Hari participated in two competitions today and won 1st in Tamil and 2nd in Sanskrit recitation. Okay, I just can't stop peethifying about this to all and sundry - pandal pottu, serial set vechu, mikela thaan innum sollavillai :-) Now to the topic. Competitions are one more thing that I have missed during my stay away from Madras. Till I left college, every recitation and oratorical competition conducted in the city in sanskrit had me participating and almost always bagging a prize too. On one hand, I was relieved to know that I don't need to go thro' the tension of standing before a frowning judge. On the other hand, I feel the same tension because it was my son who had to stand before the judge. When I was standing outside I got a chance to observe the OE parents walking up and down the school premises, giving pep talks to their kids, last minute revisions and ofcourse the thayirsaadam dubbas :-) The parents seemed more worried than the kids. Just as how I was more exci
6.50 am Hari wakes up and says "I want the computer". Hey! first brush your teeth, then take a bath, then eat breakfast and then if you have time, we'll see. For about half an hour I don't hear anything and I am busy getting breakfast and lunch ready. Suddenly I look at the time... 7.20 am HARI!!! WHERE ARE YOU?? YOU OUGHT TO BE AT THE TABLE NOW. OK MOM! Let me finish bathing. I am at my wits end. I shout at the top of my voice in an effort to get something across. "Its going to be 7.30 and you have to leave at 7.50 am". 7.22 am Dad shows his face inside the bathroom and asks hari, "why are you making your mom shout?" PAT came a reply, "I am not making mom shout. Its the time!"
Not one morning passes by without Hari's polambals. He has to say atleast 23 times "I don't want to go school". These would be followed by lectures on 1. Its good for you 2. You don't want to be illiterate. Do you? 3. Don't you want to be a tech director like appa? 4. You have to do some work or the other to survive. etc.. etc.. My next strategy was - "you have to look after cows." I was stunned when he said ok. Thats where Bala came in and dropped the right sentence "looking after cows means cleaning cowdung too!!" "oops" That was something my 6 year old could not imagine. The bum-cleaning is mommy's job. How can he do that? Okay, Mom, lets make a deal. I will take care of the cows, but the cleaning part, why don't you do it as always? When that did not get any response from me, hari decided he will work at home like his mom. WOW! somebody wants to be like me! Thats something, coming from Hari who adores his dad! Now how
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