A light bulb moment that I had

pAdukA - ammA, little bear pArkanum. ( I want to watch "little bear"cartoon )
ammA - No pAdukA. India la irukkom.  Amazon videos pArka mudiyAdhu. (We are in India and we cannot watch amazon videos here)
pAdukA - yen (why?)
ammA - namba ID vecchi computer India lerndhu pArkka vidAdhu ( the computer will not let us watch from India ) America la dhaan velai pannum  ( It works from America only )
pAdukA - yen (why?)
ammA - (how do I explain this?)  namba Athu address madhiri internet kkum address irukku. namba India lerndhu try panna, vera address varum ilaiyA? so America la ilai nnu theriyum. adanAlai velai pannAdhu ( Like our home address, computer attached to internet also has an address. When we access from India a different address comes up. So, it wont'work since the address will be different from that of America.)
pAdukA (after thinking for a while) - namba pAtti-thAthA va visit panna vandhurukkom nnu sonnalumA? (Even if we say we are visiting grandparents, won´t it work)
ammA - appadi sonna laam velai pannAdhu ( Saying that won´t make it work )
pAdukA -  (suddenly with an enthusiasm of having found the answer to the problem) namba America Athu photo va namma pinnAdi vechindu try pannalAme. appo namba America irukkom nnu nenaichikum. illayA? ( We can keep the picture of the house we lived in America. Then the computer will think we are still in America. Won´t it? )
ammA - ( hiding her laughter )  appadilaam velai pannAdhu pattu (It does not work like that dear)

I think I have to have the techie talk with my appA sooner than I thought.

(Pictures) July 2013

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Word play

Doing home work and preparing for dictation tests are new to me. I try to make it as much fun as possible by finding new ways to entertain myself and also challenge the teaching methods of my parents. Sometimes my parents don't see the humor in the way I think. Here are a couple of instances:

While making me practice writing the words for the dictation at school the next day -

ammA - "heel" ezhudhu (write the word "heel")

pAdukA starts to write in cursive with a "K"

ammA - nee yosichu ezhudhu. eppadi "heel" la "k" varum? (think for a bit and write. How can there be a "k" in the word "heel")

pAdukA continues to write
ammA - eppadi "k" pottu "heel" ezhudarai nnu paarkanum (I want to see how you write "heel" with a "k")

pAdukA finishes writing and shows "kheel"

ammA  is really irritated now seeing pAdukA not taking her suggestion

ammA - padi enna ezhudurukka (read what you have written)

pAdukA - "heel"

ammA - "k" irukke (there is a "k")

pAdukA with a sly smile - "k" silent ma ("k" is silent in this word)

ammA - !!##$#%!


While doing written rhyming words home work

ammA - nee "ap" la mudiyira vArthai, rhyming words sollu apparam ezhudhu. (You now say words that end/rhyme with "ap". Then write it down)

pAdukA - nap, cap, map

ammA - one more

pAduka - ap

ammA - adhu vaarthai ilai. ozhunga sollu (that's not a word. say properly)

pAdukA - ap dhaan word. (ap is a word)

ammA - pAdukA.. paduthaadhey (don't trouble me) oru vaarthai sollu (say a word)

pAdukA (exasperated) - onakku ap theriyaadhaa? (Don't you know "ap")

ammA - no

pAdukA (thinking for while as to how to make it easy for ammA to understand) - iphone ap, ipad ap..
ippa theriyardhaa ( now do you understand?)

ammA - (guess English is evolving!)

From known to unknown

It is tricky to explain things to people and not be confused in the process. So I now use the technique of guiding people by comparing things that are known to make them understand the unknown.

Here is how I explain how infection spreads -

Paaduka - Madhura kku ennAla dhaan odambu serilla (Madhura got sick because of me)

S atthai - eppadi ? (how?)

Paaduka - enakku fever irundadhu. ear infection irundadhu. naan dhaan Madhura kku kuduthen (I had fever and also ear infection and I gave the infection to Madhura)

S atthai - how did you give? kai aala ya ? (With your hands?)

Paaduka - (how do I explain this to her? I have to speak her language?)

