Latest news with #childhood
Malay Mail
12 hours ago
- General
- Malay Mail
Argus Residence: Celebrating the memories of a former Eurasian ‘enclave' in George Town
GEORGE TOWN, June 20 — Every evening along a short narrow lane, just behind the Assumption Church in George Town, shrieks of laughter would fill the air as children ran and played. It was a time before there were many cars on the roads and that narrow lane was a playground for the children living in the row of five terraced houses. 'It was like a dead end because the road leads to a narrow back lane so cars didn't come in,' said Stan De Souza. The 86-year-old was one of the children who used to run and play along Argus Lane back when Eurasian families lived in that row of houses. That was between the 1930s to the early 2010s, a period of over 70 years. The five terrace houses, built in 1928 and owned by the Church of the Assumption, were rented to the Eurasian families. 'We were like one big family where everyone knew everyone who lived there,' De Souza said. Among those who lived there were the De Souza, Scully, Newman and Cutter families. De Souza, who lived in the first house of the row, said his parents lived there from the 1940s. 'We went through World War II here, watched the bombs drop, hid in our homes,' he said. He remembered going to school at the nearby St Xavier's Institution before it was bombed during the war. 'After that, school was in a small attap house next to Convent Light Street,' he said. He reminisced about going back to study in a newly built St Xavier's Institution when he was in Form Four. 'I came back in January this year, wondering what happened to my childhood home when I met the George Town Heritage Hotels (GTHH) people who were restoring the buildings,' he said. GTHH has leased the row of houses from the church and restoration started last year. Today, Argus Residence is an extension of Seven Terraces Hotel — also a part of GTHH — and they are connected by a back lane. Each of the houses is named after each Eurasian family who lived there; Dragone, Cutter, Newman, Scully and De Souza. According to De Souza, Dragone was his mother's maiden name. 'My mother was Sybil Dragone and she was a teacher at Convent Light Street,' he said. 'I hope to book a weekend in this house one day and bring my siblings and our families to relive our memories growing up here,' he said. The last of the Eurasian residents living there was Ann Cutter who died a few years ago. Her niece, Corinne Cutter, who used to live in one of the houses too, remembered the strong sense of community among those who lived there. 'We used to gather outside and sing Christmas songs during Christmas,' she said. GTHH founder Chris Ong said the residences are decorated in an eclectic Edwardian mid-century style. — Picture by Opalyn Mok GTHH unveiled the Argus Residence yesterday and invited some of the former residents to visit the newly restored buildings GTHH founder Chris Ong said the residences are decorated in an eclectic Edwardian mid-century style; a mix of modern furnishings and Ong's unique creations. 'We are honoured that the church approached us to restore these buildings,' he said. He said GTHH hoped to also collect stories from the Eurasian community who used to live in these houses. The Argus Residences are decorated in an eclectic Edwardian mid-century style. — Picture by Opalyn Mok 'We want to honour the memories of those who lived here and tell their stories too,' he said. The Argus Residence is now open for booking here.
BBC News
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
New home sought for Bossy the 8ft Norwich bunny
A fine art student is looking for a forever home for an 8ft tall (2.4-metre) rabbit she made as part of her final year Guest made Bossy the bunny to show how objects from childhood can become "monumental symbols of importance".But her time at Norwich University of the Arts (NUA) is ending this summer and while it sits patiently on display in an art studio, she has until mid-August to find Bossy a new home. "I may have to take him to pieces, and that will be really, really sad," Ms Guest said. Ms Guest scanned her favourite toy bunny from childhood to get the correct measurements so she could accurately upscale it to a giant named her creation Bossy "because I was a bossy child," she said, and had to learn to weld in order to make the bunny's individual from being stuffed and cuddly, he is actually covered a metal structure in plastic pallet wrap before topping it off with her own screen printed fabric - based on the pattern of a childhood plate. This is one of the reasons potential new owners are being deterred, Ms Guest than being a real cuddly toy, Bossy is an artwork. "Some people have reached out, but when they realise he's not stuffed they're put off," she has advertised him on Facebook Marketplace - and approached children's hospices - but because Bossy's fabric is not wipe-clean, he could be an infection hazard."I'd like him to be in a public space where people can enjoy him, where he can make a lot of people happy," she said. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Gavin Friday: ‘U2 and I are almost like brothers – you very rarely blow smoke up your brother's ass'
