nice day.

the one about the family

The other day I was studying at Changi Airport, I came across a family of 4. They were seated next to us. Us consisting of me, Tomato and Flor. They were either Singaporeans returning from a trip abroad or Malaysians visiting Singapore. The way they spoke Chinese seemed Singaporean, so I guess they couldn't be from anywhere distant.

I can't help but notice how the parents, especially the mum, particularly favored the younger daughter and somehow, sorta ignoring the older daughter. The younger one was about say 2 years old while the older girl was about 5. The former was dressed rather 'cutely' with ribbons in her hair and shoes with flashing lights on them. The other was simply normal. While their Dad was off to get food, the mum had the younger daughter close to her while the older daughter was left wandering around the table. Any comment the older girl made to her mum wasn't really acknowledged or was just answered in simple one-liners. It was evident that the older girl was trying to get the attention of her mum by asking repeatedly what she wanted to drink. Then enthusiastically running off to tell her Dad.

At the table where dinner started, the mum still had her arms around the younger daughter. Then it was all about the older girl trying to get the attention of her parents. Apart from asking questions, she frequently left the table to go over to the railings overlooking level 1, and her dad would warn her to return to the table. I got the feeling that the parents seemed irritated by whatever she did and said. Then at one point her mum warned her, " I have put up with you for a long time! " She said that in mandarin.

Is it me, or are children supposed to shut up and sit down and listen to whatever thier parents tell them? She asks a few questions and the parents can't be bothered to answer properly, irritated even. The only reason why she is so desperately trying to get attention is because they obviously dote on the other girl more, and why? That's because the older girl had a rather huge birth mark (or so it seems) across her face, and the younger girl is all so normal cutesy wutsy.

I hope I'm wrong. It's probably because she's the older one and her parents are more strict with her. That sounds better.

posted by weihao @ 9:48 AM