So when would be a good day?

I'm a practising Catholic and so is my husband so my son has been christened into the Catholic faith. We go to Church pretty much every Sunday...we have missed the odd week and lots of times we have not had a good excuse! I enjoy going to Church, it makes me feel uplifted at the end....and it's the only place I can sing freely with only my husband covering his ears. At the minute it's hard to stay too focused on the homily with a squirming 7 month old and we do the usual hide at the back and will probably doing that for a few years to come. If I have a problem I usually turn to God and if I have family friends who have a problem I usually turn to Him again. I can be bad and forget some days not to pray because I don't have a problem but now with my son I seem to say "Dear Lord...." everyday anyway. I enjoy being a Catholic and am not afraid to admit being a Catholic and my confidence in there being a God who looks over and protects my family. You see though unless you asked me it's probably not something I would mention. I don't try and 'sell' my religion to others and may not be that good about arguing for my faith. It's always been my personal thing.

Yesterday a young man stopped me. He did not have to say anything. His beige trousers and white shirt gave him away immediately....a Seventh Day adventist. He only asked for a moment of my time and I immediately brushed him off and said "Not today sorry". His response "So when would be a good day?". I just kind of mumbled and kept walking. When I think about how it irks me to see what some of the youth of today get up to why could I not give 5 minutes to a young man that just wanted to talk to me about God. So he is of a different faith, I could have easily explained we are practising Catholics and are happy. 

I don't want my son to feel forced into believing anything. Yet I honestly want him to learn some good values which I think you can learn from religion even if he chooses not to take it too seriously. So when would be a good day? I think I should have said everyday...not just for Sundays.

21st May 2011

I just wanted to say that this is actually my husbands birthday and I just think that it is funny that it coincides with the supposed date when the world is going to end. The first time I heard this was when it was being 'advertised' by a religious group on the streets of Glasgow. I don't really understand why someone thinks that a good way to 'sell' your religion is by scaring people into it. The fact that you have to do that to me means that the people who join possibly aren't truly that religious at all just desperate. To change your life simply because of the inevitability of death seems to be changing your life only out of fear. To me personally it is limiting, some of us aren't bold enough to face our fears and instead just give up. I hope there is more that will drive us to change or to live our lives to the fullest. Is it cheesy to talk about love of others, our family and friends. At the minute my focus for change, living life to the fullest is simply life itself as I have a little one who I am helping nurture and grow.

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk

Well I just can't do this book justice, it was like being back at school where I wanted to ask the teacher questions of what exactly is this trying to say. I feel like it went up and beyond me and I think it has a lot to do with the way it has been written or translated anyway. It actually took me a while to read and I had to struggle at times not to give up as I really wanted to grasp it's depth and meaning but at times I felt I was losing. So I guess I never really lost myself in this novel to fall in love with it.

Strangely though I know I have to recommend it. The story itself has many levels of different themes. At it's heart it is a murder mystery set in the late 16th Century but the question is why was someone murdered? On it's second level it's about the philosophical differences between European and Islamic art and a clash of cultures in times of change. There is a lot of discussion on art and it's detail is impressive so if this is your topic of choice it will probably have high appeal. Mingled in between are themes of love and identity. 

So its a bit slow and offers a challenge but it is an interesting read.

Easter reflections

One of the great things about travelling is experiences different cultures and the way that they do things, sometimes differently and sometimes surprisingly the same.

My memories of Easter at home in Jamaica are mainly around religious traditions. As a family we would abstain every Friday and not eat any meat. I remember not complaining too much as that usually meant we would have a special delivery of veggie pizza that night to look forward to. The penultimate was Good Friday which was usually the dreaded day of sitting at home and not being able to do anything! I remember as a little girl at prep school making our Easter bonnets for our Easter parade...'I've an Easter bonnet with all the frills upon it....' singing and parading in front of the older children at the school. There was definitely a feeling of importance there being on show. I don't remember Easter eggs or eggs hunts.

When I arrived to the UK I found that they even sold cards to help you celebrate the event. The stores would start advertising the sales of their Easter eggs from early in the year once they got Christmas and the New Year out of the way! Cadbury cream eggs...I must say they are a sticky favourite with me. You mean the Easter bunny actually exists and they have Easter egg hunts. I remember celebrating my first Easter at work with the children, putting on my bunny ears and tail, heading out in the garden and hiding the eggs for the children to hunt and collect in their baskets...if they don't eat them first!

Then there is Italy, Buona Pasqua, with our celebrations on Easter Sunday as usual centred around food. I love this place and I love Pannetonne! Of course they really go to town with their Easter eggs here and it's amazing some of the special things that you find inside. Hubby will always have a special place in his heart for kinder eggs and being able to build his special toy!

And now I have just experienced my first Easter in New Zealand. Waking up early on Easter Sunday and heading to church and with a special Italian twist as our Easter egg that afternoon travelled all the way from there. I find myself again at work with the children hiding the eggs and watching their excited faces as they venture on the hunt.

However you celebrate, however you do it, Happy Easter!