Of Assets and Libraries







-- Eavesdropped Conversation --



"I am actually an asset, papa" I heard DS tell Ady. 
"No son, you're a liability. We only spend on you, we don't get anything in return."
"But I came from mamma for free. You didn't buy me."
"Well, the doctor did charge to deliver you"
"Dika is a library, but I bring you so much joy."
"Yes you do, and so does Dika. Liability." 
"But I am more of an asset than she is. She just stays in her room."
"Both of you are... Libailities. We pay for everything you do, and you end up wasting everything we feed you."
"You should only give me what I like then" DS reasoned. 
"Yeah, I don't think only cereal is a healthy choice."
"You can't give us stuff we don't like, and then say we waste it."
"Well, that's what you get."
"Then you're making us waste, papa. You're forcing us to not be assets."
"No, we give you healthy food, so you can be healthy. You choose...junk."

The boys emerged from the room, and DS came running to me. 

"Mamma, don't I give you hugs, so many hugs and kisses?" DS was looking for an ally.
"Yes you do, my baby" I said. "You give the best hugs and kisses."
"So I am an asset" DS said. 
"Yes, you are" I agreed. 
"Your hugs and kisses are free. Like my hugs and kisses to you." Ady continued.

"What's happening?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"Papa's telling me about assets and librarires, and he's calling me a library."
"Liability" I corrected. 
"Yes, Liability."
"Oh you're an asset, my child" I hugged him. "You give me so much happiness."

"See, Papa?" DS teased his dad. 

"Well, you make him eat his veggies now. You're such a liability" Ady dismissed me. 
"Library!" DS corrected him. 


Image Credit: https://easy-peasy.ai/ai-image-generator/images/cute-electronic-accounting-calculator-icon-3d-pop-illustration

The mania that is Swift!


DD has been a Swiftie since she knew music. She would belch out all her songs, and we’d keep wondering where she’s heard these, as our home is almost exclusive to Indian music. 

Hearing her sing with such passion, we got her her own Alexa, so she could listen to all her favorite songs.

We knew she was obsessed with Swift, because her room had more pictures of Taylor than of herself or us (wishful thinking of course.) She never really outgrew the ‘phase’.  

DS knows what his sister’s favorite song of the season is, but he doesn’t really like Taylor Swift. She sings ‘too slow’ to his taste. He likes funky numbers he can dance to.

So this weekend, when the Era’s Tour was here in Singapore, naturally DD had to go. The excitement was palpable. She went with her friend of course, but the amount of preparation that went in - making bracelets, posters, buying the right outfit...I don't remember the last time, I had prepared so much. Child birth, may be?

I learnt so much about the Swift Culture. ‘The Mother’ as she is called. I will be honest, when DD said, "I have two mothers, one that gave birth to me, one that brought me up", I was shattered. While she did quickly added that I was also bringing her up, when she saw my shocked face, the damage had already been done.

DD had to do some last-minute shopping, so we hit the mall. The entire trip was a revelation to me.

I saw two girls who had this huge tag saying “F*ck the Patriarchy.” Not knowing that’s their mother’s song, I gave the girls two huge thumbs up in support – you know, feminism and women sticking together?

“Swiftie!!” the girls cheered.

“What?” I asked DD. “That’s her song, ma. It is amazing. You should hear it. She doesn't only sing about her boyfriends", DD knew what I thought about her. "She sings so many things, about the love for her mother, her best friend's son, about LGBTQ rights."

I actually did have tears in my eyes at this point. What sounded like a teen fest, suddenly felt a lot deeper, more meaningful.

I saw girls helping each other with the beads for the bracelets, giving compliments to each other. I saw the passion with which they were all planning for the concert.

“She’s not just a singer, ‘ma”, DD explained to me. “Her songs are meaningful, and relatable. There’s something in each song, that will resonate with you.”

DD in general is a very happy kid, so seeing her all excited about the concert wasn’t really surprising to me, but it’s the camaraderie that the girls shared, the enthusiasm with which everyone flew down to Singapore from all over the world, in fact, a friend of ours flew down all the way from Seattle too, that was so heartwarming.

I may not be a Swiftie, but I sure appreciate what the singer is doing to bring everyone together, in a kind and empathetic way. “Swifties help each other,” DD explained to me. “It’s like an invisible bond.”

“Mamma, since I always hear Dika listening to Taylor Swift, is she my mother also?”

“NO!” I instantly reacted. “Only I am your mother.” And I held him close to me. “But she can be an aunt to you.”

Image credit: DD

When it's more fun there

 


Even before we landed in Sydney, the kids started saying we should move there. “Why?” I asked picking the carryon baggage from the overhead bin.

“Because it’s like Seattle, and they talk a lot with me.” DS said.

“And they have a similar social justice system like the US” said DD, my diversity advocate.

“OK, lets just get a cab and go meet papa.”

“Can you check where we get taxis?” I asked DS, as soon as we left the arrivals gate.

He ran behind an airport employee and I lost sight of him for a bit. DD and I were busy trying to maneuver the luggage to the pick up spot.

Soon DS came running pointing at the opposite direction.

“Mamma, I think that guy has lost some teeth.”

“Why do you say that?” I asked. “Did you see in his mouth?”

“No, but he said ‘Aiver they’, when I asked him where the taxis were. Just like air come out when i talk through my lost teeth, i think air os coming out for him too.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“I think it means ‘over there’" he said. “Because he pointed in that direction.”

“Naar” DD said.

“What?”

“That’s another word in the Australian accent.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“No” she smiled. “See, we should move here. It’s so fun.”

And that’s how our trip to Sydney began.

The next day was already too late, coz DS wanted to be at the beach everyday, every hour, and DD wanted to shop till she dropped.

So Manly beach separated the ladies from the gentlemen. DS had his first brush with body boarding and DD had her first brush with not finding anything her size.

“Why is everyone so gigantic?” she asked.

“You’re tiny” I smiled.

“Maybe I’ll get a scarf.”

“Oh yeah, that’ll be your perfect size.”

Clearly the shopping wasn’t really what she anticipated, so we settled for a mani-pedi, and lets just say, her pink nails are not really hers.

With all the body boarding, came the sun-burn. Not for the kid, the dad. So finally somebody agreed that Mom was right in advising to wear sunblock.

But with all things said, Sydney was an amazing place to visit. The Blue Mountains were breath taking, the Sydney Opera house checked off my bucket list, and the beach mania is something that’s not leaving this household anytime soon.

“Mamma, why do we have to be home?” DS complains everyday. “The fun isn’t here, it’s Aiver they.”