Places to visit in Yorkshire

 We love exploring the country and on our quest, here's where we visited in Yorkshire!

York - This was a day trip from London and we packed in so much. Lucky was learning all about Romans and Anglo-Saxons at the time so this was perfect to go to. We visited the Viking Centre, the Chocolate Story, went on a Ghost boat ride on the river, York Castle Museum, DIG: The archeological adventure. We also walked around the town centre and visited the famous streets and shops! One of the most kid-friendly town!

Whitby - We did a weekend there! It is such a charming town right by the sea. Obviously, we went there because of Dracula and it didn't disappoint with its history! We visited all the must from Whitby Abbey, Dracula:the experience, steam train ride, the Captain Cook replica boat, 199 steps and visiting Humpty Dumpty grave, Captain Cook Memorial Museum, the Jet museum. We also did the beach but it was raining. We went on a ghost tour too and ate at a lot of fish and chips restaurants!

UK Waterfalls

 I've always been a water baby. I love any water bodies, features, etc... and waterfalls are no different to me. I love the adrenaline to the scenery to get there but also the calm and soothing feeling when you feel that water spray. I'm always in awe of them no matter how being or small!

Here are some of what we visited!

Lumsdale Falls, Peak District -  about a 45mins walk from Matlock Bath, this was a waterfall tucked away on the edge of the Peak District. The highlight is the ruins surrounding it! 

Virginia Falls, Windsor Park - a man-made waterfall. We made a trip from London to visit it but it was so underwhelming and we couldn't even go close to it!

Mallyan Spout Waterfall, North Yorks Moor - situated in Goathland, where the station was featured in one of the Harry Potter movies, the walk to it is a bit strenuous but beautiful! You have to climb big rocks in order to get close to it! There's also other waterfalls nearby but we didn't have time!

Becky Falls, Dartmoor National Park - this was so fun to do! Not really one of those majestic waterfalls but more water coming down rocks and it felt like a game of stepping stones to get close! It was another beautiful setting!

St Nectan's Glen, Tintagel - a beautiful waterfall set in something that I will call a tropical jungle. Kids can splash around. A small entrance fee to pay.

Wales - https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4124083420943040106/2673917214633585558

Castles and Palaces in UK

 UK is in no shortage of castles and places thanks to tall the Royal Families! There are such majestic places to visit full of history. Who doesn't want to pretend there are kings or queens for the day!  Here is a list of some that we have been to!

Buckingham Palace - The Mother of all Castles and Palaces! It comes with a hefty entrance fee so is it worthy? The actual place is a bit underwhelming because everyone hypes it so much! But the atmosphere, the fact that you are walking in the footsteps of the Queen, that's unbeatable. Towards the end of the tour, there's a room for kids to dress up and play like a royal!

Kensington Palace - The home of Princess Diana! My favourite part is the sunken garden. It is a small palace but it's beautiful. There's lot of events and exhibitions happening there and if you combine it with a visit to Hyde Park, that's a whole day out!

Tower of London - It is a very dark place including it's very own torture chamber and bloods spots of murdered young princes! It is also where the stolen Crown Jewels which we refused to see! During school holidays, there's always special events going on! 

Hever Castle - Anne Boleyn's childhood home, this picturesque castle and grounds has so much to offer! From multiple gardens, to a water play area and play areas with a replica castle in it, this is a guaranteed fun day out, especially during the summer!

Warwick Castle - We love the castle and the town! We went there during Halloween and it was so apt with the dungeon, scary maze and all the other events going on! Another great kid-friendly castle! More of our day out can be found here: https://mummylife0912.blogspot.com/2020/01/warwick-castle.html

Hertsmonceux Castle - We went there during the Medieval Festival which is such a great experience. With live battle reenactment and jousting battles to people in costumes living like their used to during medieval times. Please go and experience it! Here's our experience https://mummylife0912.blogspot.com/2017/09/englands-medieval-festival.html

Dartmouth Castle - This is one the most beautifully located castles I have ever been to right on the Dart Estuary. Even the walk from the town centre to the castle was stunning! It is a small castle but with amazing views!

