This is my first post of 2020 and I thought I would start off with a post sharing 10 things you might not know about me.
Over the last year or so, I’ve gained some new readers. Thanks for taking the time out to stop by and have a look at some of my posts. I appreciate all the feedback I get and I’m hoping 2020 will be a year filled with lots of content!
I’m a little surprised I’ve not written anything like this before. I guess I felt I had shared everything I needed to about myself in the About Me page. Or that you would all learn everything else there is to know through my posts.But there are some things in my life I don’t talk about much, mostly because I had forgotten about them or just because I never had a chance to share them.
I am splitting this post up in to two parts. So enjoy reading the 10 things you might not know about me over this week and next. And please let me know in the comments section if any of them surprise you!
1. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES IS MY FAVE FILM – EVER!
Only a handful of people probably know this about me. When I started dating Sukh, it was one of the first things I told him. I discovered the TV adaptation of Lucy Montgomery’s novels when I was around 10 or 11. It was mainly because my older sisters started watching it by chance when the mini-series premiered on TV. I was hooked as soon as I sat down to see what the fuss was about.
I immediately identified with the main character Anne Shirley and found her stubborn, passionate, fiercely loyal and extremely intelligent. Of course, I didn’t think of it exactly in that way at that age, but there was just something about her that I connected with. Anne was played by Megan Follows, and to this day, she is still the best portrayal of Anne that I have seen in any version.
KEVIN SULLIVAN ADAPTATION
The films spans many years in Anne’s life; her life as an orphan, being adopted by the elderly sibling pair Matthew and Marilla and her friendship with Diana Barry. But at the crux of the film for me, is Gilbert Blythe and his unwavering love for Anne. Even though she dislikes him for a long time, she eventually forgives his ‘crimes’ against her and then places him firmly in the friendzone. I won’t elaborate on what happens beyond this just in case you watch the film some day.
The background score of the film is beautiful and quite early in to our relationship, Sukh bought me the soundtrack on CD. It’s the most special and thoughtful gift he’s bought me. Of course, I now have the digitals of the instrumentals but the CD is something I will always treasure.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
To be able to visit Prince Edward Island and take the tour of the filming locations there and in Toronto, is on my bucket list. Sukh knows that one day, even if it’s something I do on my own, I will fly to Canada just so I can do the Green Gables trip.
I remember how excited I was when the DVD was released. The mini-series is nearly seven hours long and it’s not something you can watch in one sitting. I watch it at least once a year, especially during spring or when I need a pick-me-up.
2. I’M A DETECTIVE!
I fancy myself a bit of a detective. When I was a kid, I loved Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books and the Five Find-Outers Mystery series. I used to try to work out ‘whodunnit’ before the culprit was revealed at the end of the story. I then started to buy the Choose Your Own Adventure gamebooks, where you’re given options at the end of the page and you, as the reader, determine the character’s next move.
So when I discovered Nancy Drew games for the PC, I had to get my hands on them. I never read any of the Nancy Drew books but I got to learn about her character through the games. You play as Nancy and use your sleuthing skills to crack the case.
There’s several hours of gameplay and you not only drive the storyline but there are many puzzles to figure out before you can move on. Gosh, the amount of hours I’ve spent trying to crack some of the puzzles, which are harder then you might think.
SHARED ACTIVITY
I’ve been playing these games for years and the kids have both became hooked too, We’ve replayed a lot of my older games and it’s become a nice activity we can do together. I’m currently in the middle of the latest game, which released in 2019.
Before that, there hadn’t been a game for a few years as they developed a new look. The kids and I had a long wait and when it finally launched, I bought it straight away!
3. WINNING A MCDONALD’S SCHOLARSHIP
I started my part-time job at McDonalds when I was sixteen. I had just started my A-Levels at sixth form. My parents always encouraged us to work from a young age and I want to teach that same work ethic to Shalini and Shivam too.
One of my managers was really supportive and knew I was moving away to Preston to study my BA in Journalism. I told him my parents were doing all they could to support me but that I was saving as much as I could over the two years to make uni life a little bit easier.
SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION
He told me about a scholarship competition run by McDonalds. I was surprised a fast food chain did something like this. The entry had to be a project about an aspect of McDonalds’ business. I chose to work on ‘McDonalds In The community’ via their Ronald McDonald charity.
People who really know me, know I love a good project. I used to love presentations and writing essays! I worked for six weeks on my document, which was several pages long. It included photos, illustrations, graphs, evidence of charity work and many written pieces.