I'm 65 now. I was born in the Rotunda hospital, and in 1962 I moved to Cedarwood Road, which was old Ballymun before the new Ballymun appeared. I was quite a shy child. I was about 12 or 13 when I met Guggi and Bono and music had become very important to me. The Ireland of then was ridiculous in the stranglehold the Catholic Church had on us. My father was a strict man, a diehard, old-school Catholic guy. Loved GAA, all of that, and I was the polar opposite, a shy kid who didn't like sports. My father thought I needed to toughen up. So I was sent to the Christian Brothers. I can't stand that whole spotlight of 'poor me', but when I look back now, one of the glues that glued Bono, Guggi and myself together was the three of us had not great relationships with our dad. We had a difficult dad. I was bullied badly, even bullied in primary school in Glasnevin. I found the nuns really cruel and hard. There was corporal punishment in school, so you were hit – and badly hit, which is horrific to think of. The stuff they would do even with a cane or a leather. I didn't hang out with many people. My true little world was about music and drawing and art. I always liked performing even though I was shy. Whenever my dad's mates were over, I'd be called down to sing a song. And I would sing. I loved music but I didn't know much, so it was Top of the Pops that became my first touchstone. I was a 1970s kid: glam rock – Marc Bolan, T Rex, Bowie and Roxy Music. I found a home in my head. I started dressing a certain way. My mum would make elephant flares for me. I got my ear pierced when I was 13, and that was a big thing to have your ear pierced then and I was battered for it. I was being beaten up and called names. My response became more prominent when I formed The Virgin Prunes in 1978, when I was 18. I thought, 'I'm going to wear a dress'. It was not gentle-looking, it didn't look fun and cuddly the way Boy George did. It was punk: 'Is that guy gonna bite the head off or kiss us or kill us, or what?' There was an element of threat about it. READ MORE [ Gavin Friday in Dublin review: Svelte, swooning performer lays bare his life on the stage Opens in new window ] There was nothing nourishing going around other than music. I really did find Dublin hard. Things are really hard here now economically for people, but it was a complete nightmare back in the 1980s. As an adult I was kicking against the Catholic Church very strongly in The Virgin Prunes. One of our infamous performances was on The Late Late Show in 1979: it was the same weekend the pope was in Ireland. I think Gay Byrne knew what he was doing because he liked being a bit controversial. My idea of success was 'Get me out of here': get me away from this drudgery of old Catholic Ireland. I started gigging and touring. We were away so much. We weren't earning much money. The first success I had was when I started working with Jim Sheridan , when I did the music for In the Name of the Father. When Jim Sheridan asked me to be the musical consultant on In the Name of the Father, I took on the challenge and we got on well. He said, 'Could you make a bomb go off musically? Could you do that?' I said, 'Yeah, I think so.' Then he said, 'I think you guys can do score, so let's go for it.' I love working to learn more. I'm very singular in what I do. I speak straight, mate to mate. When I worked with Bono on Stories of Surrender , the stage show [version of Bono's memoir ], I said, 'Well, you can't turn the whole book into a stage show'. It's just about having conversations, the way friends do. I have a very strong friendship with Bono and we have a very direct communication. It's not just with Bono, but the whole of U2 , because I know them 50 years. I've always been at a recording session when they go in to make an album, at the beginning, middle and the end. We're almost like brothers – you very rarely blow smoke up your brother's ass. 'What do you think of these songs?' 'I love these five, that needs more work, that's brilliant.' Albums to me are not jobs. It's an expression of who you are and what you're going through. To me, if you want to say something, the best way to say it is to make the tune have a sweetness or a tangibility. In conversation with Nadine O'Regan. This interview, part of a series asking well-known people about their lives and relationship with Ireland, was edited for clarity and length. Gavin Friday's latest album is Ecce Homo. Bono: Stories of Surrender is out now on Apple+
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gigi Hadid stuns fans with rare snaps of daughter Khai, 4, after close bond with Bradley Cooper's child revealed
On Wednesday night, Gigi Hadid shared rare snaps of her four-year-old daughter Khai Malik enjoying springtime before summer officially begins this Friday. In one picture, the 30-year-old IMG Model's child appeared to be playing with her boyfriend Bradley Cooper 's eight-year-old daughter Lea De Seine Shayk Cooper in a stream. 'Lea is so sweet and gentle with Khai,' a source told People last month. Elsewhere in Gigi's Instagram slideshow, little Khai sported cowboy boots while feeding two American Pygmy goats carrots inside her family's $3.7M, 32-acre Carousel Farm property in New Hope, PA. Hadid's mini-me rocked a triple-braided ponytail while holding hands with her on a couch in another snap. Khai - whose name translates to 'crown' in Arabic - showed off how well she could spell her own initials on the condensed shower door in another candid photo. The little girl eagerly dug into a frosted mini-cupcake during a summer break celebration that also included two cookie 'cakes.' Fans might recall how much the Guest in Residence founder's mother Yolanda pressured her to only eat a tiny bite of the large cake at her own graduation party during a 2014 episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. But now as executive chef 'Mama' - Gigi (born Jelena) prepares Khai's breakfast menu with a choice of beverages and food options including pancakes, bacon, sausage, toast, Nutella French toast roll-ups, bagel with cream cheese, bread with 'Holland' cheese, and Overnight Oats. Instagram user @thesarcasticbrunette commented: 'The fact that Gigi's mum wouldn't even let her daughter have some cake to her feeding her own daughter whatever she wants is so wholesome!' 