My first Half Haircut

After my first birthday, my elders decided to take away all my hair - my first Full Haircut.
Today, my amma took me to my first Half Haircut. After I came back, I had an interview with my appa.

<In thamizh mostly>
Appa:           Madhura, enga ponai? (Where did you go?)
Madhura:   muDi cut paNNa ponen (Went for a hair cut)
Appa:           kaDai pEru enna? (What is the name of the shop?)
Madhura:   <after some thinking.. and with a tinkle in her eye indicating she is making something up>  Mysore!
Appa:           yaaru veTTinaa? (Who cut?)
Madhura:   yedho oru girl (some girl)
Appa:           girl-a? unna maadhiri oru chinna poNNaa? (girl? a small one like you?)
Madhura:   appa, naa big girl; ava ennoda big (I am a big girl. She was bigger than me)
Appa:           enna paNNinaa? (What did she do?)
Madhura:   ava kathiri vecchu cut paNNinaa.. naa "calm"aa irundhen.. (She did the cutting with scissors, and I sat calmly)
Appa:           "calm"naa enna madhura? (What is "calm?")
Madhura:   (with lots of action) appaDiye silent-aa okaaNDen.. naa satthame poDalai (Made no noise)
Appa:           Evalo paisa kuDuthai (How much did you pay?)
Madhura:   5
Appa:           5 enna? (5 of what?)
Madhura:   5 dhaan.. amma kuDuthaa (Just 5. Amma gave)
Appa:           5 Rupees-aa? nee yen kuDukkalai? (Why did you not give?)
Madhura:   naa periyavaalaa? periyaavalukku dhaan paisa irukkum (Am I an elder? Only they have money)
Appa:           onakku eppo paisa varum? (When will you get money?)
Madhura:   enakku paisave varaadhu. neeyum ammavum dhaan enakku kuDuppel (I will never get money. Mom and you will give me. no?)

...and they lived happily ever after :)

My school log

Now that I have settled well  and enjoying at school, I am publishing my experience of the first few days at school. I have to clear the air since my parents have their own version of my initial days at school.

Day 1 - After being brain washed about what fun school is, I am eagerly waiting for my first day at school. And yes, I keep checking with ammA if she is also going to school with me. After sending Paaduka off to school, ammA and I get ready for our first day of Montessori :) All new kids enter the room with their moms. I decide not to say a word to my teacher and hide behind ammA. The teacher asks me to remove my shoes, keep it in the shoe rack, take a mat and sit on the circle. I am now confused now. Does school mean more authoritative adults? Shock #1.... I manage to get through the half hour of school sitting on ammA's lap and tensely looking around while the teachers sang and allowed us to play. Oh wait.. I visited the bathroom too. School inspection is complete now.

Day 2 - To school with ammA :) I smile at my teacher and follow her instructions. But I ensure that ammA stays close to me. Half hour is too less to explore the toys in the shelf. I got a candy and a star drawn on the my hand. Exciting! I made sure that Paaduka knows that even I get star in my school :) 

Day 3 - I remember the way to me class from the gate :) yay! I make sure ammA is in the class but I am much more comfortable with my teachers. I ask for the a sheet of paper to colour and help to go to the bathroom. School is short and sweet just the way I like. I can also go to the park and say I am a big girl since I am going to a school now :)

Day 4, 5, 6 - Now I have to stay longer at school. One hour ammA says and of course ammA also attends one hour of Montessori these days. Now I am attempting to answer the roll call but no one hears me :( More time to sing and play. At times I am feeling that ammA is hovering around an little too much. ammA, please remember that I am a big school going girl!

Day 7 - Well, I am truly at ease now. I follow the routine without being instructed. ammA pulls a mat to sit beside me.  Shock #2 "ammA, nee velila wait pannu" (wait for me outside ammA). ammA was taken aback and was a little embarrassed when teacher asked her what I told her. My teachers were delighted and asked ammA to stay out side the class. I coloured a picture and wanted to show it to ammA to cheer her. So, I walked out to show but she was too eager to come back along with me. "nee angaye iru, classkku varadhey" (stay outside and do not come into the class).  

Day 8 - Well.... Things are truly going to be different from today. Parents were not allowed beyond the school gate! Gulp gulp..something was blocking my throat. Shock #3. My teachers held my hand and took me inside the school. ammA is nowhere to be seen. I was sad, really sad and made it known to everyone inside the compound by crying on top of my voice. My teacher carried me and I spent the entire time at school on her lap.

Day 9 onwards -  Tears starting welling up even before the gate opened. After initial crying bout, I settled down. I am getting better staying away from ammA (sob.. sob.. sob..)

After about 5 days of vacation to Chennai we came back to school and now I have to go to school in a van just like Paaduka. Shock #4. I protested initially bu running away from the van and made ammA drop me off. But now I have my friend who comes with me from our apartment, so it is a fun ride. 

And thus Madhura Shri Rangarajan goes to school like a good girl :)

Is it not obvious?

Finally I was given the cute and cuddly elephant bag which I can take to school now. I am in love with the bag but my parents are more protective of the bag than I am !

While I was playing rough with the elephant bag, ammA could not stand the bag being dragged and handled badly. She told me twice that I was going to tear the bag. Since this did not have an impact she decided to change strategy.

ammA - madhurA, nee adikara yaanai-a (madhurA you are hurting the elephant)
madhurA just smiles back
ammA - yaanai azha pordhu ipo (The elephant is going to cry now) yen adikara nnu ketkapordhu (It is going to ask why you are hitting)
I continue to play rough as it did not make sense to me! But ammA continues to ramble trying to attribute emotions to the elephant. After a while I had to put a stop to this and show her that I am not a little baby to buy this argument.

madhurA (a little angry)- ammA, indha yaanai pesumA, sApdumA, azhumA? idhu pAppa vA? idhu bommai. (Does this elephant talk, eat or cry? Is this a baby? It is just a doll.)

ammA - ok !?!

appA, ammA I am becoming a big girl. Get ready for more of such retorts. Here is my favorite :)

While eating some spicy murukku...

appA - madhurA porum. innum sApdAdha (madhurA, enough. Don't eat anymore)
madhurA (sighs) - pidichirukku (I like it)
appA - stop eating madhurA. ingarundhu po. (go away from here)
I look around and see that ammA and appA are devouring the yummy murukku. I see that there is no hope of something left for me :( I ran into the toy room with the packet of murukku.

ammA - murukku enga madhurA? (where is the murukku?)
madhurA - yen kitta irukku ( It is with me)
ammA - yen edutha? (Why did you take it?)
madhurA - safe-a vechukarthukku (I have to keep it safe)
ammA and appA - !!!!