The seven-year-old surprised me the other day by hopping into the back seat of the car, with full make-up on: eyeliner, mascara, gold eye-shadow (mostly all over her forehead, but still), blusher and lipstick. And engulfed in a cloud of perfume.We looked at one another in the rear-view mirror for a few moments. I know […]
Language thermidor – Robyn Goss grapples with French
When they heard that I was moving to Switzerland, many of my South African friends assured me that I would be speaking French fluently “in no time”. Most of them do not speak French themselves, and were most likely confusing French the actual language with French the menu language. The latter usually has helpful English […]
In sickness and in health
Oh, hooray. It’s cold and flu season again (again? Wasn’t it just November, like, a month ago?) and to amuse us all during this trying time, I’ve compiled a short list of sufferer ‘types’, based on my family. I’m sure there are more types, so contributions are welcome, but this is what I have to […]
Glory Days – Cracking Up
“How much longer do you plan to go on living?” the seven-year-old asked me the other day, after giving me one of those long, appraising looks that children are so good at. I like to think that this question had nothing to do with greed for her inheritance (which currently stands at: my wedding ring; […]
Nobody messes with the Easter Bunny
When my children were small, I decided that I would never lie to them. No matter how painful the truth, I would always be the one to tell it to them. (This was before they caught me scoffing the last of the cooking chocolate, and asked me what I was eating. And I said, “Broccoli, […]
Author Douglas Kennedy “A life without curiosity is terrible.”
Douglas Kennedy is the bestselling author of 14 books, three of which have been adapted to film. Last week Robyn Goss interviewed him at GEMS World Academy, where he was speaking at the inauguration of the Discovery World Library and World Language Learning Centre prior to attending the Morges Book Festival. RG: Your books are […]
Douglas Kennedy interviewed at GEMS in Switzerland
Douglas Kennedy is the bestselling author of 14 books, three of which have been adapted to film. Last week Robyn Goss interviewed him at GEMS World Academy, where he was speaking at the inauguration of the Discovery World Library and World Language Learning Centre prior to attending the Morges Book Festival. RG: Your books are […]
People who need people. And people who don’t.
Sometimes I like to think of my family as a patchwork quilt. Because we’re covered in cat hair and permanently draped over the couch in the TV room. Ha ha. No, but seriously. I think of it as a quilt because, as any quilt-maker can tell you, organizing the various pieces of fabric into a […]
On the beach
One morning during our recent summer holiday in England, my husband leaped out of bed, joyfully announcing, “It’s a Beach Day today!” “Really?” I asked, peering out of the window at the grey sky and the trees bending horizontally in the wind. “Why do you say that?” “Because it’s not raining!” The children and I […]
Things that Go Bump in the Night
Every time I read an article about someone who swears they saw the face of Elvis in a piece of toast, I’m reminded of how good we humans are at putting random shapes into patterns, and trying to make sense of them. It’s what makes cloud-watching so much fun; it’s also what gave us the […]