They need my pic ! MY PIC ? Oh, my !

Well, this is a time when I can be vain and act all important about it, because, you see, it's for the book.


Months ago, I was asked to send an author's picture, but I promptly forgot about it. And then, I cut my hair, last summer. This is something I do every two, three years. I let my hair grow below my shoulders usually, and by then, the time that it took for it to grow has worn my patience out and I can't wait to get a new face and I usually chop it off. The scenario can change, here. Sometimes, I go from long to really short all at once. Chop chop ! Other times, I do it gradually. Well, this time, I did it gradually from November until July, last summer, when I decided that now, I wanted it really SHORT. Not quite crew cut short, but almost. I liked it for a while - not sure anyone else did, though :) - but then, I started longing for my long hair again. So, it's been growing and no way was I going to have my author picture taken in that in-between-time. Now, it's reached an acceptable length, and anyway, I can't wait any longer. So, my husband was appointed official photographer, today, and I sat in different spots in the garden, squinting at the sun - to bring the blue out of my eyes, you know, I'm telling you, this is my very vain moment - while he took one picture after another. And now, of course, I don't know which one to send to Tilbury. But that's OK. It's fun and exciting. I think I'll get the girls and the official photographer to help me choose, tomorrow.

A couple of days ago, I sent the author bio as well. It does look as if this is really happening...

Update on my coming picture book

Much has happened over the past few weeks regarding the publication of my picture book, to be released sometime in May 2008 : Amadi's Snowman.

The illustrations are done and I'm now anxiously waiting to see the proofs - I've only seen the dummy, so far. The good news is that I received a first positive critique from Michael Afolayan, Ph. D. who was consulted for authenticity's sake (the story is set in Nigeria and the characters are Igbo.) Here is what he said :

"This write-up is respectful of the culture in which it is set. It is a breath of fresh air to read of a children fiction set in Africa that does not irritate the eye of the African reader with condescending language and stereotypical depictions. After all, when was the last time we read an African children fiction whose theme is literacy with a good end? For these and some other reasons, I think this is a story book that is worth reading."

Not too bad, hey?

And so, the waiting game continues.

Rajasthan, Udaipur

Udaipur was also founded on a spot where a hermit was meditating, but this time, the hermit blessed the prince Rama Udai Singh II - this is the year 1559 - and told him that this would be an auspicious spot to build a new city. Surrounded by hills, and on the shores of the lake Pichola, Udaipur is truly magical. Here we see the Lake Palace on the left - of James Bond fame : Octopussy, with Roger Moore, was filmed here - and the City Palace on the right.

The next two pictures are of the City Palace, seen from the lake.

This is another view of the Lake Palace from inside the City Palace, this time.

I loved how the sun played with the sheer colorful fabrics of the women's saris. This is a window of the City Palace overlooking one of the gorgeously decorated courtyards, as seen in the picture below.

Here I'm, below, with my little one, exploring the streets of Udaipur.

And this concludes our little tour of Rajasthan.

Continuing with Rajasthan : Deogarh

Deogarh is a charming little town set in the hills, north of Udaipur, and we spent New Year's Eve there - or what was left of it, as we only got there after 9.30 PM, after a car journey that lasted
two hours more than expected. Here is the beautiful Deogarh Mahal all decked out for the new year's festivities. The party happened on the courtyard on he first floor, with much dancing on the tunes of the last Bollywood movies - and a good thing, too, because it was freezing cold.











This is the entrance gate, with its wall mural.

The following morning, we walked around the village, drawing lots of attention from everyone. I'm used to it, and tend to oscillate between feeling amused and ignoring it - pretty much like all the people who see us walking around, I suppose. We are, after all, as curious about them as they are about us. Still, with the children, it's a little harder, in part due to the Indian habit of pinching children's cheeks. Our kids hate that, and it's not always easy to explain that we/they don't want people putting their hands on their faces AND pinching them. Although our little one has become quite good at clamoring her discontent or dodging any approaching hand. Still, people are usually welcoming, and most of them love having their pictures taken - children actually ask for it, and are then delighted to be able to see themselves on the little screen. That's the marvel of digital cameras. We took dozens of photographs, of course. Here is one of a lady decorating clay pots.







Elderly gentlemen conversing in the sun.

A man frying some of those delicious - and, oh, so fattening! - Indian sweets.

And finally, a smiling lady showing off her little goat.

Tomorrow, we continue with yet another amazing fort, Kumbhalgarh, and Udaipur.

New Year Resolutions !

