I was born in the Indian Sub-Continent everything in India revolves around spices, rice, festivals and brightly coloured Indian clothes. I conformed to the traditions of my very religious and strict family. I did not rebel, my dad was an Anglican Minister and my beautiful mother was a school teacher. But I loved my books not my study books but story books, I was hooked to Mills and Boon, Jeffry Archer, Danielle Steel, Cowboy stories of Luis L’amour, JT Edison, Robin Cook, Wilbour Smith, C S Lewis and many more stories, yes I was a hopeless romantic but my dad did not want me to date or party so I abided by his rules but at the same time apart from books I loved my music. I loved Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, The Spice Girls, Life was easy and good.
Then after my university where I hid. behind my music and books, I got a job in ICICI Stocks and Shares, Then my curiosity about other lands and places to see the western world took the better of me and I travelled a bit but still held captive by my religious upbringing. Surprisingly a door to come and study in the UK in Belfast Bible College to do a Diploma in Biblical Studies and Missions opened up and on top of that my parents too had an opportunity to work as missionaries in the Hillsborough Parish Church, This was such a blessing for us. It was then my dad and mum spoke to me about the prospect of marriage and my mother was raying for me and a few potential prospects from India emerged but I wanted to fall in love and didn’t want an arranged marriage, that was the only time Rebelled against my parents and told them if I can’t fall in love and get married I will be a protestant nun but I knew I will make a terrible nun, I loved makeup, pretty clothes and cute shoes way too much.
It was then I met my Prince Charming Mark Alexander we went on our first date to a restaurant called Olieo in Belfast, I asked him to order the food as I did not know much about western food, so after he ordered we waited for the food when the waiter brought the food I was surprised all I got was a small aubergine and goat cheese, I started fuming I thought he could have taken me to Mc Donalds and I could have had a hamburger, just then the waiter came again with a plate of Pink Salmon and Veg, It was then I knew the British Menu had a starter, main course and dessert, we held hands on the way back to the Bible College and we got married in nine months.
In the beginning our marriage was not a bed of roses, we were not just working on our relationship but on our cultural differences as well, it was then my husband and I started comfort eating especially in front of the television, from 9 stone I went up to 12 stone
My husband went up to 23 stone
We were not just an inter-racial couple but a huge inter-racial couple
We looked like Mr and Mrs Shrek
It was then through prayer, gyming and dieting our weight came off, Mark is now 14 stone
And I am 8stone 5
We both feel different and happy , above all we want to be healthy for our gorgeous 16 year old daughter, Yes we have had a transformation in our lives and I want to give God All The Glory
My dear sweet darling daughter, long ago when I was little and living in the exotic land of India, I discovered mushrooms growing in our large garden beneath our gooseberry tree and coconut trees. One day when I was playing in the garden, I saw a beautiful set of wings, I first thought it was a dragon fly then I thought no it is a butterfly, I later discovered it was a magnificent fairy. It was a beautiful exotic gentle sweet fairy who helps children in time of need, darling daughter these faires live under mushrooms. I call them the magic mushrooms. To the normal adult eye they are mushrooms but darling to the wonderful imaginative child like mind these are magic mushrooms without the cynicism or disbelief of the adult mind. Darling you have to look for these magic mushrooms, they are mostly hidden under large trees, shrubs or bushes, but you have to look very quietly with an open imaginative mind and then you might just spot them.
Oneday darling daughter when I was around 5 years old, I got lost in a crowd and I did not know how to get home and suddenly I saw a flutter and an other flutter and soon there were beautiful faires around me, they asked me ” little girl why are you crying” I told them I was lost and did not know how to get home then one beautiful fairy gave me something to eat, it looked like a pink, blue and purple mushroom but it tasted like chocolate, marshmallows and lemonade it was delicious and suddenly I got wings to fly like the fairies, the wings were light with pink, blue and purple lights flashing through them, they told me to wait for a moment while they were discussing something. Suddenly they flew over to me beaming and said ” little girl we have a surprise for you, you are coming with us to fairy land for the night and tomorrow you can go home” Needless to say darling daughter of mine I was thrilled me a mere mortal had the great honour of visiting fairy land. So they told me to flutter my wings three times, blink 5 times, jump once and surprise of surprises I was in the most beautiful place of magic and beauty
Listen closely child, there were purple, blue, pink and violet gorgeous mushrooms, the sky was beautiful and pink, there were rainbow coloured rivers where the fairy babies were playing there were silver and gold stars that shown in daylight. The grass was rainbow coloured and glittery one of the faires took my hand and said welcome to our humble abode, I managed to mumble humble, I was so awestruck by the beauty of the place, it was fantastic, it was glorious, it was exceptionally more beautiful than my little imaginative mind could comprehend. They then said ” little girl you are going to meet the king and queen of fairy land” I told them I was honoured, They took me to the most beautiful mushroom which looked like a castle it was awesome, it was fabulous , it was light blue, light pink, silver and gold, it had diamond doors and stood at the foot of the rainbow river with a magic golden bridge which allows you to walk on it if you say the magic password to a pink , glittery mushroom microphone.
