http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspxThe blog of childrens author, Anjali Mittal. Author of The Convent Rules and The Mystery of the Art TeacherNew Year celebrations started off in Hong Kong with a bang. Synchronized fireworks exploding from tall high rise buildings in perfect precision. My first thought was, how and when did they do the rehearsal for it? At night... when the population of the city were asleep in bed? This was the International New Years celebration on the 31st of January 2011. Most of the people we met had decided to take off to warmer parts of the world for the Chinese New Year which started on the 23rd of January but we did not want to miss any part of it. Many traditions are upheld but one of the main ones is to have Lai See packets ready filled with crisp bank notes to give to anyone who wished you a happy new year. Kung Hei Fat Choi! We had thought that the fireworks we had enjoyed on the 31st were spectacular. The ones we saw on the 24th of January were even better. Absolutely stunning. Decorations for the celebrations consisted of trees with little oranges: Trees with the Lai See packets on them (not full of money I think or else the tree would be bare)! There are certain traditions for Chinese New Year, like you must visit your relatives on the first day of the Chinese New year and must not fight with anyone or else you will be fighting all year round. We were told that the weather will be dull in Hong Kong and most places will be shut but that was not the case. When we went to the malls they were decorated beautifully, a little quieter than normal but still alive! This was one of the many puppet shows we saw: The colour red is very lucky for the Chinese and as this is the year of the Dragon, it is very special indeed. We heard that many people would be trying to have a baby this year so that they would fall under the year of the Dragon. We went to a wishing tree festival which was magnificent and very colourful: Entrance to festival Stunning lantern The Chinese are very superstitious and everything they do has a reason and a meaning. They are also very wise because a lot of it makes sense too. We had to write our wishes on a card that was attached to a string tied to an orange and throw it up a tree where it had to stay. We did the same by floating our wishes on a candle in the water. We were given bags of sweets that are meant to be lucky. All in all it has been the most culturally enriching experience and we are beginning to love Hong Kong and the people here. So I must end by wishing you a very Happy New Year of the Dragon, 2012. Kung Hei Fat Choi. May all your dreams come true.http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=3506/02/2012 01:32:24We had undergone a long journey to get to Male, the capital of Maldivesand we had to spend a night there. So far I was not impressed. Perhaps it was just tiredness and the constant lugging of our luggage from place to place. The next morning we took a sea plane to get to the Island, Iru Fushi. It was an adventurous flight in every sense of the word. We sat snuggly on the leather seats of this very small aircraft with the ear plugs that they had provided plugged into our ears. I must admit I had to shut my eyes for most of the journey to block out the noise and the thoughts of 'if we crashed we would land in the sea,' out of my head. My family however excitedly looked out of the window, munching happily on sweets, using the excuse that they were helping their 'air sickness.' Sea plane that takes you to the Island The words that I have used to recount my perception of this place cannot do it justice and hence I have added pictures. Paradise describes it perfectly. The white sand and the blue colour of the sea are what I had only seen in magazines and often I had thought that the photographers must have fiddled with the colours to make it look better. I was wrong. The island felt like it was deserted. Although there were many people staying at the hotel it was so quiet – just what we needed. So other than eating, drinking and the water sports there was nothing to do but relax… absolute bliss! Let me now tell you a little about Maldives. Maldives lies in the Indian Ocean, South of India. It comprises of 1200 coral islands, only 200 of which are inhabited. It is the world’s most dispersed country. The total population is 313,920. It is the lowest country on the planet as the average ground level is 1.5m above sea level. It also is the country with the lowest highest point in the world, which is 2.3m. Can you believe that? By now I realised that the Maldives had many firsts in world facts. We were lucky to stay in both a beach villa as well as one in the middle of the ocean on stilts. It was mind boggling to think how the waves did not sweep away all these stunning villas that were just built on poles protruding from the bed of the ocean, being only 1.5m above sea level. Surely in a storm all of it could be destroyed easily? Well this is why that does not happen. Maldives is composed of coral debris and living coral. The coral acts as a natural barrier against the sea. The circular group of coral islets