Parcel arrived no Brexit charge

A tracked customs declared gift parcel got through to Bushra's shop for  Leen & Celine.. 2 lovely trendy tops from Next Lombardy Shopping Centre Hayes and an illustrated children's book to enhance English reading. Leen fascinates me on her good reading skills with English & Nederlandse. She helps her younger sister Celine. Celine is becoming more confident in speaking English.  But these days we have less times on videocalls. I am unsure when I can visit Belgium again. I start my CPAP treatment for sleep apnoeas with an appointment early October at Harefield. The team say I should feel more energy with improved sleep patterns and improved oxygen sats. So hope I can keep my ability to travel for visits. Plus also need funds to travel-  given still outstanding lost 6 years  State Pension as 1950s born woman & drop in winter fuel payment raised fuel bills - its is tricky being an OAP in UK.   This such a contrast to better pensions in Belgium indeed around EU. I hope one day the girls will be able to visit me here in London. 

The book I sent is a good read as it very cleverly brings in how to create a garden for our insects & pollinators. I got this from Waterstones in Lombardy Centre Hayes.

Lol Lulu one of my cats looking at the book before I sent it.

Eid Mubarak

Eid Mubarak from Belgium & Turkey

How the cousins have grown? love my Syrian Family Link Up 

💞

 

Bushra's bracelet a talking point

Bushra's birthday gift to me from her Beauty store when I visited in March, as become quite a talking point. I wear it all the time and folk comment on how they like it. Yesterday in the Brunel University Engaging & networking day the bracelet became a talking point with some attendees and they were fascinated by my Family Link Up  project.. So happy Bushra rebuilt her life in Oostende. Always a fascination with the language skills of her daughters Princesses Leen & Celine when I tell folk how quickly they learn and use many languages  ..💞check out my tik tok and also Bushra's promotion tik tok of more bracelets.  

Some of Bushra's collection in store now .. 

Success post

Good my last letterbox post of Maths and activity book got through to my Princesses in Oostende with no Brexit customs ..so spotted these fun sticker and activity books in Ruislip department store which they will love being trendy girly model ..So going to post letterbox size mail to them again. Its a sort of proxy Grandma thing of sending treats as part of my love connection. 

Books to send

With all the Brexit issue of sending parcels to EU I miss sending fun books spotted for Leen and Celine. I have got these books and am going to try sending separately to see if this will not incurr customs tax to receive and if so in only a  small cost. Leen reads English so can help direct Celine round the Maths book and the Activity book.. love the pop up answers to the maths problems.  The activity book they will enjoy completing illustrations with the stickers and the games.  I wish I can be part of the fun on videocall.  I hope I can visit again summer if Eurostar deals.  

School Exams

Facebook brought a timely memory today .. I fondly remember that day picking up Leen from school (see below) and her music melody. Now time has brought her to an important point in her schooling.. End of term exams. She is preparing for these we briefly talked last night. She has to concentrate on revision her time on the internet limited. However, I saw how she had buddied up with one of her sparky friends that attended the birthday party. They have been snapchat helping one another with homework. I have also told her to text me if she needs any help. The exams are important but I also know the school and teachers are progressive and have a clear goal to help all develop to full potential..  So all the best for exams Princess Leen. 

When I was in UK parliament on Tuesday evening at the Rebuilding Education after 14 years austerity seminar, I shared the story of Leen. The history project that the teacher had orchestrated about the 1953 great flood of Oostende. Videocall Learn Share How pupils designed flyers & posters to reach out to locals in the community who had lived through this. The children had invited locals to school to be interviewed and designed questions to ask. I pointed out how Leen had participated in this project using Dutch language yet was able to explain this to me in English.. my Professor of Linguistics.. 😊 The panel were well impressed as a perfect example of progressive teaching and developing language skills too!

 

A Time passsed from my visit

Time has passed quickly from my weekend visit to see Bushra and the girls in Oostende.. a long weekend travelled out on the Thursday and back on Tuesday of this week. A concentrated time to merge in with the family now they are established with friends and business. Like many modern day families the children have much time with their Ipads and techy gear. I did take over some English books for Leen and Celine as they do like the books I take and it is good to develop in reading all the languages they speak.  Celine had some time with a fun maths times table book I got from WH Smith in Uxbridge and I was very impressed with her grasp of maths.  On Monday evening she brought home her homework on arithmetic from the extended homework class the teachers conduct. She had grasped the problems and understood the solutions as a 7 years old now. 

Leen and Celine wanted me to teach them crochet and they got the basic idea of loop through a loop and need to build up the holding skills. Holding I showed to see the right hand is the working hand with the hook and the left hand the lazy but helpful hand of guiding and the yarn. hhh we had fun with this as they kept winding the yard round the hook. 

I had a good time visiting Bushra's Beauty Boutique on the Friday but her partner Hajan had also created shelves of other products like cleaning and disinfectants! lol I recommended he watch the film with Mel Gibson "What women want" as the day you go to a beauty shop you want to escape from the housework chores. You go to have some Cleopatra time to recharge and refuel on beauty needs.  He makes me laugh as like an Arab version of Del Boy from Only fools and horses getting bargain stock to turn around. One point came into the shop with his mate, with arms legs and torsos of bargain shop mannequins! But I think between them they will succeed in building a business. 

i enjoyed meeting customers that thankfully spoke English to have a good natter with women from the Congo, Cameroon, Iraq and Syria It was a good time of sharing. The customer from Cameroon came with a need to buy something for herself to uplift her, to reconnect with the Goddess within.  She loved the Arabic dresses and kaftans and bought four for a planned holiday back to her homeland to visit her family. She felt they were perfect to add some glamour to hot days and even in an heat wave in a Belgian summer.  She glowed with the purchases and was magical to see the change in her stance and elegance..  This is what I feel Bushra will do with her theme in the shop of what women want and so need in busy demands on time and life of a being a woman.

I love my gift of a bracelet from the shop, the pretty colourful pattern will go with many of my outfits. Scroll down for more on my reflections of the visit..  

I enjoy my time around the shops in Oostende love the spring flowers now in the local florist. After school pick up of the girls was a nice treat to go to the local cafe and have hot chocolate together. The cafe owner did us a nutritious pack up of goodies to take back to the apartment. 

I bought some Dutch Children's books for Leen and Celine this one on the baby mouse unable to sleep was good to read with Celine. I did an overview of the story in English once I grasped the storyline. The beautiful illustrations helping me and Celine understand. Made me smile as Celine said "like me awake!" she has always been awake till late then struggles to get up in the morning. Leen at this time was already asleep so me and Celine had this story time together. Sweet story of how Mama mouse tries to help baby mouse to sleep.. love the page with Mama mouse sat knitting down stairs in the tree home thinking she had succeeded then KLOP KLOP baby mouse bounds down from the bedroom awake lol .. The only success is from an Knuffle a Cuddle.  So with a cuddle of Celine she climbed into bed by her sister and slept. 

Was busy weekend and I struggled with my tiredness from the growing problem of Sleep apnoea .. I am under Harefield Respiratory team to see if I need CPAP again. I have completed a sleep study and await further appointments.  But I coped well with travel and visit as next Saturday will be my 70th Birthday.  Family Link Up has given me a raison d'etre  and given me a journey of discovery, understanding and being a voice for refugees in their need to rebuild their lives.  I will always be part of their lives and they part of mine.  Shukran Allah for this project of befriending.  Global family connecting is so important. Thank you for my daughters treating me to this visit to have time with Bushra & the girls.