#SoCS Nov. 12/16 – Mem

12 Nov 2016 31 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Linda G Hill, Mem, Mem-Sahib, Socs, Thoughts

Linda’s SoCS prompt for this Saturday.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “mem.” Choose a word or words with the letters “mem” in that order and run with it. Enjoy!

Now I could have gone the obvious route here and spoken of Remembrance Day… I thought I would go off piste (as if I ever do that normally ;P). And these are just my off the cuff thoughts, not intended to offend or educate… just what rolls out of my brain, through my fingers, over the keyboard, and onto the screen!

Mem-Sahib

A word used to address a lady in india. Often a lady of the upper classes, a higher stature than those average folk.

It was a mark of respect, like Sir and Madam, we have Sahib and Mem-Sahib.

When the Raj was ruled by The British Empire, every white skinned woman was automatically a Mem-Sahib. Obviously, due to the reason they were there, they demanded that immediate respect from the lowly brown-skinned locals.

Nowadays you here people in our community talking of girls who are overly westernised, calling them Gori-Mem. White woman, it loosely translates as. Those ‘coconuts’ as it were, white on the inside, brown on the outside! Wannabe westerners!

Of course it can also be used as a descriptive phrase to describe a western woman too.

And as a British Asian, when I go to India, I get called Mem-Sahib, or Madam, an awful lot! Because we are foreigners in our own land, essentially. We live out in the western world, that place apparently paved with gold, we seem to wear an aura of wealth, and it garners an automatic response of respect from our Indian counterparts.

But I am no madam, or Mem-Sahib. I’m just me! I’d rather be referred to as Didi (sister) or Masi (aunt) or even Beti (daughter). Not someone who is ‘above’ others. Because I’m not.

There you have it… Stream of Consciousness Saturday all about the Mem!

#SoCS Nov. 5/16 – Novel

05 Nov 2016 33 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges, My Writing, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, novel, Socs, Wedded Stress

Saturday brings the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt from Linda.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “novel.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

Well, as a writer, the first thing that comes to mind is that novel that you always wanted to write, or the WIP you have that is consuming every minute of your day and night.

Then you think, no, let’s not be so obvious, and use the word novel in a different way, and start thinking of a way to express what a ‘novel’ idea you have come up with…

But it’s not that easy!

I decided I would just write about my baby, my WIP, my novel.

Like many of us, I knew from an early age that I loved to write. I would always be writing stories, diaries, anything. There was a permanent ink splodge from my fountain pen on the ‘writers hump’ on my right-hand middle finger. (Do you have one of those? An affliction from the time when we didn’t tap away on keyboards, but actually used pens and pencils! I always did love a good fountain pen…. but I digress!)

Then, around 16 years ago, an idea lodged in my head. I was planning for my own wedding at the time, and was back home with my parents, with a new fangled computer at my disposal.

A little seed of a story planted itself in my head. A story about a young British Asian girl from Birmingham, who was planning her special day too. (Yes, I know it sounds like it’s going to be autobiographical, but that was where the similarities ended!) This young woman was going to be experiencing some real problems, and in coming through them, she was going to become stronger herself.

Cue a cheating fiance, a pair of overprotective brothers, and a headstrong best friend…

I was on a roll (well, I thought, anyway!) I wrote a few thousand words, then my own life kinda got in the way. Then newly married life meant that it was impossible for me to write. and I had nothing to type on at the time either!

A few years into marriage, the bug bit me again, and Hubby Dearest bought me my first very own laptop! I was excited! I excitedly uploaded the original version of my little baby and began to add words in earnest. I tried to write, 1000 a day was my target. And I got to around 15,000, before the trauma we went through of trying for a family.

Any urge to write went out of the window, as we battled with one bit of hard news after another. then a miracle happened, and I fell pregnant.

Well, those mommas out there can vouch for the fact that there isn’t much time for yourself, let alone writing, so my word baby got forgotten…again. Add 2 miscarriages and the arrival of another bubba and I was a gonner!

Until around two years ago when I was tempted into this blog writing malarkey.

I finally found the courage to publicise some of what I had written, and the feedback was really good! But it seems to be a time issue again. I never have the time to just concentrate on developing my story!

But I would like to get back on that writing pony. I need to!

Those who have read what I have produced so far have been so encouraging, and some out there (mention no names eh, Sasha Black!😉) even tried to impose deadlines on me, to get me back on it, but I still can’t quite do it.

One day, though, that novel will get written. It may end up reading like a vintage story, set in the 90’s, read way in the 21st century, but it will be done!

So, maybe to help kickstart my oomph to carry on writing it, I am leaving you with a link to where the main part of my WIP is, on my blog. I would love to hear any feedback from you. Is it worth me continuing? Would you change anything? Do you actually want to know what happens next?

I have coined the phrase ‘chick-pea curry lit’ to describe my genre. It’s romance, humour, with a big ole dose of masala!

