Up Top.

The morning after the night before, I stop at my local petrol station for yet another chore on my boring adult list of things to do and get. I am over-tired and under-hydrated. If only my friends weren’t so damn fun- maybe I’d have some self-discipline to leave before last orders on a school night.Continue reading “Up Top.”

Keep Calm and Carry Eye Drops.

Years of being a faux Brit have finally caught up with me. I have fought a good fight to maintain my Russian-Jewness, but I guess it was always inevitable. Twenty-odd years of living, breathing and speaking the lingo will eventually get you. What transformed me into fully-fledged Brit, you ask (you didn’t)? No, it’s notContinue reading “Keep Calm and Carry Eye Drops.”

Unsentimental.

“Mama, why is my artwork in the bin?”Erm… What’s that now?“The Easter egg painting and basket I brought home today are in the bin”. “It’s not in the bin, baby. It’s in the recycling. Those are two very different kinds of bins. The recycling bin is where I keep all my favourite art”. Mini-Me collectsContinue reading “Unsentimental.”

Community.

“Mama, I am curious, what is community?” Firstly, I have actual no idea how and when my kid got to be so eloquent. It’s almost certainly nothing to do with growing up in my house. Can’t be. I’m a foreigner whose English was largely learnt on the mean streets of Plaistow. Those who have heardContinue reading “Community.”

The Bad Guy.

My main takeaway from being a single parent is that you’re always the bad guy. Even when you’re the good guy, you’re still the bad guy. You’re always the one nagging on about brushing teeth and trying to reason with them when they want to wear shorts and sandals in winter. You’re the one thatContinue reading “The Bad Guy.”