form lagoons. The name Maldives is derived from Sanskrit, Maladvipa which means a garland of Islands. So going back to why the low level structures don’t get destroyed, there is another reason as well. The islands are set parallel to the reef and each one has its own protective fringe of reef. The opening surrounding the coral allows in the calmer lagoon waters and the barrier reefs protects the islands from storms and the high waters of the Indian Ocean. How nature works never fails to amaze me. It is however a concern for the Maldivian government that the rising sea levels due to global warming could threaten the existence of the Island nation. Vegetation is limited to mangrove, banyan trees and coconut palms and odd looking trees that looked like they had a multitude of legs holding them up. The islands also have limited wildlife but we saw many variations of lizards and I think that the tourists, baring all, were a feast for the mosquitos! We did meet the island’s parrot who was very friendly and drank only red bull out of a can. We were told that he despises water and will only drink out of a can! The limited wildlife is made up by the abundance of marine life, some 2000 rare species of fish, including reef sharks, manta rays and green sea turtles. In 1968 Maldives gained independence from Britain and the Sultanate became an Islamic republic. Originally between 300BC and 300AD the settlers in Maldives are said to have come from Kerala (Dravidian people and Tamils), Orissa in India (Sinhalese people) and Sri Lanka. Dhivehi and Sinhalese are the two most widely spoken languages. The economy is sustained by tourism and fishing and took quite a battering after the Tsunami in 2004 but soon recovered the following year. We spent a week on the Island. Snorkelling, and other water sports were the main forms of entertainment. Not to mention swimming in the pool and in the sea, the games room and tennis as well. You could just sit and gaze at the view for endless hours and be completely mesmerised by the beauty of the place. Complete relaxation! After 7 days part of me did not want to leave, but I think we had done it all. I did feel for the inhabitants of the island as I met a lovely lady who worked there called Janine. She had moved there to work a few months ago from Germany. She told me that ‘Island fever’ can set in when you just need to get away. I can understand that. Male is not a very large city either so escapism from the island from time to time is essential. I never thought I would ever say this but I was rather pleased to see the civilisation and the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong again! I would highly recommend Maldives as your next holiday destination. It is like being in Heaven. Totally surreal! http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=3429/12/2011 08:14:52Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong (also known as the Moon cake festival) I would like to share some stories about the Mid-Autumn festival with you. It is a day that the Chinese celebrate by lighting lanterns. They go to see the moon in large groups and give each other moon cakes. Here are some tales behind the celebrations: I. The Lady - Chang Er The time of this story is around 2170 B.C. The earth once had ten suns circling over it, each took its turn to illuminate to the earth. But one day all ten suns appeared together, scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved by a strong and tyrannical archer Hou Yi. He succeeded in shooting down nine of the suns. One day, Hou Yi stole the elixir of life from a goddess. However his beautiful wife Chang Er drank the elixir of life in order to save the people from her husband's tyrannical rule. After drinking it, she found herself floating and flew to the moon. Hou Yi loved his divinely beautiful wife so much, he didn't shoot down the moon. III. The Hare - Jade Rabbit In this legend, three fairy sages transformed themselves into pitiful old men and begged for something to eat from a fox, a monkey and a rabbit. The fox and the monkey both had food to give to the old men, but the rabbit, empty-handed, offered his own flesh instead, jumping into a blazing fire to cook himself. The sages were so touched by the rabbit's sacrifice that they let him live in the Moon Palace where he became the "Jade Rabbit." IV. The Cake - Moon Cake During the Yuan dynasty (A.D.1280-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung dynasty (A.D.960-1280) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set how to coordinate the rebellion without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Backed into each moon cake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644). Today, moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this legend. They say that after the Mid-Autumn festival, when the moon is the biggest and brightest the weather begins to change and we have certainly noticed it getting cooler. On the 12th of September night we went to Repulse bay beach to celebrate with many others and waited for the moon to show in the sky. We lit lanterns and it was magical. The moon was magnificent. Moon cakes however are an acquired taste but we did try some! http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=3327/09/2011 09:55:08It was absolutely magical. I spent and hour with each year group from Year 3 though to year 6. We did a brainstorming workshop on how to write a story and the theme was 'Africa' which is where my third book is set. We ended each session by doing a quiz for which the winners will get a prize. I must admit that after signing about 300 times (books and book marks), my hand was rather sore that evening, although it was a pleasure to spend time with each child individually, however brief it was. Then we had assembly where each Year group had something to read for book week. Each performance was special and the stage was set for the 'stories in a tent' theme. