Why not nga naman?

"Kapag natulog ka na may araw, tapos nagka-nightmare ka, ang tawag ba dun, day-mare?"

Post Xmas Post

December 26, 4ish. Rama and I just messing around on her scooter on the street. Up rides Ann, 6 year old, occasional playmate on her bike.

Ann: Nakita ko sa basurahan niyo yung mga kahon ng Barbie. Yun ba ang mga regalo ni Rama?
Me: Oo.
Ann: Ako din, may barbie. Pero hindi ko linalaro, naka-display lang.
Rama: Ano yung "display"?
Ann: Andun lang sa mataas. Pag linaro ko yun, papaluin ako.
Me: Gusto mong laruin ang mga Barbie ni Rama?
Ann nods. Rama leads, brings out her toys.

Ann turns out to be a motor mouth. Ang daming kwento:
Ann: Yung lolo kong nagkasakit, naoperahan... Yung pinsan ko, sa amin nakatira kasi nasa abroad yung mama niya... nagpunta kaming Cavite, sa palayan, nakakatakot. Ay, panaginip ko lang pala yun. Meron din akong panaginip na ahas, blah blah blah.
Me to Rama: Meron ka rin bang panaginip, Rama?
Rama: Oo, masaya. SM.

Barbie's Bust

So sitting under the pile of presents was the piece de resistance - the "Styling Head," The One Thing on Rama's wishlist that she wrote Santa. So it was the last box opened, and she gave a satisfied yelp when she ripped the wrapping to reveal the head. I think she was slightly disappointed though, when she realized what it really was. The whole time, it turns out, she was thinking it was a mask that she could wear. But she enjoyed it, nonetheless. It came with clips, glitter, lip gloss, some rhinestones... Last I heard, she attached some nips to the bust:
Rama: Tignan mo ang ginawa ko kay Barbie, nilagyan ko ng duduy...

Other faves were the Peter Pan action figures (including Captain Hook, the crocodile, Tinkerbell) from Honey, Magic Slate from Santa, Care Bear Dominoes (which she learned how to play instantly!) from Ninang Rain, make up from Tita Leica, a mini bust (!) from Ate Rona (who knew that Rama coveted that bust, so she got her alaga a mini-version - sweet), Mickey Mouse ears from Tita Ani, mini radio from Tito Ariel and Tito Jun, a book from Ninang Tesa, a seaworld hat from Tita Leica, kikay kit from Ashley...

Jasmine Delivers

Like most girls her age, Rama loves playing with her dolls. But I'm not sure if a lot of girls will play this way:

Rama: Tignan mo, nanganak si Jasmine ng Powerpuff...

A Testament To My Religion (Or Lack of It)

Christmas Eve, 7ish.

Yaya (Ate Rona): Magsisimba po kami mamayang 9...
Me: Sige, paki-sama na rin si Rama.

8:45

Me: Rama, bihis ka na. Pupunta kayo ni Ate Rona sa church.
Rama: Bakit, may kasal ba?

Mush Alert!

Rama: Alam mo ba, Socky, kung ilan kita kamahal?
Socky: Ilan?
Rama: 10,000 years!!!

The Kamikaze Influence

Rama is usually shy and reserved, very fino. I guess this was cathartic for her.

Who Kissed Who?

Rama watched Oliver for the first time. How did she like it? A text message from Honey (actually her lola, with whom she is on first name basis): "Napanaginipan daw ni Rama na kiss siya ni Oliver sa pisngi. Kaya siya may laway sa lips."

'Tis The Season

... for toys and presents. What does Rama want for Christmas? As it says in the letter, Barbie. Innocuous enough, yes? But what she wants is this STYLING HEAD. It's effing lifesized. Pugot na ulo na Barbie. Spooks me out.

I knew it would be spooky, even when she was just eyeing it in the store. There is a precedent, you see. She obsessed over a Jasmine doll - as big as her. Princess Jasmine. Imagine walking into the condo from a late night out and there, on the couch, is... What the f... Jasmine! Or, we put her inside the closet on days when, well, you just don't want to see the vapid eyes staring at you, right? Or when we are expecting company - she has startled many a guests who walk into the bedroom to find her sitting straight up, arms out, wide-eyed, costume all a-glitter. Open the closet and out tumble limbs and hair and, wait-is-that-a-body-in-rigor-mortis... Fotangena Jasmine!

So I convinced her at first not to get the Barbie head, having gone through the Jasmine Period. She let it go for a while. And then she writes Santa about it. What's a mom to do???