I used to refuse to make new year resolutions. Some part of me continues to balk at the prospect of writing down a list of things to do. I'm not good with lists, anyway. Once upon a time, when I was an overweight teenager, I used to make lists with the week days and the number of grams I had decided I was going to loose, each day. Of course, it never worked. To this day, when I write a shopping list, I leave the shop without even looking at it. That said, the process of writing the list has an undeniable advantage : it reminds me to check inside the fridge and the pantry to see what I need before I rush to the shop - I hate grocery shopping and usually try to get rid of the chore as fast as I possibly can. So, this year again, I will not write any list, BUT I will look inside my personal pantry and try and see what could use a little work, what may benefit from a little extra attention, what needs to be focused upon, etc. And I can also write random thoughts and wishes, as a reminder of things that I'd like to see happen or done, not necessarily within a 12 months time frame, but somehow down the line, when the time is right. Call me an underachiever, maybe. I can take it :)

Wishes :

I'd love to get into the MFA Vermont Program. That's a wish I've had for a while. I never completed my studies, having gone in a direction that was so totally NOT me - Law, for Pete's sake ! What was I thinking? Probably, I wasn't thinking, actually - but I've always had that longing to return to some sort of academic studies. Ever since I've heard of that course, I've felt it was just perfect for me. There are great teachers, it's low residency, which means it can be done even when one has children and doesn't even live in the US, and imagine : you get to write for children, and in the end, you get a diploma. Doesn't get any better than that, does it? If only the process to get into an American university wasn't so complicated - not to mention outrageously expensive - especially as a foreigner... Still, this is definitely on my list of things to be done, maybe not in 2008, but sometime, hopefully soon.

I need to work more on writing magazine pieces.

I need to get out of my house, more. I live like a hermit, almost. Sometimes, two weeks go by without my going anywhere, if anyone can believe that. And I need to exercise, to get some fresh air. My problem is that as soon as I get up, the urge to sit in front of the computer to check emails, read blogs, etc, becomes irresistible. With the difference of time, most emails from the US appear during the time that I sleep, and so, my inbox is usually at its fullest early in the morning. And once I'm sitting at the computer, there is always something to do - work on a translation, write, read emails, do research, etc - and before I know it, evening has come and another day is gone. Another problem I have is that the great park not too far from our house is only open until 8.30 am in the morning, and then again in the late afternoon. I could never understand that policy, but that's the way it is. And don't ask me to take a walk before 8.30 in the morning. I'm barely alive, at that time. And of course, late afternoon is the time for homework, bath, kids' dinner, etc. Still, I need to do something, because I know it would be good for my mind, not to mention my flabby body.

Last but not least, I'd like to worry a little less about anything and everything under the sun, and to enjoy myself a little more. I'm not very good at that. Carpe Diem, and all that jazz. This is probably the hardest for me. Relax, and smell the roses.

So, there : inner pantry all checked for now. The "this-is-not-a-list" is tucked somewhere in my mind. Let's see what this new year brings. 2007 was the year that my first book was accepted. 2008 will see said book out, and I'll be attending the SCBWI conference in LA, again, this coming summer. I have two picture book manuscripts doing the rounds. One project that may or may not become a novel or a short story - I need to make a decision. I'm so scared to even think that I want to write a novel. A couple of picture books on the works. And another project that may or may not become a chapter book. So, enough blabbering about what I'd like to do. Let's get down to work, now.

Our trip to Rajasthan. First stop : Jodhpur

After three and half years in India, we have finally been where everyone rushes first : Rajasthan. It was well worth the wait. Unfortunately, we had to cancel Jaisalmer because our little one became quite ill on Christmas Eve and ended up spending two days in hospital to fight dehydration. I still hope we can see Jaisalmer, the desert city, before we leave India. But for now, and considering how we had to reschedule several flights, hotels and everything at the last minute, I feel lucky that we managed to get to Jodhpur, Deogahr, Kumbalgarh Fort, and finally, truly magical Udaipur. I'll share a few of the 800 + pictures my husband and I took.

Above is the mighty - but cursed, more about that below - Mehrangarh Fort, perched on its rocky cliff, 400 feet above the plain. It seems to grow out of the rock itself, and in some parts, the rock face was hewn to create its ramparts. It's quite a walk, all the way up, and there is an elevator for those who don't want to make the effort. We didn't mind, but it's a good thing that it was cool outside. I can't imagine the climb in the blistering heat of summer.

This young boy who couldn't be more than 4 years old was inside the Mehrangarh Fort, between the first and the second gate, with his father who played the ravanhatta. He welcomed us in about half a dozen languages - Hello, Bonjour, Hola, Ciao, Gutten Tag, etc - before he proceeded to ask - repeatedly, this young chap was on a mission - for a "baksheesh" and apparently, that word needed no translation. He sang, he danced, he charmed everyone who came near him, and seemed to take a liking to our smallest daughter, who was her height, and when his father got up a few minutes, he promptly replaced him with the instrument. He didn't really play, but he was just as good at pretending.

