Thoughts of a minibus traveller

Survivors of domestic violence, those who witnessed domestic violence, therapists and others joined in an online conversation on Thursday 28 May, 2020 to discuss healing for survivors. The lead facilitator was Carlotta Boodie Walcott – a clinical psychologist and the moderator was Vidyaratha Kissoon These notes reflect some of the discussion. Healing is a Journey The healing for survivors starts with the understanding of the impact of the domestic violence. The abuser’s actions – physical abuse, threats of violence, emotional abuse, economical abuse, sexual abuse - impacts on the physical and mental health of the survivor. Emotional abuse includes repeated threats, name calling, isolation, stalking , humiliation in front of other people. The effects of emotional abuse are devastating. The effects on survivors are a loss of a sense of self, sadness, despair, shame, depression, physical injuries, disabilities, ailments such as high blood pressure and stress related...

Feeling stuck with the writing work to be done. Thinking of doing something else new to take my mind off of the work.  The Sweet Potato roti is on my taste mind. There is some cooked butternut squash in the fridge. The butternut squash has a similar texture to mashed sweet potato.  Can I make something like butternut squash roti?  Nothing too difficult, simple ingredients, and quick. I go to Google. And end up with several suggestions from Kenya for Pumpkin chapoz, chapo malenge, pumpkin chapati. Oil roti But it is not so straight forward. There is a setting time - 30 minutes, and some oiling and so recommended. One person puts on the tawa just so, no oil, another person has each side oiled like how we make paratha roti. Jikoni Magic has a blog about the author's search for the perfect pumpkin chapati. She then has this video.  Mix the dough, let it set, roll out to get the layers, set some more, then put on the tawa. I love the explanation, and the...

The Mauritian woman said that the white sweet potato does not hold moisture the same way. I mash it hot and realise that I need to get it moist like the orange one in the video. I feel like an expert as I try to drop the water in , little at a time. If there was no Covid, I would have been doing some other things related to work. A friend shared the video. First time she trying roti, and she not ordinary, going for the sweet potato roti.  But this is not like the aloo roti which is aloo in place of dhal in the dhal puri. Hot mashed sweet potato.  , with flour and a drop or two of water. It comes together nicely in the basin. I use my hands, the chef said don't knead it too much. I roll in the log, cut the pieces , make the rounds. I roll it out , and it is round, flour there on the surface to stop the sticking. I am rolling carefully , hoping it would not break up. It doesn't I remember my Nanee , back in the days when Burnham banned flour, that she used to grate cass...

Breathing Morning time, sitting in boxers and drinking coffee  and avoiding  the details of the news beyond the headlines. Seeing some posts, type some comments, delete them, feeling the body tensing as I dodge the virus, the racism, the voting recount, the violence and other things Carlotta Marcia is live.  Early morning ritual of breathing with her. A few minutes. Breathing ritual in the morning. I could breathe with her and detach from the madness or I could be drawn into the madness.  And so after the few minutes of breathing, centring.. I am not feeling so bad that I can't change the world right now.  Breathing alone is good, breathing with others is also good. Wondering if all the people at the GECOM Convention centre, if the Chairperson led some collective breathing rituals in the morning, midday and before they go home.. if maybe things would be different. Breathing together rather than separately. Dancing   Kenrick Cheeks has a ...

Image taken from The National Archives UK (CO 1069-355-4) Dear ancestor, How come you sitting like that with knees crossed, hands folded in your lap.. like , like well a woman? Though the adult women in the image are  seated square, feet wide apart. Original image Dear ancestor... What is your name? Did the photographer write your name down? Did you get money from him? Did  the photographer ask you to sit like that? Or did you choose to sit like that feeling comfortable sitting in a way different from the man in the next frame from you with his hands wider apart on his thighs? Did you choose to sit like that on the stool, arms on your lap so that those who see the picture would imagine that the immigrant men sat differently? Did you love differently as you sat differently? Why did you look away from the camera?  Did anyone ever tell you to not sit like that? Did you do things which men did not do? Did you care? Did you know about Mohangoo an...

Scrolling the Facebook feed and I see something about cooking banana skin and I am like what? I start reading and see all kinds of things.. not too ripe, not too green, soak the skin.. etc etc.  I wonder if people mixing up plantain and banana, I mean we use green plantain skin as stain when making abeer at phagwah time. I social distance from other people and contemplate the cayenne banana which more expensive than sweet fig and I think, arite let me try the cayenne banana peel. Time too cook.  I peel one and eat it, and I peel another one and put in freezer.I don't know how to store peels. I see a recipe for curry... a lot of people talking about a bar b que type thing to put as a burger filling, but well curry anything is always good. I didn't see the point about soaking the skin for 30 minutes. I chunkay the curry, put in the skin. Try a thing with some coconut and ginger and so. Nice smell coming out, kind of sweetish too.  It bunjal down quick an...

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay The last couple of weeks, people have invited me to give feedback on different things - animated video, docu-drama video, literature review for an academic paper, poetry (indirectly), a piece of journalism.  The easiest thing to do is to point out any typos or grammatical changes. It is more difficult though to explain beyond 'I think it is nice' or 'I like it but.. " These are the lessons I have learned and applied. 1.  Do no harm, maintain relationships I don't give unsolicited feedback , except to point out typos and so in work which has been published by people I know who appreciate the corrections.  Some people who I have a goodish, cordial relationship with might ask for feedback on their work. I would not give feedback on the work if I think the feedback will damage the relationship. I will explain that I am not qualified, or I am not informed enough or that I don't want to engage in the subject of the w...