maverickmommaadventures

I can really empathise with this time of year when young people are taking mock exams, it can really lay down routes for the future. It is not just the exams but support and encouragement they received that shapes futures too. In my last book I touched on topics such as teachers putting children down and mocking their dreams. This adds further stress to the whole process. If a child is told they can’t go to university or they should aim lower they will believe it and it can shape lives in a negative way. I feel very strongly about this issue which is why I wrote my book and I am taking it further with another project which is launching a home tutoring business with a difference. Not only will I be giving academic support to to people taking GCSE’s and A levels in English and Humanities subjects, I will also be offering mentoring and career guidance. During the mentoring and career guidance process I will help children turn around their negative thinking and help them to  make d...

To continue from the last post, my weekend as a Runner on the 1448 Design Team was beyond awesome. The theme for the first night was “ I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” On the first day I didn’t get the full 1448 experience due to juggling this with a day job but I definitely gained invaluable experience from the time I spent. My lunch hour was spent making poo tentacles and cutting material for neckerchiefs. When I returned in the evening it was a long but fun night with a happy and hardworking team that made every moment an amazing experience. We were on our feet all night running around but we had a lot of laughter in the process. Between running around I caught a glimpse of some of the acts and wow what amazing talents from the writers,actors and directors. I got in at 2am and caught a few hours sleep ready for the next day. Even with less sleep once I walked into The Y the energy of all the people around me woke me up. The theme for Saturday was “no pain no gain.” I felt on...

I'm really excited about my latest creative endeavour as a Runner for 1448 Leicester. The concept of 1448 was brought to the Y Theatre  Leicester from Seattle by husband and wife creative duo Amy and Bob Christer. The concept is to write and perform fourteen plays in forty eight  hours. The theme is drawn out of a hat and the writers have till very early the next morning to submit their finished scripts for the actors,directors designers etc to put together, then perform  over two evenings. I attended the launch event this evening and the creative energy is infectious. It is both fun with a discipline element to it, as there are tight time constraints. This is a brilliant opportunity for local artistes in the community to showcase their talents. Tonight  I met some amazing people from different walks of life and am looking forward to what the weekend has in store for us all. This is my first involvement with this festival but it has been running...

Following the interview  last Sunday I then was invited to make another radio appearance, this time on the Graham Torrington Late Night love Show  on Monday night. I had to pinch myself with this one as I grew up listening to that show. I've always been a fan so that phone call with the invite to appear on the show was a dream come true. This time the discussion was around is it wrong to celebrate divorce? My view on this was, being released from an unhappy marriage is like being released from a jail sentence and getting that decree absolute makes it final  putting a green light on being able to move forward with your life. When Graham Torrington asked me how I felt when I got mine, for me it was just a formality as I knew the marriage ended. We then talked about can it be seen as a failure. To this I responded it takes guts to leave an unhappy marriage and referring to my interview the previous night, life is for living not existing. Graham then asked...

It was an honour to take part in Arshia Riyaz’s  show Midlands Masala again last  weekend, some very stimulating insights on the subject matter including  is nine months too early to end a marriage, are people giving up too easily and with the increase in celebrity divorces are they setting  a bad example? I was amused when Arshia introduced me as the author of The Divorce Toolbox and am I someone who helps people to get divorced. To this I  replied that  I guide them through the process. When Arshia asked me my own view about Imran Khan and Reham Khans divorce within a few months of marriage I felt we need to look at the route of the problems, which is society, not just our Asian community but society in general puts pressure on being married . There is still a stigma attached with courting or living together. A perfect example is recently when Chukka Ummna went for labour leadership he was harshly criticised for having a girlfriend in his thirties...

Exactly this time last year when I published my self help book "The Divorce Toolbox" I was also invited on a radio show to not only talk about the book but also discuss the topic "why is divorce on the increase in Asian society." Following Imran Khan's recent announcement to divorce after just nine months of marriage the same radio show invited  me to take part in a discussion asking the question "is nine months too early to end  a marriage and how long should we give a marriage before making that decision? There will be other guests taking part in the discussion and listeners are are very welcome to phone in and  give their input. This is a very thought provoking topic that can be approached from several angles with a variety of insights. As someone who is divorced and written a book on it I certainly have many of my own views on this and look forward to sharing them with listeners. The show is BBC West Millands 95.6 a show called Midlands Masala with...

This time of year really takes me back! When the A level and GCSE results come out and people move onto pastures new. There is the aftermath of the grilling you get. I have touched on this issue at great length in my new book as it affected my childhood. Even if you feel your results are good enough for your path, society has a different view. The first social event you attend in the Asian community calender can be like a results day in itself. The comparison shopping of who got all A stars, who got into Oxford, who's doing medicine etc. Looking back on all this now I have finally realised this is not even half the battle of life. I still reiterate maybe someone did get more A stars than you but what have they contributed to society? Being an Oxford or Cambridge graduate does not make you a better person. Just because someone's life may appear perfect these appearances can be deceptive. In my collection my poem "Results Day" and story  "Behind the Scenes...

As we are well into the summer holidays now I am still amazed at the year Nishka and I have had. There have been highs and lows,darkness and light. In reflection the following poem came to me during a bus journey about a week ago; We Got Through! Got through the year, not without a tear. Outwardly a smile, inside a trial. Would the next phone call lead to a fall? Trying to keep track watching my back. Digging in the knife, cutting into life. Constant pacing heart,mind,body racing. Amongst the low, a lot to show. Moments of pride, no need to hide. My little angel growing inner goodness showing. Refusal to demise sparkle in the eyes. With every ounce of mettle fighting each battle. Not giving in, when luck wore thin.

