What is 'People'???

"HITOBITO TE NANI?"(What is 'people'?), Aryaa asked me a few days back.
"Hmm----" I couldn't coin an answer easily. "Well, everybody is 'People'; Aryaa-chayn, papa, mama, friends, everybody is----'

She didn't say anything after that, but I could see the confusion in her face. It was "What is 'Citizen'?" the next day and my answer was similar to that for 'People':)

Now how do you explain 'People' and 'Citizen' to a 3 year old? It's not easy to explain it even to an adult.

"What is---" is one of her new 'hobbies'. I have talked about "The great 'Why---?' Explosion" in one of my previous posts, now it seems that 'What' too has exploded:)

Whereas 'Why' is related to scenes, incidents and actions (by someone else), 'What' generally seems related to words. Whenever she hears a new word, be it in Kidergarten, while watching  television television or in home, she immediately asks what it is and we have to explain it simplified Japanese. The problem is that our own Japanese is not so good, or at least not good enough to explain things well to a kid.

Although only a couple of months' gap exists between 'Why' and 'What', 'What' seems to be the next stage of her learning after 'Why'. This is manifested very well when she is watching something in television. She used to get concentrated to scenes/actions only, but now gives attention to dialogues too.

Another big source for "What is--" is the conversation between her parents. We (Sobita and me) use Nepali in conversation between us (it's almost completely in Japanese with Aryaa, though we are trying to increase Nepali recently). Aryaa understands basic Nepali and whenever any 'new' Nepali word attracts her attention, she asks "What is---".

And places. Her "What is---" also includes names of places. She once asked "What is Nagoya?". Nagoya is the city we live in and I don't know how she suddenly became interested in this word, she has been hearing it since last three years.
"Nagoya is the place Aryaa-chayn lives." was my answer.
"But Aryaa-chyan lives in KOPO-YATOMI--.", she disagreed. KOPO-YATOMI is the name of the building we live in.
"OK, OK---, Nagoya is a big place--- and KOPO-YATOMI is in Nagoya--", I am sure I made her confused again:)

The great "Why" explosion is still continuing and "What" explosion has already begun. Imagine what happens when you are living under two great explosions:))

UNCHI, ONARA, SIKKO

Initially, I was hesitating to write this post, and wondering whether anybody has written a post on such subject. But after some thinking, I came to the conclusion that it's a very good subject to write. After all, it's a very important part of Aryaa's (and any child's) learning process.

It's about her current fascination with UNCHI (excretion, poop), ONARA (fart) and SIKKO (pee). She likes to talk about them, in fact talks too much and giggles a lot. Every time she poops, she doesn't forget to take a good look before flushing, call us and say, "see, what a big UNCHI!". She combines these three words with many other daily-life words and creates strange phrases/sentences. And she also knows Nepali words for UNCHI, ONARA and SIKKO, she was very fast to learn these words compared to other Nepali words:)

When we tried to discourage her from such talks, she got even more emboldened and her giggles changed into loud laughter. So we have stopped our try, instead we have started 'enjoying' talking UNCHI, ONARA and SIKKO with her:) And I tell you, it's so funny:))

I remember similar incidents with nephews/nieces.

I remember seeing a picture book in her kindergarten (we have also seen it in all the children-clinics that we have been to) about this funny guy called 'UNCHI'. It's intended to toilet-train kids. Aryaa was much fascinated by all those UNCHI pictures, from that of small birds' to that of an elephant. Aryaa's toilet training went well after she was 3. Now we don't have any problem regarding poop. SIKKO (Pee) was fine too, but she has become 'naughty' these days. Sometimes, when she is engrossed by some play, stories or toys, she doesn't inform us in time that she wants to go to toilet. Instead, she leaks a little and 'adjusts' herself for the time being, and informs us or goes to the toilet herself only when it becomes really unbearable. It's our current 'parenting headache', I will write about it in future too.

And ONARA. YIMA NO UCHI DAREAKA GA ONARA SITA (Did someone fart just now?) was, in my guess, the first complete Japanese sentence she mastered:) Other people doing it fascinates her for sure, and there is more than that. It's interesting to look at the pride and joy that see has on her face when she does it herself, more so when it's well audible:) ONARA SITA !(I farted!) she proudly declares and laughs heartily.Then a sense of great achievement when her parents say KUSAI! KUSAI (It stinks! It stinks!) and close their nostrils (even if it's not stinky) :)

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Abstract Art:)

It's great to learn abstract art with Aryaa:)

She learns some in her kindergarten. Actually, they teach some basic shapes only and give children paper and crayons and leave them alone. Aryaa likes to play like that in home too. Both Sobita and me are terribly bad at drawing anything. So I am sure that whatever we teach is useless:)

Let me share some of Aryaa's abstract art with you today, 'masterpieces' on her magnetic writing board.

Her most favorite subject is human face. She gives each of her 'painting' a name, I forgot what she had called this.

 

And human face becomes OBAKE (ghost) after some changes. That's not always true and you can also see ghosts with very beautiful human faces. She will know about it when she grows up:)

Here is her version of herself and her KODOMO (child). She sometimes draws her PAPA and MAMA too with her, but they too are always smaller than her.

I forgot what she called this one. With antennae laden head and thin legs only, it looks like a human being from a not so distant future.

Here is a rabbit with 'big horn'. Have you ever seen it? I am sure that you're seeing a rabbit with 'big horn' for the first time, it was the first in my life too. And whatever you see except rabbit itself is its UNKO (excrement). Pretty impressive, ain't it:)

This is a bird. It must be from Dinosaurs' time.

We sometimes try to teach her A, B, C---. She can write a few of them now. She used to write A inverted (upside-down). So I once held her hand and helped her write an A properly.  But she said she wanted to change A into A san (Mr/Ms A). Here is that A san.

