Made in China

This is the scene I was greeted with when I returned home yesterday.

"Mummy, I will not eat mentos or chocolates here after. Please collect all the sweets and chocolates and biscuts and throw them into the dustbin. Don't buy any more milk from the shop. They are coming from China and there is a powder in it. If we eat it, we will die. So throw away everything. See, I have already put all the sweets and biscuts into this bag. Can I throw it away? They told us to do it in our school!!"

These were more or less the exact words from my daughter. She was waiting to throw everything out and with my son's birthday last week, we had quite a few chocolates and sweets at home. She had a big bundle. I sat her down and explained which had to be thrown and which was ok. She kept asking me even after going to bed.

I've always been surprised with the way kids seem to absorb whats told in the school. My daughter's school takes pains in explaining things to the children. When there was the HFMD scare in schools, the children were given a briefing on what it was and how it spread, the precausions and actions to be taken if one caught it. Nothing is sugar coated. Everything explained as is, such that it has a greater impact on the children.

Thundu podarathu

What is the equivalent of "Thundu Podurathu"* in Singapore?

It's "Tissue podurathu". Tissue's are extensively used in Food courts to reserve a table.

So the next time you are in Singapore, be sure to keep a tissue packet handy when you go to the food courts.

* Thundu Podurathu - a hand towel used to reserve a seat in the public bus/train in India.

Tring Tring

The term holidays started for my daughter from yesterday. I had got her a few activity books and the way she completes the activities nowadays, I thought that this would keep her occupied most of the time. So, on the first day of her term holidays, I call her to check whether she had completed any activity. She answers the phone with a

"Oh mummy, I've been very busy this morning."
"That's nice. What have you been doing?"
"I was busy calling and speaking with my friends."
"What? Who is the friend you were speaking to?"
She gives the name of two of her friends.
"Where did you get the number from?"
"I asked and wrote down all their numbers in the little telephone book on the last day to school"

So, the little miss has arrived!!! How am I going to cope with her in a decades time?

PS: She is 4 years and 8 months now.