment, due to the sore throat, but other than that, I am fine. Functioning normally, and I haven’t had to use a tissue for my nose for over 24 hours result!

See.

You can battle through these things!

So… tell me, how do you deal with being ill?

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

February 2020 Books #AmReading

29 Feb 2020 64 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Goodreads, Netgalley

The second month of 2020 is done and dusted. What did Ritu manage to read this time, in between school, her own book release, several family birthdays, and half term?

Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I requested this arc with high hopes, reading the book description, but was left feeling flat.
I am afraid that this book was not something I found easy to get into, read or follow, and the ending left a lot to be desired too.
The jumping of points of view from character to character really confused me and I don’t feel any sense of completion upon finishing the book either.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan and Picador for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Published March 5th, 2020

Through the Nethergate by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well, wow!
What can I say
I have read a few of the author’s books already, aimed at younger readers, and this particular novel is a definite veer off the children’s fiction track!
We follow the story of Margaret, a girl who has lost her parents and is brought to Bungay to live with her grandfather.
Here, it becomes apparent that she has a gift (or is it?) of seeing ghosts. Not only seeing ghosts but giving them the illusion of a physical figure, rather than a spirit.
The Inn her Grandfather lives in is filled with spirits who vie for her attention.
Some good, some not so good, and some downright BAD!
What I really loved about the way this was written was that the author has weaved a fictional tale but used the stories of true characters as the spirits in the tale.
Together with them, she travels a road where Evil is trying its hardest to overcome Good.
Will Lucifer succeed?
All I will say is, it was pretty gripping, and I am going to be asking for a Part Two please, Mrs Cheadle!

If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second of McFarlane’s books that I have read, and I .enjoyed it as much as the first.
Laurie and Dan are the perfect couple – both lawyers in great jobs, at the same firm. House under their belt, together for many years, and the prospect of a wonderful future together.
Until Dan drops a bombshell. He’s not feeling it anymore.
Laurie is sucked into a whirlwind of emotion. What happened? Why her? Why them?
Then she finds out he’s with someone… and she’s pregnant.
Enter company stud, Jamie.
He comes forth with a plan for a faux romance between the two of them that will benefit both – His career prospects, and her revenge relationship, guaranteed to shake Dan’s new boat.
I really loved the whole story, from beginning to end. The way the characters developed, I felt I really knew them, and the twists and turns to get to that HEA… Fantastic!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mr. Sagittarius by M.J. Mallon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A magical book filled with prose, poetry and photographs all linking back to twin brothers, William and Harold.
A fascination with the botanical gardens, and regular visits to the bench under the Golden weeping willow, spark poetic memorise and introduce magical creatures.
I have to say, I loved the Bubble Monster!
The author, MJ, Mallon, has weaved a mystical tale using her poetry and story-telling, to produce a lovely short read that can be dipped into whenever you want.

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
My rating: 5 of 5 star

What can I say?
I was pretty much blown away by this book.
It started with me wondering whether I could keep up with reading the account of the life of Adunni, a young Nigerian girl, born and brought up in a village, with the hope of an education.
Married off at fourteen, by her father, desperate for money, she dreams of the time she may be able to allow her own ‘louding voice’ be heard.
The book is written in the Niger way of speaking, using their pidgeon English, at the start, then, as Adunni’s own learning grows, so does her voice and vocabulary.
I loved it so much that by the end, I was reading the whole thing in her voice, not thinking of the strangeness of some words.
Child marriage, death, sold into slavery, physical abuse, even the prospect of rape: she experiences so much, until she meets her own angels, who help her reach a destination she only ever dreamed of.
A novel filled with the hope of many young girls out there, especially in third world countries, denied the chance to educate, and better themselves.
GO ADUNNI!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published 5th March, 2020

And The Stars Were Burning Brightly by Danielle Jawando
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another day, another book, and what a book!
Al was a talented artist. He was going places. An offer for Cambridge University, the support of his family and teachers. Then it all ends.
Nate is trying to cope with with the loss of his older brother, Al, through suicide. Why did he do it? He had so much to live for.
Megan feels guilty. Why did she not spot the signs within her weird friend, Al? A behind closed doors friendship she was ashamed to acknowledge in front of others until it is too late.
Nate and Megan tread a path, tentatively, together, to discover the truth, uncovering hate, social media and cyberbullying.
This debut by Danielle Jawando is harrowing and heart-wrenching. A book that should be read by all young adults. Words are not always simply words. Banter is not always just banter. Words and banter can hurt.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published 9th March, 2020

The Summer Villa by Melissa Hill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Three women needing to get away – American Kim, English Colette and Irish Annie.
One crumbling villa – their destination
Three friendships born.
And relationships?
Six years later, the friends, scattered across the world, meet up again for a reunion, masked as the launch of a new business venture, that ends up as explosive as the fireworks put on for the event!
This was the first Melissa Hill book for me, and I enjoyed reading it. It would make a great holiday read. I loved the descriptions of the Amalfi coast in Italy.
Set over two timelines, it gives you a dripfeed of history, tying in with the happenings of the present, creating a few ‘aha!’ moments along the way.
A pleasant read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Heart’s Desire: A Romance Collection from the New Romance Cafe by Jorja Tabu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A short collection of romantic stories written by both experienced, and newer writers.
Easy to enjoy a story at a time.

Dovetail: A Novel of Love Everlasting by Karen McQuestion
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have read a few Karen McQuestion books, and I think I may have just found my favourite.
Dovetail is a beautifully crafted pair of love stories, running simultaneously in both 1916 and 1983.

In 1916, Pearl is a beautiful young woman in her prime, wishing to be swept away by love, into a world of glamour, rather than the smalltown lifestyle she has. Her elder sister, Alice, has looked after her and the rest of the family since their own mother died. News of a new, and possibly eligible, man, Jack, coming to live and work near them, sends Pearl into a frenzy of planning her own escape from this life, but fate has other plans.

In 1983, Joe is trying to wrangle with strange repetitive dreams he keeps on having. They scare his family so much, he is committed to a hospital for treatment. Joe struggles there, until one day, he’s granted freedom, in the form of a grandmother he never knew was alive.

Slowly, connections between Joe’s dreams, and Pearl’s early adult life form parallels that no one could have expected.

Oh, I truly loved this story so much! I realised the similarities and the possible ending before finishing, but I had to keep going because I just wanted to see how everything happened!

A tale filled with surprises, and blossoming romances.

A MUST read!!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published March 10th, 2020

Staunch by Eleanor Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I requested this book, but I definitely didn’t realise it was a memoir of sorts, not that that’s a bad thing!
A heartfelt account of a woman going through a lot of mental anguish, after the break up of a long term relationship, and the subsequent finding of herself, with the aid of her older female relatives, on a wonderful trip to Goa.
I enjoyed reading it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published March 19th, 2020

I’m intrigued… what have you been reading this month?