I must say A was much luckier, poor G and H ended like this:)

 

Sometimes she writes in her 'own' alphabet. She says she has written GAUTAM ARYAA, GAUTAM MAMA and GAUTAM PAPA in the following three. Seems a strange language:)

And the artist:)

Get Wings and Fly

It was as usual today too. washing Aryaa's hair is one of the most difficult things in this earth for me. We always have a pretty good fight during this time:) She protests me helping her and says she will do it JIBUNDE (herself). I know if I agree with her JIBUNDE, it will take may be two days to wash her hair:) So I 'offer' my forced help and she resists, crying and sometimes even saying PAPA DAIKIRAI!(Hate Papa too much!). It's great to hear and see her saying PAPA DAIKIRAI, I just feel lonely when she forgets it sometimes:)

After seeing her mother always doing it without much effort, I have come to the conclusion that there is something wrong in the way a male is made.

Everything is fine after the 'hair saga' though. Helping her wash her body is a joyful experience and when she enters FURO it's great to fly with her wandering imaginations

"What does DANGO MUSI(potato bug, roly-poly) do inside KOTORI (small bird)'s stomach?" was her first question to me today.

"Well, it must be crying inside and trying to come out----."

Once, while strolling around the nearby riverbanks, she had asked me what those small birds (sparrows, pigeons etc.) were doing there in the ground. I had replied her that they were looking for food. I also told her that they eat small insects, and grains like corn. Her question came from that conversation of ours.

"Aryaa-chyan will kick KOTORI---." She wanted to 'free' the insect, "Aryaa-chyan will cut KOTORI's stomach, DANGO MUSI will come out." In one of her story-books, a sleeping wolf's stomach is cut open and lambs are taken out from there. She wanted to do the same to the bird:)

"No, no! Aryaa-chyan doesn't need to do that." I give her my opinion, "Give KOTORI something else to eat, then he will open his mouth and let DANGO MUSI come out from his stomach."

"OK, Aryaa-chyan will give him some TOMOROKOSHI (corn).", the deal is finalized:)

"What will KOTORI do after that?" She asked after a bried pause.

"Well, it will fly and go somewhere to play."

"Aryaa-chyan too wants to play with KOTORI---", is her desire.

"--but KOTORI can fly, it has wings, Aryaa-chyan can't fly. How can Aryaa-chyan play with KOTORI?" I put the 'harsh reality' in front of her.

"Aryaa-chyan too will fly. Aryaa-chyan will get wings. Aryaa-chyan will give corn to KOTORI and get wings from him.", she has her plan to 'brave' this harsh reality.

"OK---."

"Aryaa-chyan will get wings in Disney Land." she suddenly remembered another way to get wings for her, "Aryaa-chyan will get pink wings."

"OK! Ok! Great idea. Aryaa-chyan will get pink wings and fly with KOTORI." I agree with her. She starts playing with her toys.

I have been to Tokyo Disney Land once. I know it's a great place to get wings, well, for your money:))

Disney Land is one of her most 'favorite' and most frequent demands these days. We don't know how she knew about it, might be television or some of her friends in Kindergarten. We have promised her to take there. we are planning it for early May.

And I think Aryaa will look like this after coming back from Disney Land. Heheheh----.

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Omelet and Ketchup

It was during lunch on last Sunday.

"TAMAGOYAKI DA NE--"(Omelet there---), Aryaa said, pointing to a NENGAJO(new year postcard) from a colleague, lying in front of us.

"No, it's not omelet, it's Sun."

"No Papa! Papa is wrong." She screamed, "That is omelet. And some ketchup too---." She stopped eating and seemed in a 'mood' to argue with me and 'win':)

"OK, OK! That's omelet and ketchup." I resigned:) "Now please continue your meal."

This reminded me one of my favorite jokes.

This happened in an abstract art exhibition. After seeing a man gazing at a painting for a long time, the artist came towards him.

"You like it Sir?" the artist asked.

"Yeah, it's beautiful, it looks so real."

"I painted the rising sun. I am so happy----"

"What? You say this is sun?" the art lover gentleman interrupted the artist. "I thought it was an omelet!"

Below is the omelet-ketchup abstract art which almost initiated one more round of father-daughter argument in our dining table. Hail the patient father :D

Well, a child's perception is always more interesting than that of an adult:)

Happy New Year!

I wish all my dear readers of this blog a very Happy New Year 2010! May this year bring even more happiness, peace, success and prosperity in your life!

One of my NY resolutions is to be more frequent in posting in this blog:)

GURU-GURU MAWARU ONECHYAN----

Aryaa loves ice-cream too much. In summer, she had said many times that she wants to be an ice-cream shop owner.

But her 'dream' has changed now, she says "GURU-GURU MAWARU ONECHYAN NI NARITAI (I want to be a rotating girl)!"

GURU GURU MAWARU means "to roate". ONECHYAN is elder sister but it's also used for "young girl" in common spoken Japanese.

She wants to be a figure skater. She loves to watch figure skating in TV, she is crazy for it. We can persuade her to something else from TV generally but absolutely not if there is figure skating. They have a lot of figure skating competitions in this time of year. Winter Olympics (Vancouver 2010) is approaching and a lot of selection competitions too are going on. So figure skating competitions broadcasts can be seen regularly.

Aryaa has even recited the names of a few of the figure skating superstars, like Kim Yona (Korea), Mao Asada (Japan) and Miki Andou (Japan). She very affectionately calls them KIM YONA ONECHYAN etc. whenever she sees their faces in TV.

It's interesting to watch how long this 'dream' of hers will last and what will replace it.

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