Sharing Time

Teacher J. pulled me aside this afternoon all tickled about Risa's "sharing time" experience. Apparently, she held up her Monchhichi Doll and announced that lots of "Philippine girls" have Monchhichis in the "Filipinos." She ended with, "And I'm a Philippine girl." None of which makes sense, but that's okay because it's in keeping with yesterday's goings-on.

Yesterday, my parents brought over food from Kuya's, the new restaurant in San Bruno (public service annuncement: the chef at Kuya's used to preside over the kitchen at Ong Pin): catfish sinigang, bbq pork, bistek (my special request), etc. Well, my girls kept asking for more "chalupa," but I was so busy enjoying my bistek that I ignored the first, oh, five requests. Finally someone said, "Mooom? Hello? Can I have another chalupa?"

"What's a chalupa? There are no chalupas. Isn't that a Taco Bell thing?"

"Um, Mom? Right there?" she said (I don't know who it was; one of 'em), pointing like I was some sort of slow-on-the-uptake ditzy-type person.

"Oh. Wait. That's not 'chalupas,' you nut. That's lumpia."

Much hysterical giggling ensued and—not surprisingly—the word "chalupa" (it's not a real word, is it?) is now in heavy rotation. This is fine with me because, as you know, the previous funniest-word-in-the-world was "butt."

All of this is just my way of saying that I think I've been remiss in their cultural education. Must get on that right away.