Below are the roofs of Jodhpur, aptly-named "the blue city." The blue houses were originally for Jodhpuri Brahmins, as they'd discovered that the light indigo color deflects the heat and wards off mosquitoes. Soon, non-Brahmins joined in. All these blue roofs and walls are quite a sight, from the fort.

This is one facade of the palace apartments inside the fort, with its delicately latticed balconies. We took the audio tour, and really enjoyed it, in spite - or because - of some of the gruesome stories connected to the fort. For instance, a hermit meditated on this plot of land and had to move out so the foundation could be laid. Not too happy to be forced out of his chosen spot and deprived of such a lovely view, no doubt, said hermit cursed the land. To date, Jodhpur suffers from shortage of water - due to this curse, says the legend. In order to keep the fort safe, a human sacrifice was required, and a man called Raja Ram Medhwal volunteered to be buried alive in the foundation. A tiny plaque mentions the valour of Raja Ram. Makes you shudder.

This camel was patiently waiting outside the first entrance to the fort, all decorated, with his lunch laid out in front of him.

Happy New Year !

While in Delhi, on our way to Rajasthan, we visited the Baha'i House of Worship. I like the idea of posting a picture of the beautiful lotus shaped temple in the first post of this new year. I loved getting in line, barefoot (in spite of the very cold ground) among all these people who came from everywhere, people from all and any faith on earth, and to feel the gentle spirit of the international cast of volunteers who guided and explained the rules of the place in several languages, so everyone could understand.

The Baha'i faith is an independent world religion with basic teachings such as : "oneness of humanity, of religion and of God, the abandonment of all prejudices, the agreement of science and religion, promoting universal education, the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty, equality of men and women."

Sounds good to me.

May This Holiday Season be Filled With Joy for All!

Wherever you are, and wherever you're from...




Free Comments & Graphics

When it rains it pours !

And I LOVE this monsoon showering me with happiness in the middle of India's winter - read lovely temperatures that allow long sleeves during the day, sunshine, a lovely breeze, and at night, a nice chill and no need for A/C. So, what am I so happy and excited about ? Well, not only did I get to post Kimberly Willis Holt's interview on this blog, yesterday, but something else happened that totally rocked my day. I finally met my teacher - even more than my teacher, I consider her my mentor - Uma Krishnaswami !

See ? Here she is, sitting on my couch. Yeah, yeah, I'm telling you, it's my couch.

Uma is in India visiting friends and family, and she came to Hyderabad for a couple of days and I spent two lovely hours with her, talking, talking, talking. Nooo, I didn't do all the talking. I let her participate, too. Uma is all I imagined her to be : vivacious, generous, and so incredibly modest. And she has the most beautiful hair. It definitely was my Christmas present, this year. And now, so no one can tell she was just sitting on some couch, looking pretty, here we are together.

Thank you so much, Uma, for carving out some time for me out of your busy travelling schedule. It meant the world to me.

Kimberly Willis Holt speaks about Piper Reed Navy Brat

I’m so pleased to welcome [American] National Book Award author Kimberly Willis Holt for my very first interview on this blog.

Kimberly’s first novel, My Louisiana Sky, was an ALA Notable Book and an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults. It also received a Boston Globe—Horn Book Honor Award. Her second novel, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, won the National Book Award. Her novel Keeper of the Night was a "Best Book of the Year" selection from School Library Journal, Kirkus and Bank Street College. Please, visit her website at http://www.kimberlywillisholt.com/as it is totally charming, original, and fun..

Kimberly now lives in Texas, but she was a Third Culture Kid who moved a lot during her childhood. This interview is going to focus on her last novel Piper Reed Navy Brat (illustrated by Christine Davenier, Henry Holt 2007) the theme of expatriation, and how Kimberly’s life as a TCK has shaped her and continues to shape her writing.

look at Piper, isn't she irresistible?

Kimberly, tell us about Piper Reed Navy Brat, and what prompted you to write this book.

I’m a Navy brat. My dad was a Navy chief and served in the Navy for twenty-one years. I was born during a hurricane in Pensacola, Florida. After that we lived in a village outside of Paris, France. The other places I lived were Norfolk, Virginia, Alexandria, Louisiana, Barrigada, Guam, Bremerton, Washington, Forest Hill, Louisiana and New Orleans, Louisiana. We also visited Barcelona, Spain and Japan. We were gypsies.

For the last ten years, my editor has wanted me to explore that military childhood in my writing. I resisted because I thought it would be too autobiographical. But one day I heard the carefree voice of a nine-year-old girl. “I’ve lived everywhere,” she said.