So I grudgingly trek to Kids Station and buy the thing. It's sitting now, wrapped, under the tree. I'm sure she'll love it. Good luck to us.

The Pio Affair

In a previous post, I already noted Rama's "crush" on classmate Pio. That has gone on and on. The latest:

At the park, Rama writes PIO on the sand. Awwww.
The other night, we were drawing feet (sizing info for bespoke sneakers - tarouche!). After a while I just see this:
So I ask, bakit mo sinusulat ang name ni Pio?
Rama: Kasi love ko siya.
Gulp.

I learn that the teachers are encouraging this:

Rama: ... Alam ko na isulat name niya. Pati na rin "I love Pio."
Me: Marunong ka na nu'n?
Rama: Oo, I heart Pio. Di ba?
Me: Sino nagturo sa 'yo?
Rama: Si Teacher Nikki. Dalawa kami nag-ra-write, I Heart Pio.
Me: Alam ba ni Pio na love mo siya?
Rama: Hindi. Kaya nga niya laging inaagaw ang dinosaur sa akin.

Tuyo or Fish?

Dinner was fried tilapia fillet and rice. More and more frequently, Rama asks for tuyo. Who can blame her, right? I, too, can live on tuyo flakes in oil. (We get Connies bottled stuff - kippers in capers or gourmet tuyo, can't really tell the diff. Basta yun. I used to make my bottled tuyo from scratch, but Connies does a pretty decent job. No more stinky kitchens! So tuyo on bread with pesto and cream cheese... Yum. My ultimate comfort food. But I digress.)
So Rama asks for tuyo. I dutifully point out that the fish fillet is really good. Tuyo is heavenly, but all that sodium is scary if one has it very often, yes?

Me, encouraging: Sarap din ang fish...
Rama: Ano ang mas masarap, fish o tuyo?

That was a tough one. I love tuyo, but it's not the healthiest thing... Hmmm, how do i stay true while imparting good eating habits?

Me: Depende sa oras. Pag dinner, fish. Pag umaga, breakfast, tuyo. (Ang galing ng lusot, no? Kala ko lang...)

Rama, in an almost complaining tone: Eh bakit puro na lang Koko Krunch?

Ok, ok. I can take a hint. We shall vary the morning fare...

Korean Mama Mary

Waiting at the condo lobby, with a new big-ass tree.
Rama: Bakit may star sa ibabaw?

And so i launch into the nativity story. The best that I could muster. Jesus is born, 3 wise men just follow the star and find him etcetera.

Rama: Alam ko. Tapos sabi ng angel, Jesus is born.
I suddenly remember that the school is actually mounting a nativity play. And Rama is The Angel. She knows what she has to wear: 'White dress, mahaba. Long sleeves. Chaka wings."

Me: Tama, yun ang sabi ng Angel. Di ba ikaw yung angel?
Rama: Oo.
Me: Sino si Joseph?
Rama: Si Russel.
Me: Sino si Mary? Ano naman ang sabi niya?

Rama: Walang sasabihin si Mary. Kasi si Su joong yun. Korean siya.