I can’t remember exactly how many people would win a one-thousand pound prize. It was maybe 20 across all UK stores – so that was a lot of competition but I was confident with my entry.
I had started uni when the winners were announced. My manager called me to give me the good news that I had won and that we would travel down to London to be presented with my cheque and a certificate. I remember my photo appearing in the local newspaper in Preston and everyone on my Journalism course congratulated me on my success.
My parents were over the moon that my hard work had paid off and it eased things a little for my first year. I was able to buy a computer and used the rest of the money for course books and general day-to-day expenses.
4. I WAS A CHAMPION NETBALL PLAYER
I loved playing netball at high school and was part of the school team. We never really won many matches. I played Goal Attack and gave it everything. I was disappointed that some of the other girls weren’t that bothered.
My netball teacher encouraged me to fill in an application form for a local league. My dad was keen that I do it but I was in two minds. It meant giving up my Saturday afternoons. I’d be playing with girls from other schools so I was nervous too. No one from my school applied.
LITTLE LEAGUE NETBALL
I was accepted to play for one of the teams. Funnily enough all of our matches were at my school. There were several matches as part of the tournament and as a team, we were all very competitive and determined.
The quarters and semis were scheduled on the same day. I remember being really nervous. I wasn’t very tall and it was a lot of pressure to play Goal Attack alongside a Goal Shooter who was already two feet taller than me. But I was the one who bagged the most points in both matches.
THE FINAL
Once the final came along, my confidence was sky high. The coach made it clear to the team to do everything to just get the ball to me. She whispered ‘you’ve got this’ as we took our positions. The detail of the game is fuzzy, but we scored twelve points to the other team’s eight.
I can not explain the look on my dad’s face when I came home with my gold medal and trophy! I still have the trophy today on my living room shelf. Had it not been for my dad, I never would have taken part.
5. I PLAY THE HARMONIUM
My parents forced me to have harmonium lessons as a child. We would go to the Gurdwara (Sikh temple) every Sunday where sessions were held for the teaching of tabla. sitar and harmonium. It’s also known as a pump organ and is a keyboard instrument.
All the children attending would learn to play an instrument and then sing shabads (religious hymns). Once a month, there would be an evening where the children would perform the shabads on stage. At the end of the night, we were awarded a prize. We would also tour as a group around other Gurdwaras, singing shabads.
PERFORMING ON STAGE
Initially, I resented my parents for making my sisters and I do this. I would be nervous for days, leading up to that month’s performance. But as it became routine and I started to enjoy it, my playing improved too. I enjoyed singing but getting the pronunciation correct was another skill altogether. I would always ask my parents or my teacher what each line of the shabad meant. It was important to understand so I could emote whilst singing.
I must have been around 14 when I stopped stage singing. It was a decision both my parents and I made as my GCSEs were approaching. But I never stopped playing the harmonium. In my own time, I would play the instrument and make up my own tunes to songs or shabads. I remember teaching myself the theme tunes to Eastenders, Dallas and Streethawk! On birthdays, I would play the happy birthday song for family.
GROWING MY SKILL
But I also continued to sing shabads in my free time. I could read and write Punjabi by the time I was a teenager. Again, my parents made us do this when we were kids. Again, I am so thankful for knowing another language, something I didn’t appreciate as a child. My parents had lots of shabad cassettes and I would listen to my favourites and then teach myself the tune.
Years later, I can still play the harmonium but I don’t own one anymore. The one I had at my parents’ house, we had brought back from India and once I moved out to go to university, it sat in the loft for years. I’m not sure they still have it up there but it’s probably not in a good condition anymore. I plan to buy one soon though.
Shalini is a Grade 4 guitar player. She wants to quit but we won’t allow her to until she’s accomplished Grade 6 at least. I know she feels the same way I felt as a child – being forced to learn an instrument. But I know when she’s older, she will really appreciate having the skill, just like I do.
So that’s the first part of 10 things you might not know about me. It was too much to document in one post, so part 2 will be up next week.
Check out my last post looking back on the highs of 2019. And follow me on Instagram for daily updates.
How interesting to learn more about you.
That is fab about the McDonalds scholarship. I didn’t even know that was a thing. x
Author
Thanks Kim. Not sure if they do it anymore – but it was such a good scheme x
ha, this made me smile and travel back in time – I loved reading Anne of Green Gables, never watched the movie though – hadn’t thought about it in a loooong time… #globalblogging
Author
If you ever get a chance, watch the Kevin Sullivan films. You will fall in love with them x
I’ve always wanted to check out Prince Edward Island too!
