My grandparents and parents were the best teachers one could ever have. My two younger sisters and I felt their love, notwith- standing the heavy dose of what I should now describe as fair discipline. Reading and homework had to be done, eating what was on the table was a must, and a reasonable share of work in the house such as fixing the bed, taking particular care of the piano, and some kitchen work were rules never to be bent and broken. At 12 years old, I accompanied my mother to the wet market to learn how to choose fresh food until I could do the marketing alone. My family strongly believed this was a chore every woman should be good at. Children will always be children, instinctive, energetic. The responsibilities inside the home went together with a compul- sion to run in the sun, bike, play badminton and alagua and climb trees. Watching TV had a set time on weekends. After college when I eventually left the country for Rome, I car- ried this discipline and beautiful memories that were part and parcel of who I had become. The inner strength my parents and grandparents helped me develop gave me the courage to meet the world: it was very natural, it was like second nature. I recall not bringing a single medication when I boarded the plane, not one aspirin or menthol candy drop in case I caught a cold. I just never thought of getting sick, and I never did in all the years that I was away. Settling back in the country, I set up a business in garments to support myself. I wanted to be self-sufficient; I was also keenly aware of the reality that as an artist in the country, there was no guarantee I could sell my artworks. The bread and butter taken care of by the garments business, I actually had the time to create without worrying about making a sale, and I believe this was crucial to how my work simply flowed naturally.
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