Hong Kong Hit List

HK Top Ten Hirits

1. After meeting Snow White (or was it Sleeping Beauty?) at the gazebo and having her picture taken there, I ask, Happy ka? Nawindang ako sa sagot: "It's like a dream come true..." Ang tone: calm and, well, dreamy. Where did she get this? Such a drama queen! Hindi sa 'kin galing yan.
2. After Space Mountain. Rama: Ay, ang roller coaster nila lumilipad. Kasi dumating ang friends ni tinkerbell, pinalipad. (The friends are the gazillion stars in space mountain). She barely made it to the height cut off. She loved it, wasn't scared at all. She liked the Pooh ride better though. And the teacups.
3. Bakit walang mga prince sa disneyland? Nganaman...
4. "Castle ba ito ni beast? Pwede pumasok" As you walk through the castle, there are heavy doors, for staff use only. For all we know, these are fire hoses, etc. So, in my best beast impression, I growl: "Do not go into the west wing! It's forbidden!" Rama: Sino si Bidden?
5. Finally, after 3 attempts, we got to "meet" Belle. So Rama showed Belle her shoe with the princesses pix on them. Belle: I was with you all along... in a high pitched princess-y voice. Deadma na kung wala naman talaga si Belle dun. Basta may parang dilaw. Pero winner ang parting shot ni Belle kay Rama: Goodbye, little princess! Rama: Alam niya na Princess ako!
6. Ocean Park, over lunch. Me: Rama, ano ang favorite mo dito? Rama: Long walk. True. We did a whole lot of walking there. A whole lot. The highlights were the aquariums. Rama: Bakit ang fish, kahit patay, nakadilat?
7. Ocean park. Man on stilts. Actually, a bading-like guy in a butterfly costume in stilts. Rama: Ano siya? Me: Human bading butterfly. Rama: Bakit siya bading? Ahem. Pa'no ba to i-explain?
8. Food trips: blue cheese at the breakfast buffet, beef strips at the hotpot dinner (the rebel carnivore!), tofu at the jap place at the pen ("castle din ito ni beast?" noting the opulent ceiling works), kinder surprise - always works as bribe to keep walking and not perch on my shoulder. Kapuy eh.
9. HK airport immigration. Pila. Rama: Ay, parang rides din, line-up. If there's anything that kids learn from Disneyland, it's probably patience at the lines. No meltdowns there, thank god. The kids seem to pick up pretty quickly that queuing up is part of the deal.
10. NAIA. Baggage claim. Rama groggy, as it was already 12MN. Adults dog-tired. Explaining to Rama. Ok, dito, kunin natin bags natin, then car na papunta na sa haus. Adults yapping away, yadda yadda. Rama, groggily deadpans: Eh ayun na yung bag natin eh. Andun na nga, nakalayo na. Had to make a dash for it. She's good! Spotted the bright green ribbon on the bag handle which adults completely missed! Galing!
Hong Kong November 30 to December 1, 2006. Kowloon Hotel.

Existential Questions at 4, and then some

Sleepy and exhausted, I had to grapple with questions from Rama. A couple of exchanges.
The following may contain language unsuitable for young audiences. Parental Guidance is advised.

Rama: Ayokong tumanda.
Me: Buti na lang, tagal pa nu'n.
Rama: Mamamatay ba ako?
Me: Oo, anak. Lahat ng tao mamamatay.
Rama: Ayokong mamatay. Kaya ayokong tumanda. Ikaw, matanda ka na ba?
Poch: Medyo. Pero hindi pa ako mamamatay.
Rama: OK.

Rama: Di ba ang baby galing sa puday ng mommy?
Me: Oo.
Rama: Masakit ba?
Me: Oo.
Rama: Ayokong magka-baby.
Me: Pwede namang hindi.
Rama: Eh pag nagka-dugo ako sa puday, magkakaroon na ako ng baby!
Me: Hindi pa, kailangan pa rin ng boyfriend or husband. Guy na magiging papi.
Rama: Ayokong magka-boyfriend.

Rama As Foodie (and Wino)

THAT is a Veuve Clicquot. In December '05, we chanced upon Westin KL's Sunday brunch (fabulous- queue at the buffet ONLY for starters; for the main dishes, the chefs bring them to your table and serve you! I can still taste the shrimp tortellini...) Anyhoo, this was Rama's first taste of champagne. Sarap daw. What a lush.
Here's another amazing thing about Rama- her food preferences go beyond kiddie spaghetti. Of course she likes the usual things, like chicharon or balat ng Chickenjoy. But! Just a random list of stuff she likes - with a passion:
1. Brocolli.
2. Capers. (She picks capers from dishes, like when she sees them on pizza. Or, once, we were having dinner at a friend's, she just wandered into the kitchen. As the pasta was just being plated, she plucks a caper from one of the plates!)
3. Black Olives. Pinapapak.
4. Romaine lettuce. She often gets a leaf from my plate and just nibbles away.
5. Asparagus
6. Chicken Masala. I was worried when we took her to an Indian place for lunch, but she ate the masala with gusto. And stuffed her face with nan.
7. Black Olives. Oh, have I mentioned Black Olives?
8. Manchego and Queso de Bola ("kapatid ng Manchego"). Manchego is her favorite. Woe, we have managed to turn her into a cheese snob. I hear reports that in other homes, she won't touch the Edens of this world. Sigh. Mahal ito.
9. Baby carrots
10. Raw celery
11. Okra. Shoot, not even I like okra.
12. Fondue. Chocolate, of course. (Though she hasn't tried the cheese. Hmmm) She'll teach you how, if you look like you're fumbling. Don't make the mistake of casually asking her what she wants for dinner. Fondue yan. With the correct pronunciation - fon doo!
13. Suman. She can live on budbud kabug.
14. Pesto.