This may sound strange, but that's the way stories come to me.
The main character's voice speaks. Many times the first
statement they make becomes the first sentence in the book. I’ve learned to listen to those voices and follow them. The day I heard Piper’s voice was the day I started writing the book that eventually became Piper Reed Navy Brat.

What, from your nomadic childhood, would you say had the most lasting impact on your adult life?

I was a shy girl, but being forced to be the new girl so often made me adaptable to many situations. That can be a huge asset in life.

Do you feel it was a privileged life, or not? And why?

I lived more places by the time I was ten than many adults only dream about going to. I’ve learned about other cultures first hand. In France, I attended kindergarten and learned to speak and read the language. On Guam, I attended fiestas with my Chamorro friends and learned to dance the cha-cha. During my high school years, my friends and I would sneak off to the French Quarter. Yep, I have had a privileged life. Not one with a lot of money, but a life filled with rich experiences.

If you had to live your childhood as a military kid again, what would you like to be different? What would you say was the best part about that life? And what was the worst, the hardest?

If I had my military childhood to do over again, I’d try to look at each move as a new rich experience. And I’d stay in touch with the friends I made along the way. The best part about that life was learning about other cultures. The hardest part was leaving people I cared about behind. As a child I usually saw my grandparents once every couple of years. But I’ve been fortunate to get to spend more time with them as an adult. All four of my grandparents were living in my mid-thirties and two are here today. So I made up for those years that I didn’t get to see them as often as my cousins did.

I read somewhere that you have two sisters, like Piper Reed. Would you say their experience was the same as yours? Or do they have different feelings about their nomadic childhood?

When people would ask my middle sister, the inspiration of Piper, where she was from, she’d proudly answer, “I’m from nowhere.” I wanted to be from somewhere. But Alicia embraced that life. She was fearless and made friends easily.

My other sister is eleven years younger than me. She was six when my dad retired from the Navy. While I attended college in Louisiana, the rest of the family moved to Texas. My youngest sister has lived in the same zip code most of her life. Her children attend the schools she attended. In a way, she had the childhood I wanted.

Any advice for parents of TCKs that you feel might help smooth things out for their nomadic children?

Make every destination an adventure, but make it home, too. My mom turned every place we lived into a home. She made pillows for the couches, wallpapered the walls, and planted flowers in the garden. My parents allowed us to have pets on Guam even though we weren’t allowed to take them when we left. We had cats, rabbits and turtles. My dad built a tree house for us. Because of my parents, I would forget that we were going to move.

At the same time we learned about the areas we lived in, usually on Sunday drives. I think one of the worst modern luxuries is a television in a vehicle. We looked out the window and learned about the world. That was our entertainment. That and playing silly car games or singing songs off-key.

My parents still cook foods that they learned to make while we lived in different destinations. My mom learned to make spaghetti from some Italian neighbors we had in Paris. We ate it every week, growing up. My parents sometimes cook lumpia and pancet that they learned to make on Guam. Fried rice is common in the states now, but there was a time that it wasn’t. When we lived in my parents’ home town for a while, my mom made fried rice for a church potluck dinner. She called it Guam Fried Rice. Well at the next church potluck dinner, half a dozen versions of the dish spread out among the chicken and dumplings and pink-eyed purple hull peas. My mom had introduced Guam culture to Forest Hill, Louisiana. That’s what moving around a lot does—it makes the world smaller.

You seem to have a pretty settled life nowadays. Do you ever get itchy feet, the need to go abroad again?

All the time! I love to travel and do. My daughter was raised in Texas, but she is aware of the world beyond this state. I think my military childhood is part of the reason why. My husband also traveled a lot as a boy. By the time he attended high school, he’d been to every state except Hawaii and Alaska. So he, also, knows the importance of travel.

When did you know you wanted to become a writer?

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was twelve. I wrote a poem about a Viet Nam soldier. My science teacher encouraged me to show it to the creative writing teacher. He liked it too, and told me he hoped I’d enroll in his class the next year. I started the day feeling like a misfit and I ended it feeling very special. That’s the power of teachers. I was also lucky enough to have an eighth grade English who taught us to journal. Those teachers made me feel like I could be a writer. I’ve tried to find them in recent years, but I’ve had no luck. So if you will allow me to give a shout out to Mr. Kimmel, Mr. Norseth and Ms. Pratt—Thank you!

Would you tell us a bit about how it all happened?

After college, I did a lot of other jobs—radio news director, advertising, marketing a water park, working as a terrible interior decorator. Still words were a part of my life. I journaled and wrote long letters. Then on June 15, 1994, I made a commitment to be a writer. It’s been a wonderful journey.

So far, you've written novels set in Louisiana, Texas, on the island of Guam, and now, in Florida – all places that you know well. Do you find that you choose the setting of a book before the story comes to you? Would you tell us how that works for you?

