I never wanted to be a teacher. I have two sisters who are teachers, and that's not what I wanted to be. I fancied myself in some kind of high-flying corporate career. Which is why it's surprising, after 20 years working for an international development bank (and let me be clear, this is not as… Continue reading Teach, Speech, Reach
Tag: Discover prompts
My “books to read” shelf
I love books. I can't help myself, I buy a lot of them. Mostly I buy them second hand from charity shops, so I can persuade myself there is some justification for my addiction. I read somewhere around 35-40 books a year, so this represents more than a year of reading for me. I track… Continue reading My “books to read” shelf
Absence of Light
Never was a condition so aptly named as S.A.D. - Seasonal Affective Disorder. I experienced it for the first time about 20 years ago. It was not my first winter in the UK - I had been living here several years by then, including parts of two winters in Scotland. But that particular November and… Continue reading Absence of Light
Bite
Beware the Jabberwock, my son!The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! I'd caught a frill neck lizard in our yard. I must have been about seven. At the impressionable age where I'd seen movies and read books where someone traps a wild animal (a wolf, a horse, a bird) and makes it their friend.… Continue reading Bite
Orchestration for strings
A few years ago i saw the Carole King musical, Beautiful. There's a scene where she and her husband Gerry Goffin are talking to the Shirelles about a new song they've written for them, "Will you love me tomorrow". The Shirelles were a bit hesitant about the song at first because the demo version they… Continue reading Orchestration for strings
Ain’t got – I got
Today's writing challenge word - pairs - was a challenge for me. It took me a while thinking about it before a song came to me - Nina Simone singing about what she ain't got and what she's got, and lots of those things she's got come in pairs: "Got my arms, got my hands,… Continue reading Ain’t got – I got
“Show me the curve”
There's a friend I've had since primary school. We were clubbing buddies back in our late teens but then grown up life kicked in and our lives headed in different directions. She got married and had children, I headed overseas. We're back in touch now, mostly through social media. And it's her social media postings… Continue reading “Show me the curve”
Life Below Zero
Once upon a time I lived in Moscow in the winter. It was 15 years ago now, but here are some memories of a life lived below zero. The day I arrived, Moscow was having a 'mini heatwave' which meant temperatures were a toasty -5C. This was pretty cold for me; the UK in general… Continue reading Life Below Zero
Hands and nails
I've taken off my wedding ring. So has my husband. It's not the end of anything, it's just that in these days of constant and thorough hand washing, it doesn't make sense to wear a ring. It's either going to get soap trapped in it or become a potential hiding place for germs where it's… Continue reading Hands and nails
Street/life
I never thought much about being able to walk down a street. It's something you do every day, to get to your car, to the train station, to the bus stop, to the school, to the shop, to your neighbour's house. You leave your house and walk down the street. You don't even necessarily look… Continue reading Street/life
Tales from Tobhamhor 