Then one of the fairies mumbled something into the mushroom microphone and immediately a magnificent bridge appeared , Darling I do not know the magic password but the bridge was breathtakingly beautiful. I went into the mushroom castle and there were faires in red and black uniforms, there was suddenly a sound of drums and trumpets which the uniformed faires were playing. Then an old Fairy with blue transparent wings cleared his throat ” Ahem, Ahemmmmm but the music went on” Suddenly he took out two cymbals from under his wings and clanked them together. The music stopped and there was silence, bewildered at the sudden silence he cleared his throat again and said “Ahemmm,” Put his glasses on , pulled out a scroll and said ” ladies and gentle men, I mean fairies of Fairy Land, I now present the King and Queen of Fairy Land”
All the fairies put their wings in a bowing position and looked down, one of the fairies told me to bow to the King and Queen, but I could not help peeking, what I saw took my breath away there was the most magnificent gorgeous queen of the fairies, she was taller than the fairies she wore a gorgeous, gold and diamond dress, ooooh her wings were transparent with gold and silver cob web designs, she wore a beautiful gold crown, I was in awe of her, she looked at me and gave me the sweetest smile, The King was handsome and blond and was busy talking to some fairies.
Then the queen beaconed me to her, I flew over to her with my wings, She said “daughter of the earth you have come to fairy land at the right time, there are some wicked witches and evil wizards, who try to catch fairies and put them in bottles like trophies , That has strained the relationship between fairies and Humans , Now that you have seen us we want you to do something for us that will change the history between fairies and humans, we want to be invisible to humans from now on unless we choose to reveal ourselves, So that Fairy Land and Fairies will be safe, so you will be the bridge that makes fairies invisible to humans.
What you see you will remember, and the innocence and sweetness of a young child will dissolve the curses of the wicked witches and evil wizards, Now as you sleep I will sing , and when you wake you will be in your own bed in your home” Now on no one will know that we exist, but you chosen daughter of the earth you will remember every time you see a mushroom, Thank you for saving Fairy Land Good Night” Then darling daughter I heard the most soul stirring singing and I went to sleep.
Suddenly I heard my mother calling me saying” get up girl you have to get ready for school, I kept the secret of the Fairies from the time I finished school and married your handsome daddy, and when you were born my beautiful darling, I wanted you to know, I wanted you to know of the fairies of Fairy Land, And suddenly as my daughter was having breakfast she said ” Look mummy a butterfly” And the most beautiful gorgeous butterfly was at our Kitchen Window, I knew then that the fairies were watching over us. Darling daughter it is time for school, here is your lunch hurry or you will be late to school, As my daughter went out the butterfly followed her and then disappeared , Fairies thank you for watching over “us”
There once was a funny bear who had no money all he wished for was a bucket of honey, One bright day when the weather was fine and sunny, he had a grumbling in his tummy, He wanted that bucket of honey from the store, but funny bear was broke and had no money, So he sat on a log of wood and drifted to sleep, Then suddenly he heard a screech and there was a beautiful parrot
Who stood with a carrot, So funny bear said ” Oh Parrot, Oh Parrot you have a carrot, but I am broke and sore and want that bucket of honey from the store” Haughty Parrot replied “Oh my wings are tired And I have travelled a lot , But I am, sorry I have no money for your honey pot”.
Funny bear went for a walk looking for someone to talk . What he saw gave him a shock, There was a carnival in the forest
There was a stage for anyone who wanted to talk or sing or dance. Funny bear looked like he was in a trance, gave his name and this was his time for fame and the winner got the money if he was entertaining and funny, the weather was bright and sunny. Funny bear took a deep breath and the crowd was looking at him with curiosity , Funny bear thought to himself this was no time to worry, he had to have that bucket of honey, His friends always said he was funny,
The Curtain arose, funny bear took the mike and started telling funny tales and the laughter came in bales and there were more tales and more laughter. This funny bear was comedian master. When the time finished the curtains closed and they put a bill in his hand and his reaction froze , he was no longer funny, broke and sore, He won the score. He went to the store and bought his pot of honey, He now had money for many pots of honey.
The next day he sat on the green grass eating his honey and counting his money he said to his friend the haughty parrot, ” You have a carrot but I am funny and for that I will never regret “