Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts

Friday, April 30, 2010

I Want a Hippopotamus

As a child we wanted to possess different things. From fur bears to real puppies, we wanted to have millions of things. Like this recently I came across a song written in 1950s, a girl says 'I want a Hippopotamus'.

Listen to the song, its refreshing.



Lyrics:
 I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door, that's the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
To see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too

Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegeterian

There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage
I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
To see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too!

Sunday, March 07, 2010

Going to School...

Have you cried when you are going to school?

This morning, I saw a cute small girl crying on her way to school. She was escorted by a housemaid armed with a fresh stick broken from a tree. What a violence it is?

Why children cry when they go to school? Now my nephew builds reasons to escape from going to play school.

My parents wanted me to do well at school. I did my best. But I never wanted to go to school. Sitting 8 hours doing nothing; but to open your ear to hear series of lectures. History, Geography, Science they changed every one hour. Except mathematics I loved nothing. From my twelfth standard, up to my undergraduate I slept in classes which I felt not interesting. What’s the good in learning the brain of sheep?

I felt school is a jail with benches, black boards, fellow students and a master jailor. It stops our creativity. It said whatever on the print is correct; the teacher is always right; it asked me to write between two lines (though it had no impact on my handwriting); it asked me to reach perfection – the virgin destination.

I was advised talking; laughing, even smiling is a crime in a classroom. We were canned for above said crimes. One time I was heavily canned for smiling.

The ugliest and fearful thing about schools is comparison. It compared me with everything and everybody. I was told I am short; I am plump; bad at memory. And it compared so many people with me also. It taught to look outside; never inside me. Think its how bad and foolish to compare Sachin Tendulkar and Usain Bolt about their running talent. Schools are good at doing these kinds of comparisons.

You may have very good memories about your school. It’s not like I hate my school life, I enjoyed very little. I can’t get myself out of these bad comparisons imposed on me. The thing I am ashamed of is I don’t have contact with any of my school friends.

The kid who cried this morning may have dreamt to do something else that can’t have anything to do with her school.

Think what your child wants? Happiness or false comparisons?