Hello! My name is Mandira, but you can call me Mandi for short. It’ll save you exactly one second. But you can call me Mandira too, if you have a second to spare.

My name can mean temple or melody, but it could mean worry too. I tend to worry a little bit. All right, I tend to worry a lot. 

What about? Little things, big things. I even worry about medium things. Is there a size I’ve left out? Let me think… No, that’s all the different sized worries I have. It’s normal to worry about things, but I try to not let it spoil my day even though it can be quite difficult. I wear my grandfather’s mala – that’s a type of beaded necklace – and it helps me be calm and not stress so much. Did you know that ‘mala’ is actually a Sanskrit word which means garland? Now you do. 

I don’t really like being under pressure. It makes me feel anxious and I can sometimes over think things and get tied up in knots, a bit like my mala if I’ve had a tough day. They say is a problem shared is a problem halved, so I’ve learned that it always helps to talk to your family and friends if you’re worried about anything.

I have some brilliant friends and I can always talk to them if I have anything troubling me. I’d say that  my classmates, Minnie, Rubi, Dangerous Dan and JJ are my friends. 

I live with my mum – her name is Keran – and my nani. Her name is Shabu. We’ve also got a white pet rabbit, called Milo. My mum runs her own events company and my nani used to be a doctor and was born in India. 

I wonder what I’ll be when I’m a grown up? What do you want to do? 

Mandi Sharma Fact File

Name: Mandira Sharma

Age: 9

Birthday:

Friends: Class 2B, Minnie, Rubi, Dangerous Dan and JJ

Worst enemy: Pressure!

Prized possessions: Her grandfather’s mala as a necklace

Motto: Oh, my goodness!

Super skill: Worrying. She worries about everything!

Family: Mandi lives with her mum, Keran, and her nani (grandmother), Shabu

Address:

Fact: She has a pet white rabbit called Milo