Dover Castle - This was such a huge castle including WW2 tunnels. You can see the whole of Dover from where the castle stands. 

Canterbury Castle - It's not a castle anymore just about 10mins from the town centre. You can't visit the ruins anymore because it's dangerous. But even looking from the outside, you can feel how gorgeous it was.

Oxford Castle - Comes with its own prison, this castle was the first castle we visited so it always holds a special place in our heart!

Hastings Castle -  It is absolutely stunning with beautiful sceneries and kids will learn about the Battle of Hastings at school so a great place to see what they learned in the actual place

Norwich Castle - Right in the middle of the centre, this castle is compact but holds lots of activities during school holidays!

Tintagel Castle - You can easily spend a whole day in this stunning village in Cornwall. And the highlight is the Castle overlooking the beach. It comes with its own cave too! We spent the whole morning there discovering all the corners of the castle. When I say castle, its the walls that remains but still with beautiful views surrounding it, you have plenty to look around!

What about you? Do share the best castles you visited.

Weekend in Oxford

 This was a couple of years ago while Mahi was still in a stroller so I hope I remember it right!

We went over the October half-term and I think that's the best time to visit such a historic town. We stayed with a friend close to the town centre so accessing all the attractions wasn't a problem.

As it was Halloween Season, Oxford Castle did their Haunted Castle event. This is the first ever Haunted Castle the kids ever attended so the kids always look back at it fondly. We had a few jumpy moments in the dark. It was great!

The next day, we obviously did the colleges. I mean just being there was an inspiration. It was the weekend, and the library was full! The chapels, dining  halls, gardens, it's just this amazing feeling!

We then we went around the town centre doing some shopping and trying to find black macarons (Lucky was literally throwing a tantrum to eat Black macarons!!!!!). Alas, no such luck! We settled on normal macaroons. I loved going around Oxford. It's still like old times in most places.

We ended our trip by visiting the Ashmoleum museum! I remember the Roman and Egyptian sections of the museum which was so comprehensive!

A great weekend!

Indoor fun with kids in London

    The British weather can be so unpredictable and we are mostly cold even during summer so here's a list of indoor places to visit with kids.

Free

• National History Museum, South Kensington - one of my favourite museum becuaue of the dinosaurs
• The Chocolate Museum, Brixton - a tiny museum dedicated to all things chocolate. With workshops happening throughout the the year, its a great place to entertain the kids. (https://mummylife0912.blogspot.com/search?q=chocolate+museum)
• Science Museum, South Kensington - such a great interactive museum to learn so much about science
• V&A, South Kensington - I love this museum since it's all about learning about different cultures and eras
• National Gallery, Trafalgar Square - maybe for older kids who love art
• National Portrait Gallery - Leicester Square - a cute little museum but again maybe for older kids
• Tate Modern -  some great exhibitions and installations which would cultivate your kids' imaginations
• Somerset House, Waterloo - Usually have great exhibitions for kids and a stunning ice rink during Winter
• Saatchi Gallery - Some great kid-friendly workshops held on Sundays
• Southbank Centre, Waterloo- we usually attend the Imagine Festival every February but it has some great events throughout the year
• Museum of London, London Docklands and Barbican - everything to learn about London's history. We especially loved the Great Fire of London walk hosted by Museum of London to complement what the kids learn in year 2.
• British Museum - I don't like to visit this much due to all the stolen goods but it's such a stunning place to learn all about different eras
• The Petrie Museum - perfect for anyone in love with Egypt's history
• Royal Observatory, Greenwich - man interactive things to do to learn about space. Includes a planetarium (shows needs to be paid for) https://mummylife0912.blogspot.com/2018/04/royal-observatory-greenwich.html
• National Maritime Museum, Greenwich - all about the seas. The play areas are our favourite! They also great hosts family workshops!
• Cutty Sark - For all your little sailors!
• Horniman Museum, Forest Hill - a great museum with aquarium, gardens and butterfly house
• Imperial War Museum, Lambeth - a great place to learn about WW2
•  Heath Robinson, Pinner - a small museum dedicated to a local Harrow artist and illustrator
• Headstone Manor Museum, North Harrow - a museum to explore Harrow
• Feminist Library, Lambeth - a great library with a range of literature from female authors
• Royal Army Museum, Chelsea - a great museum about the army's role in the different wars
• National Archieves - close to Kew Gardens and every 1st sunday hold family workshops. A great treat for a little historian