Most of the time, the setting comes with the story. I hear the voice of the character. They tell me who they are and about their dilemma. As I begin, I usually know the ending. It’s the journey to the ending that I have to discover. That’s where the fun and the fear lives.

Setting is important to me. I try to make it a character in the book. I think setting shapes people. People are not the same everywhere. We may have universal feelings. We all experience joy and sadness, but place can give us distinct traits. And even that can effect what we view as joyful or sad. So it’s important to me as a writer to get the setting right. When I wrote Keeper of the Night, I returned to Guam to research. I couldn’t rely on the fact that I’d lived there for two years.

Will we read more Piper Reed adventures?

Yes. The second book, Piper Reed, The Great Gypsy comes out in August, followed by the third book in August 2009. And there may be more adventures. I hope so. In that way, I’m a bit like Piper Reed. I want to spread “Get off the bus!” around the world.

Thank you so much, Kimberly, for doing me the honor of stopping here to answer these few questions.

Thank you, Katia. It’s been my pleasure.

Well, that's it. Annette Gulati, you are the lucky winner who'll get a signed copy of Piper Reed Navy Brat. Please, visit Kimberly on her website and send her your mailing address mentioning how you won, so she can send it to you.

Giving A Book Away !

One of the perks of having an author stop at your blog while on tour - other than the great pleasure of interacting with a children's writer, which as far as I'm concerned is more than enough - is that you often get to give a book away to your readers.

So, OK, this blog's readership is still rather intimate - nothing wrong with family, right, especially when you get to choose all the members :) - but that's OK. I'll bet there are a few expats - or others - out there who'll jump at the opportunity of receiving a free signed copy of Piper Reed Navy Brat ! If you're one of them, just leave a comment between today and Thursday evening, when Kimberly Willis Holt's interview will appear on this blog, and I'll draw one lucky winner !

Third Culture Kids

As I prepare my interview for Kimberly Willis Holt, I think I should have a post about the theme of expatriation, and what it means for our global children, these children who accompany their parents into other cultures : the Third Culture Kids.

"A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background."

David C. Pollock & Ruth E. Van Reken
Third Culture Kids

Wikipedia has an interesting article about TKCs.

One statement fascinates me because I find it to be totally true: "TCKs have more in common with one another, regardless of nationality, than they do with non-TCK's from their own country."

My daughter's best friend, whom I mentioned in my last post, came to visit us in France, last summer. In the TGV that was bringing her to the south of the country, they met another British family en route for their holiday destination. As the two families exchanged the usual introductory sentences, my daughter's friend's first question to the other children was : "So, how many countries have you lived in?" The other children looked at each other, a little puzzled. For my daughter's friend, the question was totally spontaneous and natural. In the short 7 years of her life, she's already lived in Australia, Singapore, India and now the UK. She was simply expressing what she knows.

My own seven-year-old has lived in New York, in Nigeria, in India, and who knows where we'll be going next - well, hopefully, we will sometime soon. During those years, she visited France, Spain, Haiti, New York and Florida in the US, Benin, Morocco, India and Sri Lanka. She left friends in Nigeria, some who then moved to Indonesia. She has friends and family in France, Spain, Haiti and the US. She now has friends in the UK as well. And that global network of hers will continue to grow along with her. She also understands, although still reluctantly, and definitely not without pain, that her life is a lot about saying good bye. As I mentioned in my last post, even my 3-year-old knows about it, now. This also happens to be the theme of a couple of picture book manuscripts I have, sitting in slush piles here and there.

Of course, the good thing is that with the Internet, Windows Live Messenger and Skype, it is easier now than ever to keep in touch with people almost anywhere in the world. Also, studies seem to show that most TCKs do rather well in life. Still, it's not easy, and the downsides of that life should not be disregarded, nor considered lightly.

To end on a humorous note, I found the following statements on several blogs and websites. I had to laugh, because practically all of them apply to us.

You know you are a Third Culture Kid when:

- You can't answer the question "where are you from?"
- You speak two (or more) languages but can't spell in them
- "Where are you from?" has more than one reasonable answer
- You feel odd being in the ethnic majority
- You have the urge to move to a new place every couple of years
- You have a time zone map next to your telephone
- You go into culture shock upon returning to your "home" country
- You flew before you could walk
- You have a passport, but no driver's license
- You speak with authority on the quality of airline travel
- Your life story uses the phrase "Then we went to..." five times or more
- You don't know where home is
- You run into someone you know at every airport
- You sort your friends by continent
- Your dorm room/apartment/living room looks a little like a museum with all the "exotic" things you have around.
- You automatically take off your shoes as soon as you get home
- National Geographic (OR THE TRAVEL CHANNEL) makes you homesick.
- Your second major is in a foreign language you already speak
- You feel that multiple passports would be appropriate.
- You go to Pizza Hut or Wendy's and you wonder why there's no chili sauce
- Your high school memories include those days that school was cancelled due to tear gas, riots, demonstrations, or bomb threats.
- Half of your phone calls are unintelligible to those around you.
- You know the geography of the rest of the world, but you don't know the geography of your own country.
- You realize it really is a small world, after all.