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to them and the story telling was of a high standard. The day ended with the 'Library opening ceremony' whereI was given the honour of cutting the ribbon. During the day plenty of photographs were taken by the school photographer as well as by the Surrey Advertiser, so watch this space. The library itself looked beautiful and all the new furniture and book stands were complimented by a brand new rug which stole the show. It was colourful and had the world map on it. A great library and the school should be proud. What impressed me about the school was that the parents and staff all worked together to improve the school. It was a pleasure to meet some of the parents and Governers of the school. So thank you for inviting me St Bede's and thank you for the flowers. I hope to see you all again with my third book and till then - Use that library and keep reading!!! Anjali Mittal http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=3219/11/2010 09:47:37I will be at St Bede's school this Friday the 12th of November talking to 240 children about my books and my third book set in Africa. We will be brainstorming on how to write a story as well as doing many more activities. The prayers and library opening ceremony will commence at 2:30 pm. I look forward to meeting the children and the staff at the school and signing books for them.http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=3110/11/2010 10:36:01What a brilliant day it was in Crawley for the book signing. Although the sun was shining and the children were out making the most of the glorious weather, I did get to meet many interesting children in the store. Deni and her team looked after me well and gave me a prime location at the front of the store. They gave me an extra table for the children's activities and even put two chairs for the children to sit on. I met children from many schools in the area. Some were Vale school, Milton Mount, St Matthews, Seymours primary and Aranside. The activities were well sought after and I even had some teenage girls who asked if they could do the colouring in! Many books were signed and bookmarks were handed out. An enjoyable day for all. I look forward to meeting the people of Crawley again with my third book. Anjali Mittal http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=3010/10/2010 13:46:54I am doing a book signing at the Waterstone's in Crawley on the 25th of September... yes this Saturday. So do come and show your support. I will be there from 11am onwards. Anjali Mittalhttp://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=2919/09/2010 19:04:51My trip to Kenya was phenomenal. Visiting it after nearly twelve years I was awestruck by the beauty of the country. The deep red soil that supports the growth of numerous crops like coffee, tea, pineapple, maize, bananas (I could go on forever), spells richness of the fertile soil and what flourishes from it. The wildlife is abundant and so natural – like God has created a way for the large numbers of zebras, giraffes, elephants, gazelles and many more to exist side by side on masses of land with very little to eat and they still survive. I was told that each species only ate the grass that belonged to them and left the rest for the others. Even the animals work in order and know their place in relation to those that live beside them. What makes Kenya the richest country in the world is the Beautiful people of Kenya. I cannot describe the warmth, the vibrancy, the sense of humour and most of all the hospitality of the people of Kenya. I was fortunate enough to visit a Masai village in the middle of nowhere where my niece was teaching the Masai women Microfinance – how to sell the beaded work that they spent hours making most effectively. I also visited a children’s school. I could never imagine myself saying this but it is I who learnt from them. Each person I met has aspirations of learning and growing and I felt that my life of materialism was wasted. A little girl outside the hut made of cow dung and wood, taught me the greatest lesson. All she had was a little stone to play with. With it she had created accurate and straight lines to play hopscotch. We tried to join in the game. Perhaps we were the only visitors she had ever seen. She ran into her hut and then came out supporting a different t-shirt. She was trying to dress