Goals and Girls
Papa, you are up. Good! I could hear the combination of relief and excitement in Cici's voice when I got up from taking a nap last evening. First, check this. Now this. What does this mean? We worked our way through homework for one class after another. She had done the work. I was the extra set of eyes.
Just when I thought we might be done, I saw that there was one more project. She had to summarize an entire chapter in the world history book about India, list and define its key words, and state and explain what she believed was its most significant event or person. That seemed like a rather ambitious undertaking at 9:30 at night, but we attacked it as a team and finished around 11:00.
But I had another task that I wanted to finish, which was to respond to an email from one of Cici's teachers. The girls were urging me to go to bed, but I was determined to write the response. Tell me about Angela's educational background, her goals for this class, and her goals for school and life, the teacher had asked. That gave me a chance to tell a story, so I was doing it. I knew the answers to the questions because Cici and I have spent a lot of time talking about them.
Cici has opened up with me more and more as time has gone past. Yesterday Ping commented that Cici is closer to me than she is to Ping now. Not true, I responded. She will always be closer to you. It doesn't bother me, Ping replied. I want her to be close to you. It makes me feel good when I see how she sits beside you on the sofa and shares her chips or fruit with you. This is how I always wanted it to be.
Right now it is time for me to awaken these girls. They turned out to be more tired than I was, but of course I had a nap. We have a short week after the holiday, though, so we will soon be at another weekend and they can catch up on their sleep again.
Just when I thought we might be done, I saw that there was one more project. She had to summarize an entire chapter in the world history book about India, list and define its key words, and state and explain what she believed was its most significant event or person. That seemed like a rather ambitious undertaking at 9:30 at night, but we attacked it as a team and finished around 11:00.
But I had another task that I wanted to finish, which was to respond to an email from one of Cici's teachers. The girls were urging me to go to bed, but I was determined to write the response. Tell me about Angela's educational background, her goals for this class, and her goals for school and life, the teacher had asked. That gave me a chance to tell a story, so I was doing it. I knew the answers to the questions because Cici and I have spent a lot of time talking about them.
Cici has opened up with me more and more as time has gone past. Yesterday Ping commented that Cici is closer to me than she is to Ping now. Not true, I responded. She will always be closer to you. It doesn't bother me, Ping replied. I want her to be close to you. It makes me feel good when I see how she sits beside you on the sofa and shares her chips or fruit with you. This is how I always wanted it to be.
Right now it is time for me to awaken these girls. They turned out to be more tired than I was, but of course I had a nap. We have a short week after the holiday, though, so we will soon be at another weekend and they can catch up on their sleep again.
Back in High School we had to take a class called Asian Cultures. However everyone called it Asian Tortures. It was really more of a college prep class than anything else.
Anyway, the teacher, Mr Goto, really had a special fondness for India, and we spent maybe two thirds of the semester learning about India.
So, I'm curious as to who/what was picked to be the most significant person/event?
Also, I'm always interested to read about the way your relationship with Angela changes. More than anything else, really. So, I'm always glad to read the good things that you are able to do with her. I can't wait for the next book!
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The caste system is what Cici selected as the most significant event, Smitty. While it might not be perceived as an event so much as just being the state of affairs in Indian society, it must have had a beginning, so at some point in time it was an event. Can you imagine being born as an Untouchable? I asked Cici. I would find a way out, she responded. My Unsinkable Molly Brown.
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Boy howdy! That's not what I would have picked. It's sad that some countries still have caste systems, whether they are straight up with it, or it's kept under the table.
I would have gone with an easy one myself. Most likely Siddhartha Gautama, or Gandhi. Or maybe even cheat a little with Tenzing Norgay.
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