Riona turns seven

This is what I imagine Riona will be telling her children....in comparision I dont remember anywhere my parents had taken me except my grandparents while we grew up....we lived in the same home from the time I was seven...where my parents still live in contrast Riona lives in her 4th home in the 4th country.Call it Globalisation or progress!

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When you read these photos will help you imagine what I am trying to communicate!


When I was six I used to live in a country called Taiwan……and in a city called Taipei…( I am imagining and assuming she is not in Taipei)

We lived in a lovely “Big Home”.And for me that was home.my mum says if I get upset I would say I want to go back to Taipei!

I went to Taipei European School at 7:15 AM in the morning in a school bus….My mum really wanted me to play Tennis I whined so much so she decided to give it up….

I could not relate to Indian festivals so wearing Indian clothes was a lot of work…I did very well in my first very short piano recital….I took part in a swimming competition and swam 25 mts……

We played with sparkles on Diwali day in Taipei.I was a Daisy in Girl Scouts….My mum persisted so I went for children’s choir in the Church…
We loved to put up the X’mas tree…

Then we went visited our grandparents in Kerala for Christmas…

When we arrived back mum told us we are leaving Taiwan and going to a new country…

I did not understand but packers came and packed everything when I was in school and all my class mates said Good bye to me…We took a long flight and came to a cold country called United Kingdom….We were put up in a small apt….in Docklands….We had to go everywhere by walking and by trains….The only thing tht excited us was we had heavy snow for three days….It was the first time we saw a snowfall…Then my mum and Dad looked around and we went to see several houses over 50 of them I think until we found our present home….we were put in a new school and we had new uniform…..

Our home had very little things as our things took over a two months to come…Slowly my mum set up the house. We had bunk beds for Tanya and me. I used to sleep on top…

When all our things came…we began to go cycling in the evening around the compound.
We made friends…around the area…

I visted Wales and several castles in England…

We went to Paris and New York during summer holidays..
My mum said “you are a very lucky girl”
You have seen “London, Paris, NewYork and Singapore all in one year”

The Alpha World Cities in those days were
• New York City, London
Alpha World Cities +:
• Hong Kong, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo,Shanghai and Beijing

I had already been to all except Sydney,Shanghai and Beijing.

I always wanted to go to Australia as my teachers often happened to be from Australia …

My mum showed me a list of 50 most visited attractions and said …” we have taken you to lots of places…now you need to study hard and be a nice all rounded individual”

She often told us if we dont study and put in our very best the only jobs we will get is to serve burgers in McDonalds and she would be buying them from us....Hearing that used to make me feel upset and angry....