MAde in China

Made in China

 A few days back we have shifted to a new place, my daughter an accomplished place changer has made friends and has her good times but my son still needs to adjust and his joy as in most 7 or 8 year old lies in showing the better toy car … better lorry… better bag and better seat in school bus.



There then came a better boy. Let’s call him Iron. His dad had been in China for the past few years, hence he was imported. We have “made in China” stuff in our house too, but he is better because his “made in China” stuff was bought when he was in CHINA. He is a very cute boy, to look at but that was where all that ended… his voice is a constant whine – “aunty he is in the window seat but that is mine”.. “Aunty he was saying galis (bad words) in front of us”… and many such things which were cute in the beginning but gradually made us look glassy eyed and politely away.

There are snobs and then there are better snobs. I have never met another one who is better than Iron…there are many lines that are there that only have you wondering weather he can spare some time to coach you. A few quality ones are……





“ Wow!! Aunty he has got new wheels (of skates) mine are imported. Too bad I gave my old ones away he could have had them”





“Aunty you can buy the house in PT2 building now they are giving a free car with it… it is so sad we bought our house just a few years ago there was no scheme then”.



I know a friend of mine who was a mother of famed or ill famed naughty boy of the neighborhood, who had to bear the brunt of him complaining ways a few days back. Her son, who could not take Iron’s snobs in a polite manner, explained to him the rules of the gang leader in not so polite terms. Iron’s ma went to that lady’s house and later that friend of mine starts to froth in the mouth on hearing the name Iron…. “Was a rotten boy”... “Only complaining all the time”


One morning when I went to see off my boy in the school bus there was Iron with his hench men or hench boys from class III, (It is an accomplished feat to have people rooting for you from a senior class being in junior class unless you share the same parents, but being Iron he could accomplish the impossible). He had sat on a seat for the previous two days which was a coveted window seat where my son was sitting as he had come earlier. But because iron had been sitting on it for the past few days he was convincing my son to leave the seat for him. When my son continued to ignore him.. I looked away pleased that my boy was learning the tricks of the trade from the master…. Iron started to complain to me through the window – “aunty … I sit there. Please tell him to get up” I looked away politely a little proud. Iron then appealed to the bus driver and when the bus driver told my son to get up, he got up albeit mournfully, Iron looked at me as Nathuram Godse might have looked at Gandhi ji’s bodyguards after murdering him… and suddenly I was angry and did what I have always advised parents never to do.






Got up in the bus and told the driver to make the changes that was there in the beginning at once. I accused him of favouring pretty kids against better judgment after which the stammering driver did just that.. I looked on hoping that my son was happy but he told me. Mummy if you were going to fight I would have told you that I wanted that seat (another one).






The lesson was learnt – “Never involve yourself in the petty fights of kids unless their mother invites you”. Another lesson was that Chinese goods rock. I am a little fond of that guy because he never keeps a grudge in his heart his pleasures are momentary and his moral is “Yeh nahi, toh koi aur sahi”. That is one lesson we can learn from my Iron man. Made in China