Paid attractions

• Kidzania, Westfield
• Harrow Arts Centre, Hatch End - multiple shows, workshops and classes
• ArtsDepot, North Finchley - another great space for shows, workshops and classes
•  London - 4hrous of unlimited fun for kids where they try their hands at different job
• Transport Museum, Covent Garden and Acton - the ticket you buy is valid for a year so you can return however many times within a year. Everything to learn about Tfl for any transport crazy kids!
• Golden Hinde , London Bridge- a replica of  the first English ship that went around the world. A great day out to experience history. Some of the areas are outdoors. https://mummylife0912.blogspot.com/search?q=southwark
• The Clink Museum, London Bridge - a small but a bit scary museum. Maybe for Halloween?
• Shakespeare's Globe, London Bridge - if your child is learninf about Shakespeare then this is the perfect place to take them! Plays, workshops and festivals, they have it all!
• Tower of London, Tower Hill - another great historic place and who doesn't want to see the Crown Jewels
• Discover Children's Centre, Stratford - Perfect for primary school children to see their favourite books coming alive. https://mummylife0912.blogspot.com/2018/06/discover-children-centre.html
• Buckingham Palace, Green Park - who doesn't want to see where the Queen live
• Kensington Palace - Diana lived here. Do we need to say anymore?
• Various English Heritage Sites - free if you are a member
• Various National Trust sites - free if you are a member
• Shrek, Westminster - let's visit our favourite orgre with special appearances from the Madagascar team
• SeaLife, Westminster - sharks and all other underwater creatures. Combo tickets with Shrek and other nearby attractions available
• The Old Operating Theatre, London Bridge - a hidden museum with an interactive session about operating back in the days
• The London Bridge Experience, London Bridge - perfect for Halloween with scary people chasing you!
• The London Canal Museum, King's Cross - a great museum to learn about the canal ways in London which also offer canal rides on the narrowboats! https://mummylife0912.blogspot.com/2017/11/halloween-treat-3-london-canal-museum.html
• London Dungeon, London Bridge - Another spooky experience! https://mummylife0912.blogspot.com/2017/11/halloween-treat-london-dungeon.html
• The Florence Nightingale Museum, London Bridge - a little museum all about Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole
• BFI - we love Sunday Family Days where they do movie previews with great workshops to go with it!
• Madame Tussauds, Baker Street - see your favourite celebs up close
• Cartoon Museum, Oxford Circus - A great museum all for cartoons. They also do great half-term workshops for kids
• Bentley Priory Museum, Stanmore - An important place in the history of the Battle of Britain, this is a stunning place to learn all about its history and the pivotal role it played during WW2!
• Musicals and Theatres
• Crazy Golf
• Trampoline parks
• Charles Dickens Museum - hold lots of events suitable for families and a great little museum to walk through where Dickens lived!
• Madame Tussauds - quite an expensive day out but really worth it if your family love the entertainment world. Some sections are 

Playing as an adult

Do you go to the park and swing on the swings or slide down the slide? Well, I do! There are time when I don't feel like it but often, I'll be the adult who will happily queue amongst kids half my size to use the swings! It's not embarassing! I love connecting to my inner child. I'm ignoring my daughter comments about how immature I am. Life is hard as it is. You need to forget the world and become a child sometimes to still be able to love life!

Playing as an adult is a must! How else would you relieve your stress? I love playing with my kids most of the time. It makes me forget about adult life for a little while. When you spend time with kids, you see life through their eyes and it's so beautiful (although don't spend too much time with a teenager... it's so dark and depressing, if you are anything like my daughter!) Mahi is full of POKEMON, video games problems! I feel so accomplished when I solve one of those problems with him! I wish I had problems like that for real too!

Playing is also keeping us young and rejuvenates us. Have you been on a zipwire. I love that thrill and it always makes me laugh when I go on it! You need these experiences in your life even as an adult.