Author
Hopefully one day we both will x
Also a Big Enid Blyton fan and I loved playing netball at school! #MMBC
Author
Weren’t her books just the best?
Nice to e-meet you Rosie! I don’t think I even know what a harmonium is, ha. I look forward to reading some of your new posts this year x #KCACOLS
Author
Thank you for stop by Shelley. A harmonium is a pump organ so you pump with one hand and play the notes with the other. I look forward to posting a lot more this year x
A really lovely post and such a great idea to introduce yourself to us all. Often we get caught up in our writing and expressing our views we forget that nobody actually knows who we are!
#KCACOLS
Author
Thank you. I’ve always enjoyed reading similar posts from bloggers so thought I would try the same.
Lovely intro post -you’ve achieved so much. Didn’t even know Maccy Ds did things like that! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time!
Author
Thank you. I’m excited to post the next five things next week and linking up again x
Lovely to find out some quirky facts about you! Thanks for sharing with us at #globalblogging
Happy to know more about you.
Followed you from stickymudandbellylaughs com blog linky.
Author
Thank you x
Nice to learn a little more about you! #twinklytuesday
What a fascinating insight into you. I loved reading Nancy Drew books as a child. I had no idea there was a computer game too! #POCOLO
Author
Thank you! Yes they’ve been around for many years now and they’ve recently just redeveloped the technology so we even get them in high-res!
I absolutely loved Megan Follows as Anne of Green Gables too!! Would pretend I was her, when playing on my own 😀 And I loved the Five books as well! George was my favourite, but I was never as cool as I thought she was, lol.
I hadn’t realised before that you’re Sikhs, so that’s another thing I didn’t know about you! I like that you mention the tabla, there’s an old Teletubbies episode with a child playing the tabla in (he’s very good at it!) which my son likes to watch every now and then xx #TwinklyTuesday
Author
I’m really glad you enjoyed reading the post. We can be be kindred spirits together (gotta love Anne’s words!). I’m actually half-Sikh and half-Hindu but was brought up mainly as Sikh. I’m bringing my kids up with influences from both and they have both religions on their birth certificates. When they’re older they can decide which religion they would like to follow, if any at all.
Aww yes, those words! <3 That's cool that you can have both religions co-existing so well, and that you're fine with your children making their own choices when they're older. I'm not religious myself, and I see religion as something quite private, that people should be free to choose for themselves, not be more or less forced into. So I love your attitude about it, it sounds very peaceful, respectful and sensible to me. On a slightly random side note: my uncle (my mum's sister's husband) was from India, and he had a lovely laid back and joyful attitude to life in general which made a very positive impression on me as a young girl x
Author
Thank you – yes I think religion is a very personal choice and no-one should be forced to believe anything in particular but be left to make up their own minds when they’re old enough to. That’s lovely to hear about your uncle, most people from India are full of life and embrace it wholeheartedly. Nice to hear how big an impression he made on you x
I was a big Famous 5 fan and I was also made to play an instrument and take part in extra activities, although I thoroughly enjoyed it. Wish I’d been forced to learn an additional language. Thank you for linking up with #pocolo and hope to see you back again this friday
Author
Thanks – I might try to reread a Famous Five book soon. See you soon x
I love the pride and support you have had from your parents that radiates through this post and it sounds like you will be the same for your family. Thanks for linking up with #stayclassymama
Author
Thanks Laura – yes I’m glad my parents made me do this extra stuff when I was younger. I resented it then but so grateful now x
What a lovely post! It’s always so interesting to find out more about the writers behind the blog. Congratulations on the scholarship award from McDonald’s – I know it was some time ago, but that really is such a fantastic achievement. I’m sure everyone was incredibly proud of you. Thank you for joining us for this weeks #DreamTeamLinky 🙂
Author
Thanks Annette. I appreciate that. Yes such a long time ago but such a key moment in my life x
Oh that’s pretty amazing about the scholarship from McDonald’s, who knew eh? I love posts like this, so interesting. Thank you for linking up with us for #kcacols and we hope to see you next time.
Author
Thanks Kelly-Anne. I just wanted to share something extra about me that doesn’t come across in my other posts x
I loved finding out more about you. I also loved the Anne of Green Gables film and the books. They really captured my imagination as a young girl. Thanks for sharing with the #DreamTeamLinky
Author
Thanks Kirsty. Anne will always be very special to me – the girl with the big imagination x
It’s always nice hearing a bit more about the blogger behind the blog! #DreamTeamLinky
Author
Thank you x