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Being British

My girls, every day you are changing. Googs now walks all the time, has 3/4 teeth and can high five and wave goodbye. You’re also developing quite the little attitude. You certainly know when you don’t want something and you’re not shy about letting people know. You also have a rough streak; not a hitting and pinching rough streak but you’re certainly not one for being pushed around. I dare say this has something to do with Isabel being หมั่นเขี้ยว.

Isabel, you’re changes are more subtle as you’d expect, but no less amusing. You know every word to Moana and have started to tease in the funniest voice. What is strange for you girls is you are never going to share cultural traits with any one country. Even if we leave Thailand, you will always have a little British in you and I want you to know what that means.

This brings me onto why I really thought about writing this post. In the last couple of months we have seen three terrorist attacks in the UK; two in London and one in Manchester.

So what does it mean to be British? You girls might never live there or feel it but it’s the same blood that runs through you. We conquered two thirds of the world, produced the likes of Newton, Chaucer and Shakespeare and withstood the Blitz and two World Wars. 

In particular this last example is relevant now. In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks there has been an outpouring of international support. Most of the modern world has supported with messages from #prayforLondon, to a minutes silence before sports, to darkening of iconic landmarks. However, this is not who we are. Mum will back me up on this i think, but it is a very American trait to pray and offer public emotional support. The British way of dealing with these things is to get on with it and, where appropriate, offer quiet sarcasm and humour as relief. This is typified by the picture below that shows a milk man delivering milk after a night of bombs during the war. Captions for this photo often read along the lines of “you can bomb our cities but you’ll never stop us having our morning tea”.

After coming back from Penang, we can really appreciate the beauty of diversity. You will probably both grow up in a society dominated with a single skin colour, religion and nationality but, particularly at a time when there is so much anti-Muslim hate and propaganda, always remember that what’s around you does not define you. Others can not tell you how to feel and how to act. Watching What Would You Do?, I often find myself musing about what my choices would be like. There will be times when you both find yourself in these positions so be confident you girls can make a difference every day with your choices. Even if it seems standing up for what’s right will be hard and come at great cost, hold onto that British history. You come from a nation of underdogs, unfaltering in our willingness to stand up to even the greatest forces.

My girls, if you can take one thing from this then let it be that if you consider something to be unfair or wrong then you have it inside you to stand up to it and change the world. Today we made a choice in the UK not to vote in the mainstream party, but instead chase something better than normal. The 66% of young voters who came out to make their choice did make a difference. You are the future.

I’m sure all this will get you into trouble sometimes. You’ll probably take some flak and name calling yourself, and maybe even a whack or two. You’re friends will turn on you and you will find yourselves outnumbered, but hold on to that mentality and the words of Churchill

“If you’re going through hell, keep going”

I will never be angry with a justified and measured response to bullying. That is what it means to be British

#forthemanynotthefew

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It will be interesting to see what we call you when you’re older Eloise. At the moment you don’t really recognise that as you’re name, preferring Tahlay (which all of the Thais call you) or ‘googy’/’googy crunch’ (which is what Isabel calls you.

You are starting to take your first steps and are becoming more responsive now; waving goodbye, giving ‘kisses’, brushing your hair and shaking and nodding your head. You smile all the time but don’t like being told off.

Isabel, you are plodding along as usual, with no patience and constant battles. You go from being rough with me to being sweet with Mum in a heartbeat. You are the very definition of the Thai phrase Man Keow....หมั่นเขี้ยว

Whenever Mum sings rock-a-bye baby you add a last line to it that goes

“and Mommy will catch you”

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I hope when you grow up you realise just how lucky you were to have this part of your life. For Mum and I part of the reason we’ve chosen to stay in Koh Tao is because of the time it allows us to spends with both of you as you’re growing up. We get to see you change from day to day and learn more and more.

Eloise you have teeth! You’re two bottom teeth have come in and you’re using them to full effect. You’re still fascinated by noses and bit Lianne’s the other day. You’re also standing with no problem so I’m sure walking is going to come soon.

Isabel, we celebrated your fourth birthday this week and you had so much fun, despite us having nothing but rain for the last week. Right now you are fluent in Thai, having overtaken both Mum and I. I hope that if you don’t still speak Thai then at least you picked up a new language. Believe me, this will be far more valuable in the future than any piece of paper from a school.

You are so rough Isabel. We have a game that we play called knuckles, which basically involves you trying to get the knuckles of your fingers beneath my chin to tickle me or visa versa. Most of the time you don’t give me any warning and rather than tickling me you just punch me in the throat and then try to use your head against mine to be as rough as you can be. I hope I will always have time to play this with you

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Girls, you are just so funny! Everyday you do the strangest things that just have your Mum and I laughing. Eloise you have this insatiable appetite like Isabel had, but as soon as food has been put in your mouth you start shouting for more. It’s just the funniest thing! P’Porn and Som notice it as well and it’s somewhat of a theme now when you’re eating. It’s a very distinct shout, not a screech or a cry but a very specific sound you only use for food.

Eloise,  in the last couple of weeks we’ve been trying to teach you how to kiss, which is really just us kissing your open mouth. However, the last couple of days you’ve been coming over to me, grabbing my face and pulling me towards you. It looks like the nicest thing as you open your mouth but then at the last second you kind of jerk up and bite my nose! I don’t know why you do this but it’s so funny. You don’t have any teeth so it doesn’t hurt but you just chomp down for 10 seconds so I have dribble all over my nose.

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Words & Phrases #1

It’s the small things with you girls that are often the funniest. It’s no great comedy routine, no unique story or anecdote, but just the day to day things you do that make me laugh the most. It’s the hair pulling moments that you just can’t help but laugh through. I’m not saying that it’s all rainbows, I’ve just threatened you for the third time Isabel if you don’t stop making so much noise in bed, but there are so many little things you do that I never want to forget.

Many of these early examples are of course going to belong to Isabel, as Eloise you are still not able to do much of anything. Most excitement from you to date was smashing your face into the floor this morning and cutting your gum. And so, without further ado, I introduce the first section of my writing: Words and Phrases.

Isabel, you have recently realised that you don’t always have to do as you’re told and, as you can imagine, this has led to some conflict. However, it is your rationale that has me laughing on this occasion as, when questioned on why you need to watch TV, your go to response is

“that’s just what i do. I do what I do and watching TV is just what i do. And I don’t do what I don’t do and eating dinner is just what I don’t do”. Bamboozling logic!

On a side note, Mum and I were pretty tired this evening and the baby has just done a poo when she should be fast asleep. While attempting to quickly get her changed Isabel decided to just put her hand on the baby’s pooey bum. She has never done this before but deemed tonight the perfect moment. Why would you do that?

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Memories

Dear Isabel & Eloise,

I’m not too sure when I expect you to read this but I hope when you do you get as much enjoyment from the moments described as I did. These little snippets will give you only a brief taste of your lives as you grew up, but know that for your mum and me these will be the moments we never want to forget. I hope that in reading these I’m still with you and felt the time was right to pass these memories onto you, but if not don’t waste time being sad. Go out and continue being the girls you were when I wrote this first post.