Writer, EFL teacher, trainer, and translator, I was born in Tanzania, have lived in a dozen countries over three continents, and describe myself as an ‘expatriate sin patria’. Wherever I go I make it my business to learn the language, get to know the local people and customs, and discover the country’s remotest corners. I became interested in writing in mid-2006, did a short Open University creative writing course and a Writers’ Bureau course, and began getting articles published in 2007.

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The 30th annual Brussels 20-kilometre road race takes place today. The 25,000 available places were snapped up very quickly after registration opened. This year participants, including renowned international athletes, will have come specially to Belgium from 43 countries. Seventy-six nationalities will be represented. It's a gorgeous day. If you click here you'll see a map: http://www.20kmdebruxelles.be/20km/set_en.htm I live just where the guy is running on the bottom of the circle drinking from a can.

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‘Nine point two kilos!’ Pru called from the hallway, zipping up her new case. ‘I’ve done it at last!’

‘Great, well done.’

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‘Doesn’t look like we’re going to get the Irish holiday this year. Let’s go away soon, instead.’

This was late April.

‘Okay,’ my husband said, getting out his diary. ‘When are we both free?’

We found a slot between 10 and 18 May.

‘Where shall we go?’

‘Somewhere south, cheap, a short flight, and where we’ve never been before,’ was my suggestion.

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Traditionally, in East Africa, women wear kangas. A kanga is a rectangular piece of fine cotton cloth, which has a border all round it.

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So you're back from a week's holiday to a place you'd never been to before, the photos are down- and uploaded (see a selection on http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=121704&id=664241054&ref=nf), your notebook is full, but what story do you start with?

Well, what do people want to read?

Over to you - will it be:

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Yesterday, there wasn't a bird to bee seen on the Grand'Place. Usually there are a few pigeons around, but they had flown away, terrified. Why?

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So today I went to order curtains for the living-room. My friend Murielle advised me where to go for them: she is an expert at shopping – she knows where to get 400 Euro bathing suits and 5 Euro bras (‘people get to see the bathing suits, not the bras’ she explained). I said that the curtains weren’t being bought to be seen, but to stop me seeing out, on my husband’s instructions (see Sweeney post below).

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