Check out Wedded Stress here!

wedded-stress

#SoCS Oct. 29/16 – In/Out

29 Oct 2016 39 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Challenge, In/out, Linda G Hill, Socs

Linda’s SoCS prompt this week…

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “in/out.” Use one, use both, use ’em any way you’d like. Enjoy!

You put your right arm in
Your right arm out
In out in out Shake it all about!
Shake it all about!
Do the Hokey Cokey
And you turn around
That’s what it’s all about!
Whoa the Hokey Cokey!
Whoa the Hokey Cokey!
Whoa the Hokey Cokey!
Knees bent
Arm stretched
Rah rah rah!

The first thing that came to mind once I had read the prompt.

Closely followed by in… out…in…out… the naughty thoughts!

Stop!

Then it was the way money seems to find a way in to my account, only to disappear out rather quickly too!

Followed by kids with fingers in their noses, then when they realise they are being watched, that same finger is quickly pulled out!

Ok, my stream of consciousness is definitely getting warped here!

I must stop!

Thank you and have a good day Peeps!

#SoCS Oct. 22/16 – ‘ho’

22 Oct 2016 23 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Challenge, Ho, Linda G Hill, Socs

Linda’s prompt this week…

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “ho.” Find a word with the two letters–“ho”–in that order, and use it in your post. Enjoy!

Home is where the heart is, that is what they say.

Home is where hope lives.

If hope is not a resident in your home, then your home is not that, it is merely a house.

Home is a sanctuary, where you feel secure.

A place where people show their belief in you.

Well, these are just my thoughts… what I feel a true home should be.

Do you agree?

#SoCS Oct. 15/16 – Screen

15 Oct 2016 24 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Bloggig, Electronic babysitters, Linda G Hill, Screen, Socs

Linda’s prompt this week…

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “screen.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

so… I sat at my PC with a Word document open and this was what poured out…

How much time do you spend in front of a screen?

Or rather how much time does your child spend in front of the screen?

I am no angel, I know I can be looking at my phone a lot. If it’s not my phone, it could be a tablet. That’s blogging for you! I want to read on my reader, or check notifications from other sites too,

When I am writing it is the PC or my Surface screen that faces me.

At work, I need my iPad for observations. Then there is all the rest of the work that requires the computer.

I come home, and after the fun and games of kids homework (usually more screen time as we research for projects, or use various online homework sites), and their bath and bed time, we settle with a (real) book for a story.

Then I will probably tune into the television screen, watching whatever takes my fancy, or use it as background noise as I blog…

Bedtime means time to relax with a book… again a screen, as I now tend to use my Kindle…

Wow! That’s a lot of screen time!

The kids, though I encourage them to be physical or creative, as much as possible, still seem to use screens a lot.

From the checking of his phone for friend’s messages, to playing games on his tablet, Lil Man sees various screens in the day too. He needs to use them for school and at homework time, and again the relaxation from watching TV is there too.

And Lil Princess loves to check out her YouTube subscribed channels in the morning, then watches various videos when she has time. The telly is inevitably on in the background too…

But, they do clubs where they get outside and run around, they go to the park, they both love to read, and write.

I try really hard to not allow a screen to become an electronic babysitter, as I fear many parents end up resorting to. Sometimes it is unavoidable, the easiest solution while you are rushing around doing other things, or if you are feeling under the weather and can’t cope with bickering off-spring. Believe me, I have definitely shoved a film on plenty of times to have peace… (Though deciding which one is painful as they both have different tastes!)

But, at least my two are able to talk, and run, and to all sorts of other things, besides being experts at swiping screens, and clicking a mouse!

Some children I encounter on a daily basis through work are so young, and the curse of the electronic babysitter has hit already. These kids can barely talk because at home, instead of conversations, they get given a phone or tablet to keep them busy. When a piece of paper is put in front of them, they cannot use pencils or pens, using a fingertip to swipe across it, and sit bewildered when nothing happens.

Of course the other thing is that you can’t always control what they watch. I know it is suggested that an adult be near or with a child while on the computer, or using any devices, but it isn’t always practical. If they are watching a fairly innocent cartoon on YouTube, you never know what could follow on, or what your child may click on to watch next, taking you to all manner of inappropriate sites.

I have a child in my class now who repeatedly appeared to use the F-word when he was frustrated. He doesn’t even have English as a first language. Bear in mind, he’s 3. His parents are really lovely, cultured and well educated, and were horrified to hear this. When we spoke, she said that he doesn’t hear anything like that at home… but upon questioning what he watches on TV or on the iPad, she started to think. It could be something he picked up from a video he watches (alongside turning every toy into a gun, and imitating the sounds pretty realistically, oh and you should see his acting if he gets ‘shot’! Oscar worthy!)

See? Electronic babysitters… You can’t get references for them, you know, unless you are a vigilant parent with all the parental controls turned on!

Ok, soap box stepped off… Next!