Two Discussions

On Saturday, waiting for my pick-up to get down to the Mordor of Singapore - Buangkok:

"Aiyoh, my maid just took her one-month home leave. It's only been one week, the whole place is a mess already..."

"Then don't let her go lah!"

"How can? The place now, ah, so messy. Got clothes everywhere, plates not washed... And the kids also complain that the floor is sticky!"

Conversation took place in the lift lobby. Pretty good English-speakers by heartland standards. Two questions come to my mind as I eavesdropped on them (not hard to do given the volume at which they were speaking) - 1. Can't you clean up after yourselves? Dirty plates? Things all over the floor? C'mon!

2. Why are your kids complaining instead of helping out? How are you bringing them up in the first place?

***

Second one, yesterday, at Gyu-kaku at UE Square:

"My son's grades have dipped. He scored 70 out of 100 in his Chinese test. I don't know how he'll do for his PSLE at the end of this year..."

"Does he study?"

"Sometimes. But he's also very playful. Sometimes a bit hard to control."

"Do you use the cane on him?"

[Horrified gasp] "No! Of course not! I don't want to lose control of myself and go past the limit."

"True."

On that note, I would like, right now, to thank my parents who didn't spare the rod when I've been bad (really bad) and went over the line on several occasions. Because, as a result, all three of us learnt a valuable lesson about limits and about when to draw the line.

Afterwards there was another discussion about the rumours floating around a certain all-boys school in the Bukit Timah/Newton area, where kids don't really speak good Chinese, which I didn't pay attention to.

Now I know.