up for us. It bought a tear to my eye when we were invited to look inside the hut. I cannot describe how little they had and yet they were so welcoming and happy. Kenya is a country that allows you to dream and it is the country where dreams come true. If you have not yet visited Kenya, put it high up on your ‘to do’ lists as it is truly magical. You will not be disappointed. http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=2810/08/2010 09:09:20Hello all, The summer has left me dizzy with all the activities that come along with it. I am now off to Kenya to gather material for my third book which is an adventure story set in the heart of Africa. I intend to follow the trail of places that my characters will in the book. I will also go on Safari and leave some time for relaxation, at the foothills of Mt Kenya. On my return I will tell you all about it. Until then keep reading!! Anjalihttp://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=2720/07/2010 15:54:29Yet again I had a wonderful day at Bushy- Hill School. The children were delightful and charming and very enthusiastic when it came to reading and writing. A short review: Hi Anjali - apparently you went down a storm at the School - the pupils loved you and the stories - from the feed back I got they would like a "you" in there every week as it encourages the pupils to be adventurous in there reading writing and story telling I am aiming to visit many more schools to inspire children to do just that.http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=2620/07/2010 15:49:52It was a dreary Saturday morning, cold and wet. The store was unusually crowdedwith people taking shelter and browsing amongst books. The ladies at the Children's department - Alex, Dorcia and Hannah, were friendly and welcoming. I met many interesting people and even managed to sell some books. There were children from Queen Eleanor's Junior school, The Chandler Cof E Junior school, Pennthorpe school and even one from Northwood. I met an interesting grandmother who had also been to Convent school and her four sons had been through Cranmore school just like my boys. It was a comfort to see some familiar facesas wellalthough I could not stop and chat for long as there were book marks to give out and children to talk to. The children enjoyed the colouring and word searches and talked to me about my books. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to have been at Waterstones once again and would like to thank Jessica Sage for giving me the opportunity. For all those who have bought my book I look forward to hearing your comments here on my website or on Amazon. Anjali Mittal http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=2510/05/2010 11:34:10I have kindly been invited to Bushy-Hill School in Merrow for the day to talk to 250 children! It should be an exciting day full of activities, readings and a competition too. I am really looking forward toit and to meet all the boys and girls at the school. The children will have an opportunity to buy a signed copy of both my books on the day.http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=2401/05/2010 10:36:34Saturday the 8th of May 2010 Yes, I will be there in the store from 11am onwards for a book signing for my new book Mystery of the Art Teacher. There will be plenty of activities for children to do, bookmarks forthem to take home and both books will be available to buy. So put the date in your diaries. I would love to see you all there!http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=2320/03/2010 11:27:46JUNIOR GIRLS MEET ANJALI MITTAL On Thursday 4th March, in a stunning array of costumes for World Book Day, we met Anjali Mittal, author of 'The Convent Rules!' and 'The Mystery of the Art Teacher'. First, Anjali asked us what characters we were and which book we were from. Then, Anjali read us an extract from 'The Convent Rules!' and followed it with the blurb from 'Mystery of the Art Teacher'. Afterwards, Anjali explained that there were some activities for us to do and acompetition (one where you had make up a rhyme). In addition, Anjali was also signing bookmarks and many of us were lucky enough to have them signed. At the end of an eventful forty-five minutes, none of us wanted to go! Fourth Former World book day As I walked into the assembly hall I was flabbergasted to see all of the amazing, colourful costumes - a real feast for the eyes! Pupils were dressed as an array of fabulous book-related character. Year 3 had a real treat in store - a visit from the author 'Anjali Mittal'. She talked to us about her two new adventure stories. 