Much needed update on things to come...

It's been far too long since my last post, BUT I'm glad to report that I now see the end of the tunnel ! Translation is actually finished. I'm rereading the whole thing, and it is going smoothly as well. Almost there !

Plus, there is much in the pipeline...

I entered a contest to win a book, the other day, and I WON ! Little me, who never, ever wins anything. But the best of the best is that I discovered an author who grew up as an expat and a military brat. Kimberly Willis Holt won the National Book Award for her novel, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town. That's the book I won, by the way. And now, she has another novel out with a global child as the protagonist. Piper Reed Navy Brat.

Kimberly is holding a blog tour, and, AND, AND, she kindly agreed to stop here on Thursday to answer a few questions. How fitting that my first author interview should be with an author who had the kind of childhood that inspires much of my writing !

As life would have it, this happened on the day that my little one - 3 and half - had to say good bye to her very best friend of two years - these two were truly inseparable from the moment they could communicate with a few words. The family is leaving Hyderabad and moving to London, and I feel so sad for my daughter, because I know it will be hard for her. This is the downside of expatriate life. There are many wonderful advantages : we get to travel a lot, we live in different countries, and we experience different cultures as well. It's very enriching and I don't imagine life any other way anymore. But, as for everything, it's not all about plane tickets, and exotic destinations ; being an expatriate also means that every two, three or four years, we have to move again. We pack everything up - actually, that's pretty good because we then get rid of all the junk we manage to pile up even in so short a time - change house, get used to a new environment, to new languages, new people and new ways of doing things, of saying them, of expressing them. And, just as important, it also means that we have to say good bye to people. I'm an adult, and my social skills are rather poor, anyway, so I'm used to that. But my heart breaks every time my children have to part with their friends. My older daughter went through that when we moved from Nigeria to India, and again last spring, when her best friend left Hyderabad. And now, it's the little one.

So, how serendipitous that I should discover Kimberly Willis Holt just now, as she's about to start a blog tour to promote her last novel, which covers precisely that theme. I'm so thrilled that a book out there is recounting this type of experiences. I cant wait to read Kimberly's thoughts about it.

I am swamped !

I can't believe it's been 9 days since my last post. What can I say? I work, and work, and work, and it's not even fun work, it's the kind of work that pays a few bills, that makes me feel as if I contribute something to the household budget, and that's it. I was a bad girl and spent lots of quality time with my writing over the past several weeks and totally neglected my translation, and now, I have to meet a fast approaching deadline, and I cannot do anything else but trudge through one page after another. That's how it feels. And I shall now stop my whining, because who wants to listen to that? The good thing ? Only 3 and half more weeks to go. Grrr.

The DUMMY for my picture book is here !

I received the dummy for my coming picture book, Amadi's Snowman.

Oh boy, Oh boy !

I won't say anything more for now. I read somewhere about an editor reminding authors that they read blogs, too. In other words, refrain from disclosing too much.

Still, I can at least share the thrill of opening the envelop and setting eyes on the face of my boy for the first time. Of course, my boy having had to change names, and also to have his face created by another person, means that he's no longer my boy only. Still...

Let me add that the dummy is a bunch of sketches, rather crude drawings. But, it gives me the page breaks, it gives an idea about the artist's vision for my book, and, as mentioned above, it begins to give a face to the characters in the story, to show the settings, the action.

There is much more to come. Colors. The drawings will be refined. Still, it's one step along the publishing process.

It felt weird, surreal, to be leafing through the photocopied, stapled dummy, last night. I'd had it sent to my husband's office address, to make sure it didn't get lost or unnecessarily held up at the post office - our postman delivers mail on a bicycle, and we live all the way up a hill, so who knows on which day he might decide he just doesn't feel up to producing such an effort - so I got it in the evening. My 7-year-old daughter was with me, and she already wants to color it. I think I'll let her.

Right Brain or Left Brain?

Check that link and see whether you are right brain or left brain.

I see her turning clockwise, which means that I tend to use the right part of my brain more.