Last  weekend along with three other lovely ladies I completed the Race for Life and raised money for a very worthwhile charity. I’m so happy I made it to the 10K finishing line in a total of one hour and thirty eight minutes. Taking part in this event has given me so much on many levels. As I said in the previous post I feel inspired to know survivors of the illness and it is with this pride I took part in the event. I have become a lot fitter from taking part in the Race for Life and had fun along the way. The last seven years took its toll on my own health and I feel by training for an event like this it has kick started a healthy fitness regime that I intend to maintain even though the race is over. If anyone is struggling for motivation to get fit and trying to juggle it with other commitments I strongly feel training for a charitable event is the way to go. It actually forces you to go for that run and not just talk about it. I found myself fitting training in around sch...

During the long gap I had from blogging I mentioned that I have been keeping very busy. Amongst the books and usual mummy mania etc I have also been training for the Race for Life which I will be taking part in this Sunday 5th July at Victoria Park Leicester at 2pm. Cancer Research is a charity I strongly believe in and feel proud to be supporting the event. However the cancer victims I know are actually survivors of the illness and still live to tell the tale which I find very inspiring and it gives hope. I have an aunt who fought the disease and survived, she proved to be stronger than the cancer itself. This same strength was passed onto me in my dark times and I consider the women I know as true role models, by not giving up. The mentality they took was basically to tell the cancer to **** off.  I hope anyone reading this post will find this very heartening. At the weekend I plan to do 10K combination of jogging and walking with some lovely ladies who I have met on th...

In the last couple of posts I discussed my new book which looks at bullying amongst many other adolescent issues. My own childhood has shaped how I tackle issues as a mother. Whether a child attends a private school or state school, regardless of the area bullying is inevitable, which is why I am arming Nishka with some survival tools. Two years ago Nishka and I took up the Korean Martial Art Taekwondo. At the weekend Nishka got promoted to yellow tag which I am really proud of, she worked hard and showed focus. However I always drum it into Nishka that Taekwondo is about more than progressing through the belts. When dealing with a bully it may not always be necessary to physically fight back but knowledge is power. Having the knowledge can put someone in a different mindset where they can even stand differently and feel in better control of a situation. I strongly advocate children learning Martial Arts from a young age. I took up Karate at the age of fourteen and am doing Tae...

In my last post I introduced my new book Embarrassing Siblings,Playground Taunts and other Growing Pains, which is a semi autobiographical anthology of poems and short fiction based on my childhood experiences. This collection covers adolescent issues that are still close to my heart such as bullying,racism,eating disorders, low self esteem, early puberty and many more issues. The bullying issues I cover in this collection  are not just describing fellow peers but also teachers. My siblings and I all have experience of having our dreams mocked or being met with negativity. The headteacher at my primary school told my mother that I would never set foot in a university. He was right I did not set foot in one university but two with two degrees to show for it. While I was being mocked, picked on etc  behind closed doors I had an outlet to vent which  was through my writing which has led to this collection. In some ways I feel the playground bullies, boys who called m...

I know it has been a while, which maybe putting it mildly. When I look at the date 27th January when I last posted on here, I know why I have left it for so long. At the start of February my long seven year battle finally drew to a close. I cannot actually believe I am writing this but I feel I have been given my freedom back from what felt like a life sentence. It is mainly this closure that has impacted on posting on here. On the one hand it feels like I have been given a life line and can look to the future. On a physical and emotional point of view these last few years have taken its toll on my mind and body. There is an strong sense of severe exhaustion that has hit me to the point where at times I feel like a zombie. When others have not been through what you have it is easy for them to judge but going through a legal battle like this does take its toll on your mind and body. I don't want to look back but when at every angle you are fighting  and stripped away of all...

Last weekend I gave a poetry recital for our Assamese harvest festival celebrations Magh Bihu. I perfomed two poems, one had a couple of stanza's in Assamese that I sang. The second one really provoked some thoughts, which went like this; In a rush to update your status. There is a hook, called facebook. In a rush, to update your status. Your dog got a fright, what you ate last night. Feeling ill, use facebook as a pill. Your flashy car, will take you so far. Flying high but living a lie. Your Prada bag! Is just a rag. making amends for having no friends. You dined at the Ritz, secretly in bits. Jumping on a bike, to get a like. To celebrate the material is so trivial. A small mind is the state of mankind. This attention has no retention. Social media has made us needier. In a rush to update your status.

This is the time of year when people make resolutions around better health. The excessive over indulging and taking it easy can leave the skin and body feeling sluggish with a break out in pimples. The weather at this time of year does not help matters. However it is the time of year when sales are going on, so good health does not need to break the bank. Tropicskincare is no different when it comes to sales but you also feel like you have made a trip to a spa. It is the kick start to overall health that everyone needs at this time of year. I reiterate it is not just a skincare regime but a way of life. The natural products penetrate through the whole system drawing out toxins, making you want to take better care of yourself. The products are vegan and chemical free with all ingredients listed on the packaging, so you know what you are putting into your body. For a detoxing spa experience without the celebrity price tag check out the latest sales and offers at  https://www.tro...