I always knew mum loved me - tough, look-after-yourself love, as if she knew she wouldn't always be there.

It seems very clear to me that we, in the West, cannot afford to continue assuming propriety over the world's resources in a careless, greedy way without paying for it - not only with the lives of our loved ones, but also with our souls.

In general, I almost always watch foreign films.

In retrospect, I have come to recognise just how astounding my mother was during our childhood. She kept a woodwork shop and made beautiful furniture, as well as raising the pair of us in a society dominated by men. There really is nothing like war to reveal the power of patriarchy, but she always retained her independence.

I love my mother so much, because I see the whole of her.

In ways I don't entirely have the words for, an experience, thought or a lesson isn't real for me until I've written down.