Fairy Tales

In the bookshop 2 days back, I picked up a classic - Grimm's Fairy Tales - a book containing a collection of 50-odd stories collected by the 2 Grimm Brothers from Germany. The more pages I turn, the more shocked I was. Are children the targets for such reads about witches, blood and gore? It seems to me that one should never aspire to be more that what one is - that if you are a servant to begin with, then you should be in servitude perpetually as well. All servants are ugly in nature and in looks. All masters are beauties with lush golden hair and have good hearts. Should one be above one's lot, then one must be scheming and evil.

What kind of stories are these and for children too? Could things be less grey for kids than they are for adults? I remember reading some of these as a child and yes, bad people should be killed, thrown about in cages full of sharp nails or axed into pieces and good people should retire to their bright gleaming castles and live happily ever after. If this is so, is it true then that kids see more clearly than us adults? That their eyes are less clouded and their actions more genuine?

121 years ago

Exactly 121 years before you were born, on 26 August 1883, a volcano in Indonesia called Krakatoa erupted with such great fury and catastrophic proportions, it generated tsunamis nearly 40 metres high and changed the weather patterns on earth. The explosion was heard as far as Australia and atmostpheric pressure shock waves circled the earth seven times. In the immediate vicinity, the dusk and ash blanketed the sky and there was total darkness for 3 days. For 3 years, people around the world saw usually spectacular red sunsets, even green and blue suns were observed. Recorded events in history like these are mostly shrouded in darkness and somehow smell of death. Who bothers to record a day of happiness for one on the beach in warm sunshine and contented peace? The suspicion then is that life is best led in anonymity and quiet consciousness. It is easier to be loud than to be quiet. It is easier to be dramatic than to be subtle. It is easier to be poor in your thoughts than to be rich in life. It will be difficult mostly, but if you make it to be and want to, the world is here for you to record, at your own terms, an exalted life. For you, my baby, hold the sun in your name.

Perfect or Not?

Milo's such a delightful little social being. He's smiley most of the time and to anyone...the Maids in the house, the Driver in the next car, the Ahmah at the club and anything...the Dogs down the street, the Birds in the sky, the little spotted Moth resting on the wall....and even the white straggly Beard on his YeYe's chin. How can one complain when one has such a wonderful little cheerful happy boy? But because he's so interested in the world around him and takes so much pleasure in seeing it all, the one thing he doesn't do well is sleep well. So, the exhausted parents struggle to their feet 3, 4 times a night, mostly taking turns but never fully asleep when the other is awake, patting him, feeding him, changing him, rocking him, holding him, carrying him.....and willing him back to bed. In between our fragmentary dreams in moonlight and the unwelcomed scent of morning dew at dawn, we still think he is just perfect. Our little huge bundle of joy and bright shinning star.

Falling off the bed

Last night, Milo fell off the bed. I think he only moved once and suddenly, he was at the edge and on the way down. I managed to grab his leg...but he continued his descent down the side. (I'm terrifed) He starting to cry...the kind of cry that is soundless in the beginning. (Help! Is he alright?) I cradled him in my arms and the wails came....(I'm feeling around his head, is he ok? Did he hit the floor?...Oh shit, what was i thinking? Why didn't I grab him before it was too late?)...he cried for about half a minute then went silent...(oh my baby!)..."ARE YOU OK? ARE YOU OK?"...(please don't scare me...I'm sorry..I'm sorry...please please...are you ok?) and just when i'm about to go crazy, he looks at his poster - the one that I pasted on the wall since he was a couple of weeks old - and makes a grab for it.(Oh god..thank you thank you! bad mommy bad bad...stupid mommy) I look at him now. He looks ok, a red patch on his forehead, the only reminder of his recent stunt. (if anything should happen to you, i'd die...and for sure i really would)

Swimming Lession #1

Mylo's first swimming lesson! There were 2 babies in the class. Mylo and a another little fellow, a nine month old named Zach. Ah, so proud of my little fellow! It was a very hot day, no clouds in the sky at all and there was my little fellow braving the cold water at 9am in the morning and enjoying his lesson in the water with his dad. Fussed only once when Jason the loud angmoh instructor was showing him how to blow bubbles in the water.

Standing Up

He's quite a determined fellow. Last week, he was just learning to sit up by himself and this week, he's already pulling himself up to stand tall and straight by his cot. He seemed to like us, the parents, to be his audience. When he's sure that he has his balance, he'd look at us and give us his toothless melting- hearts grin.

Sitting Up

Mylo learnt how to sit up by himself over the Easter weekend while we were away in Phuket. He's getting better at it now. My baby's growing up now and so quickly too.