'The Convent Rules!' and 'Mystery of the Art teacher' and even read us a short chapter to whet our appetites. We were fortunate enough to choose to buy the books and have them signed. It is a brilliant part of 'World Book Day' because I love reading and writing and it inspired me to read more and more! Third Formerhttp://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=2220/03/2010 11:12:01LIBRARY NEWS! Our parent author Mrs Anjali Mittal has just brought out the second title in her ‘Convent Rules’ series which is proving very popular. There are some exciting new characters in this latest adventure, as well as some of the favourites from the first book. We have some copies available in school or you can buy it in the local bookshops, as well as from Amazon. I am sure the author will be happy to sign copies! Visit Mrs Mittal’s website anjalimittal.com for more details! http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=2120/03/2010 11:04:42MYSTERY OF THE ART TEACHER HAS NOW BEEN LAUNCHED AND IS AVAILABLE TO ORDER. DO LOOK AT THE PRESS RELEASES IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS!http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=2016/02/2010 21:51:55 Dear Guildford High Junior School, I am completely overwhelmed by the reception and the kindness the staff and girls have shown me for my day at your school. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and your girls are a delight. They are in every way exceptional! I am very impressed by their handwriting andwriting skills and they were a pleasure to talk to. They certainly made me feel very special. I am in the process of marking their competitions. Having glanced at the rhyming competitions I must say that it is going to be difficult to choose a winner as they are all so good! If any of the girls want to send me their stories, it would be my pleasure to read them and pass my comments. Do guide them to my website and the contact page where they can send it in. I look forward to seeing you for the prize giving for the World Book Day Rhyming Competition. Kind Regards, Anjali Mittal On the 4th of March which is World Book day, I have been invited to the Guildford High Junior school for the day to talk to the girls through Forms 3 to 6. I will be talking to them about writing and illustrating. I will read extracts from both my books and tell them what the books are about. After, there will be activities for the girls ending with a competition which will be won by a girl from each Form. The day will end with book-signing and an opportunity to buy both books. I look forward to meeting the girls and the staff from one of the mostdistinguished girls schools in the country. Watch this space... I will tell you all about it.http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=1915/02/2010 14:46:55My second book Mystery of the Art teacher will be with us in a couple of weeks. I would like to thank my two good friends Irene Black and Clare Benzikie for being kind enough to read my manuscript and give me all the constructive critisism I needed to get to this stage. Irene Black is an author herself and has written two books 'Darshan' and the 'Moon's complexion,' - both excellent books. Irene is a member of the Guildford Writer's group and it is a stroke of luck for me to have such an experienced Author as a friend and advisor. Jackie Luben is also a member of the Writer's group and one of her published books is the 'Tainted tree.' Clare and Stephen Benzikie have read both my books and guided me and supported me throughoutmy journey. It is much appreciated as in our busy lives it is not easy to give up your time for others, but Clare always does this with a smile on her face. Their encouragement has kept me going. The third person I must thank is my husband Rajeev Mittal who has had to read my manuscript, tirelessly,every time I made the slightest change - and believe me I have made many. Irene Black and Jackie Luben Clare and Stephen Benzikie Anjali and Rajeev Mittal So hold on tight now. It won't be long. Mystery of the Art Teacher is on its way! http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=1804/02/2010 12:41:00What a remarkable journey it has been since I decided to put pen to paper and write my first children’s novel ‘The Convent Rules.’ With the support of my family, friends and my agent, it was published it May 2009 it has been a great success and a fantastic learning experience. I had the book launch, a book signing at Waterstones (the Guildford High street branch), and even shared a book stall with the Guildford Writers group at the Farnham Christmas Fair. What an honour! I was kindly invited to a couple of events in aid of the Parkinson’s charity which were a great success too. The greatest compliment has been when children have come up to me and asked me when the next book will be out, as they cannot wait, and also told me that I have inspired them to become writers! There could be nothing more rewarding than that. My next book is with the publishers and will be out soon. It is called ‘Mystery of the Art teacher’ and has many intriguing characters in it like Matron-Not-So-Funny, the nun who cannot speak, the ghost of the shower cubicle and even a Princess. I will say no more as I don’t want to give the plot away. So do look out for it. If you liked ‘The Convent Rules’, be sure to read ‘Mystery of the Art teacher’ and tell all your friends about it! Don’t forget to write a review and tell me what you thought of all the characters. I must go and write some more now. Till then Keep Reading! http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=1723/01/2010 16:34:04 http://www.anjalimittal.com/blog.aspx?postID=1620/01/2010 10:28:57