48 49 “I could just AYANDA: When you guys look at the special the UK to look after me and my siblings so But today, I had a day from hell for various objects that you brought with you today, that my parents could study at university, different reasons. And I could just call her what’s the emotion or special memory that which is insane when you think about it! and have a minor breakdown on the phone. call her and they evoke?  She didn’t speak any English, she only And then I was okay. She sent me a card in spoke my language. So it must have been the post the other day and it says ‘nobody is have a minor OLIVIA: I suppose the special memory is a terrifying experience for her to come over you and that is your power’. that fact that I had that gut reaction of just to a completely new place where she didn’t no, yet I kind of came full circle and really know anyone. The ring symbolises her AYANDA: That’s beautiful, and what about breakdown on love it. I think that’s partly because my mum commitment and devotion to us as a family. you Nuam? knows me better than I necessarily know It reminds me of who she was as a person. the phone and myself. But I’m not a birthday person. So NUAM: So a bit about my gran. When even for my 21st I was just like, oh, it’s just AYANDA: Olivia, can you tell us a little bit she passed away two years ago, it was then be ok.” another day, another year. But it’s also that more about your mum? quite cool to listen to my mum and other marker in time, isn’t it? I’m only twenty people who knew her talk about how she seven now, it wasn’t that long ago that I OLIVIA: My mum is great! My mum and was as a person before I knew her. From was twenty one but even then to kind of dad are very different, but very similar at all accounts, it sounded like she was a you know, look back and be like, what’s the same time. They’ve been together since really remarkable woman who was very changed? May that be physically, mentally, they were like 18. My mum’s the artistic concerned about everyone around her. emotionally. I’m always after the new next and the emotional one. She studied Law She grew up in Myanmar, and where we’re thing, like the next goal, and that definitely and English, and my dad was Maths and from, it’s the poorest state in the country. comes from the type of university and Computer Science. So they have very So life was hard, life was really hard. My school we went to. You’re kind of taught to different ways of thinking, which is why I’m grandfather passed away when my mother be looking for the next achievement. I don’t lucky enough to have kind of both of those was quite young, so being a widow in those often look back and reflect. I think having in me. My mum gave it all up to have me. times, you’re kind of screwed, really, as your those things that pinpoint moments is She did go back to work for a while but husband is your main source of income. But important to be able to do that.  she was like, I don’t want to leave her in she was very determined. a nursery. And so I think as a woman, I’m AYANDA: What about you Nuam, does the always thinking, do I want kids? AYANDA: I’m interested in the change that ring encapsulate some kind of emotional we go through when we’re growing up. And memory? My mum is white British and my dad is from how you saw yourself in the past, how you the Caribbean. So when talking about race see yourself now and how much you’ve NUAM: Yeah, it’s really significant to me, and those things, those conversations can changed?  because it obviously reminds me of my be hard because it’s coming from a different gran. My gran and I were very, very close. place with each person. And my mum OLIVIA: I know this guy who met me when She was a remarkable woman. She must obviously doesn’t have the experience of I was at Lush and that was a couple of years have been like 80 when she migrated to not being white. ago, and he met me recently and he’s like