Saturday 15 March 2014

Scottish Asian Women's Award For Achievement

Hallo Billy buuz, it has been crazy, busy and good baby. Mummy's been so busy doing many things recently and as usual thought about you, lit candles for you and put food and sweets in front of your photo. February was easier than the prevous years but heavy as it's the 4th year anniversary of your death on 24th February. Mummy didn't write any post here in February. It was the only month Mummy didn't write a single post since you died. Yet, Mummy felt ok because the book is out and you live on in people's memories. Many people wrote to Mummy and spoke to Mummy after they read the book. It's amazing. Mummy has some good news too. We are all doing well and Mummy just got a new a job. It doesn't start another couple of weeks. Another good news is Mummy won an award! We are all delighted, your big brother and sister are so happy and your little sister is just running around because we are happy. It's Yeye's birthday today and she got a gold medal from a chess championship in Ulaanbaatar.

Mummy'll put the video of the Scottish Asian Women's Award's night here. Your Daddy recorded it on his phone. Good night, lovely boy. Love you so much. XXX

Friday 31 January 2014

Happy Tsagaan Sar!

Hallo Billy buuz, big boy. Mummy is delighted with the book launch events in Glasgow and Ayr. So many people came and supported us, baby. Your daddy, sisters, brother and ovoo went too. Today is the Lunar New Year. In Mongolia it's Tsagaan Sar meaning 'white month'. We are expecting some Mongolian students from Glasgow and some friends tomorrow. We made some dumplings tonight. It was a lovely feeling, playing Mongolian songs and your big brother and sister helped. Your little sister was in bed then. Ovoo went home after the Glasgow launch event and he is spending Tsagaan Sar at home. It was good speaking to your great granny and great uncles and aunts as well as ovoo and emee today. They were all well. So it's a good start to the new year. It's a wooden horse year full of victories they say. Certainly we are very happy with the book because Mummy is doing another two events, one in London and one in Edinburgh. So it's all good. Also Mummy was invited to a book festival. Yes, that's good, isn't it?

Another fantastic news is that the book is in the British and Scottish library. Mummy's publisher Sara sent the letter to us! How lovely is she? She knew it was important to us. So there we are. Mummy showed to people at the book launch in Ayr and now it will be kept in the same box as we keep your memories. Love you baby, beautiful boy. XXXX

Here's a link to the book launch photos.

Tuesday 14 January 2014

Book Launch week

Hallo Billy, Mummy's cutie pie. Very very busy week starting. The book launch is this Thursday officially. The book is out already and being sold in Waterstones, Amazon, Book depository websites and even this morning Mummy saw it in our local library, baby. It's happening! It's available in Mongolia too. Can you believe it? The outdoor shop opposite the Central Post Office in Ulaanbaatar is selling them. It's great.

Mummy is getting a bit emotional as the launch day approaches, missing you and having mixed feelings. It's great the book is coming out but it was because of losing you Mummy wrote it. So it's sad, but Mummy will look at it in a way that we talked before, making you live in people's mind, keeping you alive that way. Billy buuz existed, and he still does exist because he was so important baby, his parents loved him very much.

There was an excellent article in last week's UB POST newspaper. It's an English newspaper in Ulaanbaatar. UB stands for Ulaanbaatar. Mummy'll put the link here:

By MICHELLE BOROK
Uuganaa Ramsay went to the UK on a teaching scholarship in 2000, and more than a decade later – now a mother and author in Scotland – she continues to educate. Her newly published memoir, “Mongol” was released in e-book format on Human Rights Day, December 10, 2013, and will be available in paperback on January 16.
The book explores the junction of her life growing up in rural Mongolia, adapting as an immigrant in Britain, facing the challenge of being a mother of a child with Down’s Syndrome, and living with loss. The label of “Mongol” impacts her deeply in the memoir, as it shifts from a symbol of pride in Ramsay’s heritage to a word used to alienate, dehumanize and insult. The loss of her son Billy inspired her to share his story, tightly woven into her own.
As Mongolia responds to continued worldwide efforts to improve awareness for the rights and dignity of the differently-abled, Ramsay is on a parallel crusade to educate people about what it truly means to be “Mongol” and what that label is and is not. In an interview with the author, we learn more about her journey and her newfound life’s work. Read the full interview here.

So our first book launch event is in Waterstones, Argyle Street in Glasgow. We are all going. Ovoo is still with us, so he's coming too. Mummy will let you know how it went. Mummy's beautiful baby boy. Love you loads. XXXX