When I'm Bigger, You're Much Older, Ms.

Still related with my holiday, the kids were always excited every time I told them about my holiday in Vietnam, not only that actually, whenever I went to a new place, I ate at a new restaurant, I met a new person, they would like to know about them all. It must have been amazing for them to know that I had experienced a lot of things. Yup, being adult seems so promising for the kids.

Kid: Ms, I envy you a lot. You can go anywhere you want. If me, my mom I think will not give permission.

Me: That's normal, when I was at your age, my mom did the same. Don't worry, when you're bigger, you can travel by yourself

Kid: Impossible, you don't know my mom, last time I want arung jeram when in Bali, my mom angry, so how come I travel by myself???

Me: long waaay to go, just wait  ok.

Kid: can I have friends for traveling like you and your friends later?

Me: Sure, you will do.

kid: But my friends at school are lame, they don't like traveling

Me: Maybe not yet now, later you will find some, or when you're bigger, contact me, lets travel together, ok.

Kid: ahhhh how comeee, ms, when I bigger, you must be older, if we traveling together, then I will take care of you, no fuuunnnnn. *pout*

As usual I smirked and laughed at her silly thought :))

I Am Rich

I don't know when this started or neither I know what I've done wrong that my kids think that I'm a superloaded young lady. One day I was shot with a weird question. I knew it was going nowhere so I just answered blindly without thinking. I truthfully didn't want to talk about it longer.

Kid: Ms, you are rich ya?

Me: Ah, no, I'm not.

Kid: Lie! why do you think you are not rich?

Me: Well, look at me now, I'm here teaching you, working, earning money, If I'm rich, I will just spend my day freely, traveling around the world, in fact, I can't do that so I'm not rich now.

I thought the kid would stop asking, but, to my surprise, she shot me a death glare instead.

Kid: What? I don't believe it, that's stupid idea! If you are rich, don't stop working, if you stop working, later you kehabisan money, you must be peminta-minta, you can't be like that ms!

The kid was fuming because of my blind answer, she even mixed English and Indonesian without asking. I patted her back and just nodded signaling an 'ok, get it'. Her parent must have thought her well :) 

After some time, I finally found out what made the kids think that I was rich. It was because of my holiday to Vietnam several months ago. It was a big deal for them since I didn't join any tour (while they were always going with tour), they thought I was amazing since I went to Vietnam, a country which they rarely heard anyone visited. They have been to Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Aussie and many other countries, but not Vietnam. In their mind, Vietnam might be beyond their reach so they thought I was pretty awesome going there by my own effort.

Kid: you must be very rich ya because you went to Vietnam

Me: You don't have any idea how long I had saved money before I went there and it's not expensive to go to Vietnam.
Kid: Look you have galaxy tab and blackberry
Me: You have Ipad which costs twice my galaxy tab, and blackberry which also costs twice my very old blackberry and what more, you have your ipod which costs maybe ten times my mp3 player by the way.

kid: But still, you went to Vietnam! I only went to Singapore Singapore Singapore, boring!

Me: Well, I guess she's the richest here then (I pointed at another kid in the class). She has been to almost all European countries, She has been to Japan, Korea, China, Macau, Hongkong, Brunei, ahhh, she has been to countless country.

The other kid: What? me? I'm not rich ms, my parents also not rich because we never go to Bandung, my friends all often go to Bandung but my family not, so we are not rich.

Ohkay! I choked a laugh. I guess I'm really the richest since I went to Bandung more often than them :)))

My Mom is So Generous

One day, a 9 year old kid came to my class pouting. I smiled at her asking what was wrong. She murmured then muttered when I widened my eyes giving her a whats-wrong-look. "My mom is so generous", she said, still pouting. "That's not a problem then." I replied simply. She continued whining, "You don't understand, I don't likee it ms...". "Why not? don't you get things you want easily since your mom is generous?", I asked back, couldn't understand her.

She then grumbled, "That's exactly the problem! she's only generous to herself, never once she bought me toys I want, she only buy her make up make up make up, bag bag bag, ahhhh!". I smiled looking at her frustrated look and laughed together with another kid's comment, "Not only your mom, my parents too only generous to them, but stingy to me!". Then they started comparing whose parents are more stingy, and no one wanted to lose, each of them thought that their parents are the best penny pincher, what? is that even an achievement? :)) 

If I could, would I?

Another thing I love about kids is what they could come up with, they would surprise me with different genuine thought each time we meet. This is one of dozen stories I've witnessed.

One day we talked about imaginary situation, about dream for the future.

In the presentation, a kid was asked, "If you could be anyone, would you be a king?". 

My kids are around 8 or 9, I expected they all wanted to be a king, well for kids, it should have been fun. 

Out of my expectation, a young girl, Kekei, answered with a shocked face, "What? a king? no way and never! its so lame being a king, you only sit, order here, order there, lamee and I would not." It led me to small laugh.

The next question was, "If you had a chance, would you have the immortality?". This question surely would brought vary responses from the kids, I thought, but again, I was surprised by another young girl, Jojos, she confidently answered, "No, I don't want, I don't want to be immortal, I still want to die to be able to meet God, if I don't die, I can't meet God Ms...". Well, such a tactful kid :)