New Crush

Rama is doing well in her new school. Today when I fetched her, she pointed out somebody to me. "Crush ko siya." It was an Asian-looking boy in Senior Kindergarten. (Turns out mom is Korean, father is Canadian). "Sabihin mo sa kanya crush ko siya."

Me: Rama, kailangan maging friends muna bago natin sabihin sa kanya yun.

Rama: Eh bakit si Malcolm sinabi mo agad?

Me stumped for a sec.

Rama: Kasi grown-up na siya?

Me: Oo!

Rama: Ok.

Actually, I would've approached them, except the boy looked like he was having a tantrum. I got around to it eventually, chatting up the mom and telling her that Rama found the boy cute, and that he was her crush, as Rama requested.

When they were leaving, Mom says to the boy: "Zachary, you want to say goodbye to Rama?" Zachary says bye. Rama simply glows. Sigh.

How Do You Answer This?

Rama: Napapagod ba si God?

Karukhaan

So we're settling in quite nicely in our new apartment, Rama and I.

The first night that we slept here, all we had was a bed (new delivery) and a borrowed comforter. No pillows, just a rolled up sweater. And for a blanket, a sarong.

Me: Rama, pasensiya na, ito lang ang unan natin ngayon ha.
Rama, gracious as usual: Ok lang, hindi naman ako mahilig.

At some point during the night, she hogged the whole sweater. When she discovered this come morning, she became so concerned and quickly gave me the whole thing. "Ay, wala ka nang unan. Eto, eto..."

On the walk to school, she says this: "Nu'ng sinabi mo sa akin kagabi, na pasensiya na sa unan, nalungkot ako. Kasi parang hindi tayo mayaman."

*******

Rama The Neat Freak was using this super-absorbent rug to wipe the banyo. Walls, tub, etc.

Me: Rama, wag na lang muna, kasi ginagamit ko pa yan na towel. (Hey, I had to improvise)

So she stops.

Later, she comes up to me. "Naaawa ako sa 'yo kasi ang towel mo basahan."


So I'm not putting these purchases off any longer. Today, we shop. ;-)

Patay!

Our first outing here in Toronto included a visit to the Necropolis, City of the Dead. (How Goth, no?), It was drab and deserted, but I heard it can be really pretty in spring. Rama does not visit cemeteries very often, hence this exchange.

Rama: Ano'ng meron dito?
Me: Mga patay. Dito sila dinadala pag patay na sila.

Rama sees squirrel. "Eh kung puro patay ang nandito, bakit merong squirrel na buhay?"

National Food

Rama: Superhero ba si Jose Rizal?
Me: Hindi, di ba national hero?
Rama: Ano yung national hero?
Me: Siya yung pinakamagaling na hero. Yung, pag inisip mo ang mga hero ng Pilipinas, siya ang una mong maiisip.
Rama: Ah. Eh ano yung national ng mga celery, strawberries (stuff we were eating at the time of the exchange)
Me: Yung national fruit?
Rama: Oo!
Me: National fruit, mangga!
Rama: Gusto ko yun. Tapos, ang national food, sinigang?
Me: Pa'no mo alam?! (it's not adobo, right? Sinigang is THE indigenous dish?)

Crybabies

Rama and I on plane to Toronto.

She suddenly turns quiet, gets a far-away look and turns to me, with tears welling up in those eyes.

Rama: I miss Honey... (the lola)

By this time, I was also a complete mess and we both lost it. Crying, hugging, holding, oblivious to the other passengers.

Rama, still crying: Ayokong makita kang umiiyak.
Me: Bakit?
Rama: Kasi ang pangit mo pag umiiyak ka.

Yes, 4 year-olds Can Handle Logic

Me: Rama, sayang hindi nakarating si Christine. Gusto ka pa naman niya makilala. Alam mo, kamukha siya ni Honey (her lola - Christine,  you could really pass for a young Honey!)
Rama: Maganda ba siya?
Me: Oo!
Rama: Eh di maganda rin si Honey!

Rizalista 2

Upon meeting Pepe, Tesa's poodle:

Me: Rama, pangalan niya, Pepe.
Rama: Parehas sila ni Jose Rizal?

She also noticed that one of our brunch companions was "kamukha ni Josephine Bracken."

More Zsa Zsa, Carlos

When Vince De Jesus, composer of the ZZZ soundtrack for the stage adaptation, commented on this blog, I had to mention it to Rama, "Napanood ng gumawa ng song na Babae Na Akoh yung kanta mo... Vince and pangalan niya..."

Cut to today. I was reading Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah, the graphic novel, to her. Fun fun, vakla vakla. Then I got to the About the Author page. Showed her the pic of Carlo Vergara.

Me: Rama, 'yan ang nagsulat ng ZZZ, si Carlo.
Rama: Di ba, si Vince?

She remembered?!

*****

Another amazing memory feat: Flipping channels, she saw Carlos the Streetwalker on a Living Asia feature. So she dragged me to the TV. Mommy, di ba friend mo 'yan? She saw me in Carlos' company just once. Either he made a real impact, or she simply absorbs a whole lot! Or both.

This Mutha Can Do No Wrong!!!

Spent a lovely couple of days in Casa San Pablo. The gently sloping grounds got Rama literally rolling in the grass. Over and over again. Lots of fun, but city slicker that she is, Rama got a lot of rashes from this exposure to, well, nature.

We went to wash up. When the water hit the rash, she started complaining about how painful it was.

So I whispered: Lagyan na lang natin ng medicine. Pag nag-reklamo ka, papagalitan ako ni Honey (her lola) kasi pinayagan kita mag-roll sa grass.

Rama: OK.

No more loud complaints.

So Rama goes to Honey, who dries her off.

Honey: Ayan, tignan mo. Ang dami mong kati-kati!

Rama, nonchalantly: Matagal na yan, kinamot ko lang...

Honey: Wala 'yan kanina. Kasi nag-laro ka pa sa grass eh.

Rama: Basta! Hindi bad ang ina ko!

Bi

Ay, marunong palang mag-Tagalog. People would almost always exclaim in surprise when they first meet Rama. Walang audio-video lock, say ng advertising friends. She looks so tisay, but look out, Tagalista.

One of the commitments that I made raising Rama was that she would learn and speak Filipino. I figured English would be easy enough to learn, considering that our usual edutainment fare today is American. I had no doubt she would somehow get exposed to English soon enough. But Tagalog? It had to be a conscious decision to expose her to the language; it's so easy to miss out on learning Filipino. Friends would just realize that their kids needed tutoring in Balarila! Ironic and absurd, yes?

So at home we would speak Filipino, even when we were living abroad. And this is Rama's first language.

But she's learning, as kids do. In nursery school here in Manila, it's English. It happens to be English-with-an-Assumptionista-kaka-girl twang. Not annoying at all: it's kinda cute. She really tries to speak English well, and fortunately, she has met with moderate success.

Marunong na naman siyang mag-English. Carry na. Pero minsan talaga, dumadapa. Like so:

Playing an impromptu game of hide-and-seek, she sing-songs: Where I Am....

Saying goodbye: Love you! Miss you! See you so much!!!

Calling her playmates: HEY GUY! (note, singular. She sort of felt something was wrong there) Uhmmm, halina nga kayo!

Anticipating our next game: Yey! Wow! I'm so exciting!