So play! Who cares if people look at you? It's your life. Stay young!

Being Tamil

 January has been recognised as Tamil heritage Month in the UK following in the footsteps of the Candian Government who established i back in 2014. There are approximately over 450,000 in the UK alone. Tamils are from both the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the North and East of Sri Lanka. 

My parents are both from the North of Sri Lanka (although my mother's side is a bit more complicated). Shortly after they got married, my dad emigrated to France amidst the civil war and my mum followed a year later and the rest is history.

I believe that my identity as a Tamil is defined by the civil war. In order to elaborate this more, I need to explain the civil war and Sri Lanka. In the North-East part is heavily populated by the 'minority', Tamils. The rest is the 'majority', Sinhalese. When the British gave Sri Lanka independence on 4/2/1948, they do what they always done and messed it up by giving the power to the Sinhalese. As with any country, there was always racial tension between the Sinhalese and Tamil but this newly found power gave Sinhalese the green signal to do whatever they wanted to do. And what was their aim? To make the whole of Sri Lanka Sinhalese. And how did they do that? First, they did the casual discrimination by  touching our education. Tamils needed to have high marks to enter university whereas Sinhalese can go through with average marks. And other sectors followed suit such as the job market. As with any injustice, we protested for our rights. The government obviously didn't like that. So step 2: violence.  Progoms started  at regular intervals where Tamil businesses, homes and religious establishments were vandalised and burned down not mentioned the copious amount of people who were murdered! W had enough. We wanted our rights, our own land and our livehoods back. So naturally, step 3: rebel groups formed to fight for our own land. The most successful group amongst these were  the LTTE aka Tamil Tigers led by Prabakaran Velupillai. The government didn't back down. The North was became more and more restless all culminating in civil war which started in 1983. For 25 years, the LTTE found to have our own land (Eelam). For 25 years, we fought for our rights. For 25 year, we found for our Tamil language. May 2009, it all came crashing down. A mass genocide happened while the world was watching. Tamils were bombed in no-firezone. Schools in the north were targeted. 1000 and 1000s have 'disappeared'. May 2009, the Sri Lankan government won! 

So to me being Tamil means saving my heritage. The Sinhalese government tried to erase us but they can't. I got my language, my Tamil. It is one of the most complicated but beautiful languages. Growing up in a suburb just outside Paris where you were the only brown one was hard in terms of  cultivating our culture. Therefore our language was very important to us. We always talked in Tamil at home. Movies were our way to learn about culture and improve our language skills. My parents seeked other tamils and soon parties, events, etc... followed where you could mingle with people that looked like us and understood us! The Tamil french community was very small at the 90s so I don't remember going to temples in my early age, as I don't there were any at that time but I could be wrong. I also started to attend Tamil school when I was 10 in order to learn how to write and read Tamil. Through reading Tamil, my dad introduced me to poems and stories. My love for my language increased even more. Now, my kids are slowly learning Tamil. I wished I started when they were babies. But, with both of them attending nurseries from a very young age, we encouraged them to speak in english at home so they don't have an issue with communicating.  Laksha is able to do all 3 but needs a bit more confidence in talking. It took us about 6 years to get her here. Mahish is a very work-in-progress. However, he is the one that loves watching Tamil movies  more. He is slowly starting to pick up from these movies and through Tamil class. We celebrate all Tamil festivals at home and learn the importance of each festival. I'm an atheist so I don't go to temples or church but I make sure that my kids know the story of all the Gods that I use to believe in. We have a prayer room with all the Gods photos in them so if they wish to pray, they have that space. 

Another way for me to fight for my identity as a Tamil,  is in all forms where they ask for ethnicity, I fill it as Eelam Tamil. Hopefully, this will be picked up from the Census done in 2021, as I know lots of fellow Tamils did the same thing.  In all my jobs or through volunteering, I proudly present my history. Colleagues from my last 3 jobs didn't know there was a civil war in Sri Lanka and therefore I educate them. Not long ago, I heard one of my white colleagues educating a new staff member about our fight for independence! This is why it's important to educate the ones around us because they will become our allies in our fight for our Eelam and Eelam Tamils!