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling - no kidding
"big picture" oriented - mm, considering how long it's taken me to apply the big picture concept to critique stories, I wonder. That said, I do tend to look far and wide when approaching issues. I think.
imagination rules - but of course!
symbols and images - OK
present and future - no past? Now, this I'm not too sure about.
philosophy & religion - yep, as long as it is religion outside of any type of dogmas. I prefer the word spirituality.
can "get it" (i.e. meaning) - Yeah? OK, that's good I suppose
believes - as in gullible ?
appreciates - as in grateful, or as in appreciates beauty?
spatial perception - not sure about that one
knows object function - huh?
fantasy based - oh, definitely
presents possibilities - I, as a person, or I present possibilities to others?
impetuous - mm, yeah
risk taking - yeah, that too.

But I'm missing "words and language" from the left brain.

I tried focusing to make the dancer rotate the other way, but couldn't. Then, I stopped looking at the image for a few minutes, and when I looked again, she did turn counter-clockwise, but only for a couple of seconds, and then went back to going clockwise and that's how she's still going. I've tried doing something else and going back several times. Definitely clockwise. How about you? Let me know. I'm curious.

Ranting about Barbie !

On Sunday afternoon, we went to one of the big department stores that have sprouted all over Hyderabad over the past two years - I'm not kidding, this place is changing FAST.

First, we went to a music store and my 7-year-old ran straight to the DVD display and soon came to me with a Barbie movie in her hand... and a pleading look on her face.

Goodness, but I HATE Barbie! I would like to lit a bonfire and throw if not ALL the Barbies of the world, at least an enormous percentage - how about a good 50 per cent - of the white Barbie dolls in it and watch as all that sickly plastic melts into nothing.

Back to the music store: I tried to distract my daughter, to show her other movies - Hey, The Jungle Book is finally here! Remember the Jungle Book? Mowglie, Bagheera, the bare necessities of life? "This is for babies", she said with a look of disdain on her face. Shame on me, but I sent her to see her father, knowing he'd probably buy it. My husband, the black guy in this family, doesn't have, nor understands all my hang-ups about Barbie. And yeah, he bought it. And now, I hate myself. Let me add that we barely ever visit department stores. So, it's not like this scene would happen every week, or even every month. And since we don't receive any TV channel in our house - it's a choice - the kids can only watch videos and DVDs carefully chosen... usually. Later, I did tell my daughter why I don't like Barbie - in case she'd forgotten since my last rant on the subject - but even as I spoke, I tried to imagine what she might be thinking. "What is wrong with Mom? Why does she hate Barbie so much because she's blond and has blue eyes? Mom is blond and she's got blues eyes too. OK, her figure is not quite as shapely as Barbie's, and she's definitely older, but hey, Mom could be Barbie's mom, maybe!" Oh, dear!

Then, we went to the areas where they have all the toys, and the nightmare continued. There were about eight shelves of toys, one for Fisher Price toys for babies, one for craft toys, play-doh, beads, etc, and the rest, all the other shelves that represented the whole toy display for the department store, had guess what ? Barbies!!! And guess some more ? Not ONE brown Barbie. There was one white Barbie with brown hair and brown eyes - WOW ! - and all the rest were the usual sickly display of blond, blue-wide-eyed Barbies being a teacher, to a blond child of course, being a veterinarian, etc. Even the dogs are blond, for Pete's sake! And then Polly Pockets : same. All blond. We live in INDIA ! Where people have raven black hair, brown skin in all possible shades of brown, from very light to just as dark as any black person - some women and men, especially in the south where we live, have darker skins than my husband. What message does that send to all the children who look at these dolls and get them as presents, or they wouldn't be there, right ? Even the Indian Barbies are basically as light as the white Barbie, only they wear saris.

Maybe we should just avoid department stores. I'm only hoping my daughters - the little one who is 3 has started to become interested in Barbie dolls, as well - will not ask one for Christmas. Or maybe I should order a brown one for each of them right now and have them sent to me. That way, I won't be stuck, if/when the letter to Santa comes and it's too late to order brown ones and have them delivered all the way to India.

The Brown Bookshelf

I found out recently about this wonderful new initiative : The Brown Bookshelf

"The Brown Bookshelf is a group of 5 authors and illustrators, brought together for the collective goal of showcasing the best and brightest voices in African-American Children’s Literature, with a special emphasis on new authors and books that are “flying under the radar.”"

And they are not wasting any time either. They've already launched the "28 Days Later" campaign. During the twenty-eight days of Black History Month, they’ll be profiling a different children’s or young adult author. They are taking nominations until December 1. So, if you know a book written by an African-American author, old or new, well-known or not, that you've loved and would like to add to their growing list, visit The Brown Bookshelf website

It just happens that I met one of the five authors Kelly Starling Lyons at the last workshop conducted by Uma so it's really great to see her being a part of this. From the few works in progress she shared with us during the class, I could see that she has a strong voice, a style that is lyric, poetic, and her stories are full of heart.