I heard from my sibs that at their place, she was leafing through recipe books. Maybe it was for lack of alternatives, but I'd like to think that she's getting into food. Seriously.

Anti-Disney!

Injured - Part 1

This is the first installment of a 3-part series of Rama's ER adventures.
Asian Hospital. Rama got a nursemaid's elbow. So-called because it's common among kids with yayas who yank them into place! At least that's how i remember the descripton. But she got it while hanging from the stair's railing. She wouldn't move it! No crying, just lack of mobility. So troop to Asian. Guess who the ER doctor is? Dr. JP, a cousin of mine. A very not-bad-looking cousin. This wasn't lost on Rama, who was charmed into raising her arm and allowing The Good Doctor to, well, re-insert the elbow in its socket. And not a word of protest from Rama. After, ang comment: gwapo niya, no? So she goes home in this sling and prescriptions for pain. And a new crush.
This goes for all her injuries - Rama is such a brave, uncomplaining child. Even when doctors say she is supposed to be hurting, all we notice is that she isn't moving the part that's injured. She will joke and play as usual. What a trooper!

Can't Fool Her

One kulitan session with Tita Hon and Me-ann.
Tita Hon: Sino ang maganda?
All of us raise hands. Me-ann raises hands. Rama protests. They have a love-hate thing going, don't ask.
Tita Hon: Sino ang payatot? Mataba? etc, and so the game goes. Until we get to, sino ang maputi?
All of us raise hands. Me-ann too. Rama pulls her arm down.
Me-ann, turning her fore-arm, to show a fair spot: Eto o, maputi.
Rama: Hindi, light lang yan.

Yes, hija, lighting is everything....

What is it with you and toilets?

Rama has a thing with toilets. Any new place we go into, within the first five minutes, she will ask to go to the bathroom. Once there, she doesn't just do her business - she checks it out. Whether the toilet seat bangs down (the one at home doesn't - neat feature makes it slow down upon descent!), whether there is an exhaust fan, how strong the water pressure in the sink is, the walls (in TOSH, she noted that they had bricks, just like a wall at home). And she is always generous with her comments - laki ng CR, ganda, ay liit, ganda ng light, etc etc.
In another banyo, she was told, bubuhusan na natin ang banyo (coz walang flush). Rama corrects the adult - Hindi banyo, toilet yan, dapat sinabi mo, toilet...

Di Mo Na Kailangan Mag-office!!!

Rama's school is a short drive away from home. So is my office. So we usually have lunch together, whether out or at home. After lunch, Rama will always ask, oi, may office ka pa ba?
And always, of course, I will have to go back to work. Many reasons are valid and acceptable - my friends are there... the things I love to do are at the office... (all healthy reasons for working, yes?). Inevitably, one of the reasons has to be, really, to have money. Para may pera tayo.
Cut to.
At home, we have a small box, repository of loose change. All 1 peso coins. (The tens and fives go in a piggy/doggy bank each, but that's another post). So Rama comes to me, holding the box, saying, "Mommy, hindi mo na kailangan mag-work! Ang dami na nating pera!!!"
Wish lang natin, bottomless yan noh!
So, our mini-stop funds come from this box. As she witnesses the slow but steady depletion of funds, the easier it is for her to understand that, indeed, mom's gotta go to work!

I Heart Pio

Pio is Rama's crush, if that is at all possible at four and a half. It first manifested itself as a random comment: "Nagwagwapuhan ako kay Pio..."
Yesterday, when we picked her up, Rama excitedly points out, "Tignan mo, ang ganda ng color ng jacket ni Pio!!!" (It was orange.) Teacher Nikki also said that during romp time, Rama made a point of playing in the House, where Pio was: "Dito ako, malapit kay Pio, para makita ko sya..."
Or, practicing writing letters at home, Rama will ask, "Pa'no spell name ni Pio?" And proceeds to write it.
Afraid.

Alam Ko Lahat... Not!

Rama is at this stage where she replies "Alam Koh!" to EVERYTHING.
Me: Ayaw mong ipatong ang paa mo sa table, Rama.
Rama: Alam koh!

Teacher: Rama, what letter is this?
Rama: silence
Teacher: Letter L, right?
Rama: Alam koh!

So one time, after a similar exchange:
...
Rama: Alam koh!
Me: Meron ka bang hindi alam?
Pause.
Rama: Ano ang tagalog ng aircon?

haylovet.