S atthai - Do you know how you gave to her ?

Paaduka -  naan onakka email anupicchA onakku varum dhaane. kai aala kudukka vendam, parka mudiyaadhu aana onakku kadaikum. (If I send an email, you receive it, right? I do not give the mail by hand and you cannot see it.)

Paaduka - adhu madhri dhaan naan Madhura kku fever kuduthen.

S atthai - (smiles) kids now a days !

Happy Father's Day

Sisterly advice

pAdukA : madhurA yen nee pantry kku pora? Bad idea bad idea.. (why are you going to pantry?)
madhurA still in the pantry playing with rice and other stored items
pAdukA : naan yen azharen nnu ninaikara yenna pantry kutindu ponA? (why do you think I cry when I am taken to pantry (as punishment)?)
madhurA  does not react at all
pAdukA : Pantry romba dangerous. kulikka mudiyaadhu, yedhuvum panna mudiyaadhu. (pantry is dangerous. You cannot take a shower or do anything)
pAdukA : naan yosikaren yengayaavadhu pantry illadha yendathukku namba ellaarum poganum (I think we should all go to a place where there is no pantry)
madhurA goes away unable to hear anymore
pAdukA (cleaning the spilled rice) naan romba naala yosikkaren... (I have been thinking for a long time...)

Little sisters are a blessing

The rumors are true. I try to boss over my little sister and be her little mom. But the truth is that I have to stand my ground in my own way as madhurA beats me, pulls my hair and bites me at times. ammA says she is excitedly playing or  sometimes frustrated with something. I really do not see it that way. So, I show her who is bigger at times.

A couple of my friends came over for playing and I made sure that we big girls played without being disturbed by keeping  my little sister away. But she managed to hang around to watch us play and babbled trying to speak to us. Everything was well until we had a sharing problem and I cried to get my ammA's attention to help me with the situation I had with my friend. ammA came by and asked me to talk to my friend to sort it out myself. But my friend would not listen to a word of what I was saying and she carried on playing without me :( Seeing me cry, my little sister angrily babbled at my friend and she grabbed from her the play dough I was asking her to share and gave it to me!

I could not stop saying "Madhura ennoda friend" (Madhura is my friend) all day long. When appA came home I told him about how Madhura helped me and also told ammA and appA not to be strict with Madhura as she is MY friend. And more importantly now I have someone who retaliates on my behalf when my parents scold me. Little sisters are angels :)

(Pictures) February 2013

more pictures here

(Pictures) December-2012

more pictures here

Trick question

My parents are laying down rules and are getting pretty strict. So I have many techniques to tackle them.
This is one of  them :) Let me explain it with couple of examples

pAdukA - ammA naan hair color pannikalaamaa? (Can I color my hair?)
ammA - no
pAdukA - yaaravadhu color pannuvalA thalaila. colors laam paper la dhaan (does anyone color their head? color is for paper only)
pAdukA (a little later) - ammA, mehendi pottukattumA? (Can I put mehendi on?)
ammA - apparam pottu vidaren pattu (I will do it  later dear)
pAdukA - mehindi color dhaane ma? (mehindi is also color right?)
ammA - amaam (yes)
pAdukA - appo inda color mattum potukalaamA? (so, this color is ok to put on?)
              - color pottuka kudaadhu nnu sonna (you said I should color myself?)
ammA - (thinking) - I have to get sharper before she is a teenager !

ammA - pAdukA ippo sonna pecha ketta dhaan cheese tharuven (I will give you cheese only when you follow my instruction)
pAdukA - (finishing her milk after 20 mins) - done. cheese thaa (give me cheese)
ammA - No, nee naan sonnadhai immediate-a ketkalai (you did not do as I said immediately)
pAdukA -pAdukA kupudu (call "pAdukA" now)
ammA - yen (why)
pAdukA - kupudu please (call please)
ammA calls pAdukA and she comes closer to her by a step
pAdukA - nee kupta odane naan vanden (I came as soon as you called)
pAdukA - cheese kudu ippo (give me cheese now)
ammA - huh?