Mate is the Argentinian tea. We sip it hot in the winter and cold in the summer through a special metal straw. Everyone has their own personal cup although I don’t use this one because it’s too small. This comes from my honeymoon with my wife. Mate is hard to find in London and it’s very expensive.
I love this shawl because it reminds me of Bangladesh where I come from and connects me to my roots. I like the bright side of the shawl with its red and gold wedding colours and its vibrancy. I feel that represents me. I can wear the other side when I want to feel cool and calm.
This is an Eritrean coffee maker which belonged to my mother. It’s our traditional way of making coffee and reminds me of life back home in Eritrea. I will keep it forever.
On my first visit to Vientiane in Laos I hired a bike and went to a little bike shop to get this lock. I noticed later that evening it had my name on it! I went back to the shop the next day and they said they had locks with lots of different names on them and that it was a complete coincidence. I went back there three more years after that and always visited them and they helped me celebrate my 63rd birthday. They were such friendly people and always made me feel so welcome.
