Author: Oana

Waiting

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I associate waiting with bad things. Waiting for the train unnerves me. Waiting rooms are a waste of time. Waiting for hubby past the time he said he would be ready? Annoying! Waiting for news, a torture. I have been waiting for a long time for my professional life to kick off. I have been writing about this before, about my feelings of unfulfillment and dissatisfaction. My life is great except for this one thing: my work. I have a great hubby and a beautiful child. My parents are still alive and relatively well for their age. I have travelled the world. I have great friends. But I have no steady work and more aggravating, no life vision and this has started to get to me lately. You see, I am in my 30s and I feel this is the time to work and make a future for myself and my wee one. If I don’t work now, when I have all my capacities, when will I work?? I also feel that I can do …

International Day of the Girl

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I feel very honoured to be part of the very first ever International Day of the Girl. I heard of International Day of the Girl for the first time this morning. One of my friends on Facebook put up this link for a new website Too Young to Wed and it caught my attention as it had the picture of two eight-year old girls and their 29-year old husbands on its landing page. The subject stirs me every time, as you might already know if you have been following my blog for a while and read my review on a Thousand Splendid Suns and Harmattan. So when an email came in shortly after from Mumsnet Bloggers regarding the International Day of the Girl I knew I had to tie these two separate events and write a post about girls who don’t have a voice or a choice. I did a bit of research and found a lot on the subject. I would like to mention here the very interesting project of 10×10  “a feature film, Girl …

My baby is no longer a baby

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This summer has brought amazing changes in Emma. Not only does she talk but she forms her own thoughts and voices her opinions. Not only does she love other children but she is pursuing socialising opportunities with a passion. Not only is she polite but she is also kind and compassionate and fun to be with. Not only does she love being read to but she loves “reading” to herself and to anyone she cares about(Giagia had the privilege to be read to the entire Oxford Reading Tree collection when we visited at the weekend). I an proud to be her mummy. Proud to hear people who haven’t seen her all summer commenting on how independent she has become. How considerate she is and how smart. I know that this summer’s challenges were worthwhile when I see what a well-behaved and sensible little girl she has become. It was worth putting my dreams of personal fulfilment on hold for Emma’s sake. I love this little woman and I never thought that three years ago when …

Greece: a country of dichotomies

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For almost three months while we were in Greece I kept thinking: “I need to write a post on Greece as a dichotomy country, as I have seen it as a resident, not a mere visitor.”  I never got around to do it. We’re leaving in two hours for Ireland so this is my last chance. Why dichotomy country? Because there is such a massive difference between the public and the private. Because there is such a contrast between what people tell you about their salaries being cut and the abundance they still live in. Such a gap between the blessings that God has poured upon this country and the negative attitude and talk you hear everywhere. Let me give you some examples of what shocked, amazed and saddened us for 90 days or so. 1. The private and the public. The Greeks are so very proud of their apartment buildings, their houses and their gardens, especially those who live in  the North. Extreme care is giving to keeping an aesthetic appearance through micro-irrigation systems, …

Things coming together

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I am happy.The happiest I have been in ages. Our lives have taken shape again. After a very turbulent year during which we lost a house, a business and felt our life shaken to the core in its most significant areas(our relationship with each other, our sense of belonging and security) we have finally found PEACE and CONTENTMENT. We have learned many precious lessons through all the difficult months: 1. A bigger house doesn’t necessarily equal a happier wife/life. For me, a bigger house by the beach(everyone’s dream, right?) meant being away from friends, from work, from life! 2. When God takes away from you the things that made you feel secure(for my hubby, a prosperous business, for myself, my home) it’s not because He wants to punish you. It’s because He needs to remove the obstacles that prevent you from seeking Him and His ways. 3. Working with your hubby doesn’t work!!For me, anyway. I have learned that it’s better to face my our personal challenges ALONE because solving them gives me a sense …