I've also been a silent lurker on Don Tate's blog for a little while, now. I like his voice, too - only the blogger's voice, so far, but I know we'll be reading his author's voice soon. There is a no-nonsense quality to it, not to mention humor and obvious sensitivity. Well, he's an artist, right?

I've nominated "SHOW WAY" by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Hudson Talbott. Jackie Woodson is not really an author "flying under the radar," but that book, and the author's voice telling the text at the LA SCBWI conference, in 2006 - couldn't make it in 2007, sniff - have never left me, since that day. I also added NEW BOY by Julian Houston. Christopher Paul Curtis had already been mentioned. But this is great, because, as I scanned the list of books nominated, I saw quite a few, and authors' names, too, that I'd never heard of.

Good luck to you all, at The Brown Bookshelf!

Cesar Takes a Break ! by my friend and critique partner Sue Collins Thoms

I'm so excited as I type these words. My friend and critique partner Sue Thoms's first picture book Cesar Takes a Break can now be found and pre-ordered at amazon.com.
I remember quite well the first time that Sue submitted Cesar's story to our online critique group. Cesar had it all: a mischievous personality with just a spark of diva quality to him, and lots of humor. He was irresistible, and we all loved him. Eventually, Meredith Wasinger, from Sterling, decided that she loved him too. They found a wonderful illustrator: Rogé, from Quebec, and now, the book will be released on March 4, 2008.



Just run to get your copy. I promise that you won't be disappointed. And do watch out for Sue Collins Thoms in the future, because that lady is incredibly talented. And I said this long before she was published, right, Sue? So that makes me double proud ! I'll post an interview of Sue in this blog, soon. In the meantime, look at Cesar chilling out. Didn't I tell you he's irresistible? Wait until you read about his adventures in the elementary school where he's taken up permanent residence, and you'll love him even more.

Workshop with Uma Krishnaswami

Those who know me, especially my writers friends, know that Uma Krishnaswami is waaayy up there on my list of favorite people in the whole wide world. Any writer who comes into contact with her is taken by her unique, in-depth teaching style, her warmth, her wisdom and humour, and most of all, her great patience and generosity.

I don't quite remember how I came to know about Uma. Most likely, I was searching the Internet for multicultural books and resources. Anyway, I read Chachaji's Cup and loved it. And I checked her website, and saw that she was available to critique manuscripts. The fact that she is originally from India, where I'd come to live, seemed like the last sign I needed to get in touch with her.

I sent her Ifeanyi - my independent boy who now also goes by the name of Amadi - and that was truly a new beginning for me. I was blown away by the depth of her critique! I'd had that same story critiqued before, but no one had gone through such great lengths to actually help me understand the structure of story, the importance of finding its heart, of focusing on a theme, and on the character, too. I mean, we can all read about story arc a million times, but if you are kind of slow, like me, it will take you ages to actually grasp the concept, or you might grasp that concept, but still struggle to translate it into your own writing.

Uma recommended that I take her online advanced workshop for children's writers, and I did. The format is perfect for people like me: we all post one work in progress every two weeks, and the other participants in the workshop critique it. Then, Uma comes in and wraps up with her own critique, usually drawing on what's been said by the others and developing it further.

One of Uma's great tools, in my opinion, is the way she approaches the critique process. She insists that we step back from the text to look at the big picture. No line editing, no comments on the structure of a sentence, on the choice of a word, as these are things that may not even be found in the manuscript, in the end. That distance forces us to think in terms of story theme, story arc, voice, character. I've found it particularly enlightening, even though I still struggle sometimes to think along those big picture lines. It is so much easier to comment on word choice, on the flow and rhythm of a sentence.

So we are to focus on what works, and to say why. And this is preceded by a + sign.
+ I loved the way you show us your character's trepidation by describing her sweaty hands.

And we are to focus on what raises questions, and this is preceded by a ?
? I didn't understand why your character suddenly starts jumping around the bush. Was she bitten by a bee? Is she allergic, maybe? You might want to give us some hint beforehand.

And we are to focus on what needs fixing, what gets in the way of the story, and these comments will be preceded by a * sign.
* You switch POV at the end of the chapter. As your POV character leaves the scene, in pain and in shock, she cannot possibly know that the bee is still hiding in the bush, snickering happily because she finally managed to sting her.

No - sign used, as Uma says that what appears to be a minus to someone might actually be the seed of an idea which can be developed into something else. By using the - sign, we can give the writer the feeling that he's better off forgetting about this idea all together, when in fact, said idea might still be used, transformed, and in the end help push the story forward.

Finally, we are to give our overall impression. What is this work really about?

I'm currently participating in my third online workshop led by Uma, and once again, I'm learning something practically every day. Plus, it forces me to write. So, for those who love the process and want to learn from the best - Uma has since joined the faculty of the M.F.A. program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College - I highly recommend her classes and workshops.