'She's [grown] up so fast!' Instagram user @_tyapr marveled. Instagram user @rupantyakid agreed: 'Khai has grown up so much! We love a queen that respects her children's privacy and safety.' Hadid and babydaddy Zayn Malik make sure to figure out their custody schedules 'months in advance.' The Havaianas collaborator told Vogue last March: 'We help each other out and have each other's backs.' Gigi ended their on/off six-year romance after the 32-year-old ex-1D boybander's 2021 altercation with her 61-year-old mother, for which he received 360-day probation and was ordered to complete anger management and domestic violence programs. 'There is the hard part of the world knowing this much, and thinking they know everything,' Hadid lamented. Fans might recall how much the Guest in Residence founder's mother Yolanda (L) pressured her to only eat a tiny bite of the large cake at her own graduation party during a 2014 episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 'She's [grown] up so fast!' Instagram user @_tyapr marveled Gigi ended their on/off six-year romance after the 32-year-old ex-1D boybander's 2021 altercation with her 61-year-old mother, for which he received 360-day probation and was ordered to complete anger management and domestic violence programs (pictured September 19) The half-Jordanian, half-Dutch American went Instagram official with the 50-year-old actor-director on May 3 in snaps from her birthday bash after nearly two years of dating (pictured last Friday) 'And at the end of the day, we're not interested in giving everyone our whole story. What we are interested in is raising our daughter together. With so much respect for each other, and not just as co-parents, but what we've been through together.' Meanwhile, Bradley and his ex-fiancée Irina Shayk - who employ no nannies - share 50/50 joint legal and physical custody of Lea following the end of their four-year romance in 2019. The half-Jordanian, half-Dutch American went Instagram official with the 50-year-old actor-director on May 3 in snaps from her birthday bash after nearly two years of dating.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
My sister and I fought our entire childhood due to our differences. As adults, we are best friends.
Growing up, my younger sister and I had some epic battles, with both of us showing our mean side. Over the years, our relationship evolved from a sibling rivalry to a strong adult friendship. The things that once drove me nuts about her, are now the qualities I love and appreciate the most. I am the oldest child. Like many, I grew up under the expectation that I should be mature, my sister's caretaker. I was classically anxious, organized, and bossy. My belief was that my little sister, who is three years my junior, was both my responsibility and my subordinate. We had epic, sisterly battles. I was type A, and my sister was not. We shared a bedroom, where my side had a bookcase, with my books arranged in alphabetical order and my bed tidily made. My sister hid chips under her bed among the dust bunnies and other random objects. I had an American Girl doll (Samantha, of course). Her favorite doll was a plastic witch with glowing, green skin. We were very, very different. When we were kids, I would entrap my sister in any way I could. Yes, I was a control freak and sometimes, not for my sister's betterment, but used for her downfall. I would play a game with her called "Yard Sale," where we lay out toys on our beds to sell to each other in exchange for coins. I lured her into selling some brand new doll clothes our aunt bought her, while also convincing her to trade me her dimes for my nickels. I easily convinced her that nickels are bigger, so they were more valuable. We also played a game I invented called "Princess and Helper." It's played exactly like it sounds. I was the princess, and she was to do my bidding. When our mom made homemade cookies, as she often did, we were allowed two per day. However, I would convince my sister that as my personal helper, she would need to go down and sneak me more cookies. After enjoying them, I would tattle on her for sneaking, or sometimes I would even summon our mom mid-sneak to catch my sister. My sister, the funny and witty one, would pay me back, utilizing the very thing I made her do for me: sneak. She confessed, years after I moved away from home, that she scrubbed the toilet with my toothbrush and replaced it, waiting for me to brush my teeth the next morning before heading off to school. The reality is, I was quite jealous of my sister when we were growing up. She was always getting others to laugh, and in her teen years she was a hazel-eyed, curvy blonde. I was nearly flat-chested, skinny, and overwhelmingly uncool. My sister was usually the life of the party. I was a stick-in-the-mud. After I moved away and got married, my sister completed nursing school and also wed. We both went on to build our families. I now have four kids, and my sister has three. As adults, my sister and I have found ourselves exploring how much we have in common, from raising kids, to our political and religious beliefs, and our stellar husbands who put up with our shenanigans and strong opinions. I can say that without a doubt, my sister is my best friend. The things about her that drove me nuts when we were kids are the very things I appreciate about her now. Her humor can help life be lighter. Her ability to care deeply for people shows her incredible empathy. She will drop everything to help someone in need. She's also the biggest hype woman of other humans, always dropping compliments on someone else living their best life. She's a fierce advocate for marginalized people. Sibling rivalry and the big sister-little sister dynamic is quite common, and I think we both have learned that our differences are what makes us amazing besties. Our sisterhood has been a long journey, one that has evolved from a constant battle into an appreciation that carries us through all life's ups and downs. Read the original article on Business Insider
