Wednesday 29 March 2007, Sylvia came around telling us that she had an offer from the Catch 22 Magazine CIC for the Magazine Journalism programme. Their sponsorship six weeks programme will start on Wednesday 11 April in London College of Communication. Then she told us that she has registered herself to the Open University for doing Business Studies, start from May.
“When I grow up I’ll go to a university as well, get a degree, and then become a shop keeper”, you said.
“You don’t have to go to a Uni just to be a shop keeper”, I smiled.
“But I want to go to a university and work in Toys R Us.”
“That’s good, so we don’t have to buy you toys”
One minute you want to be a model, the next minute to be a shop keeper, a writer, an actress - that what children are. Earlier when I spoke on the phone with your dad, told him what you’ve been up, He said, “Maybe next she wants to be a farmer”.
I don’t know what will you become when you grow up, but whatever you want to be, I’ll always support you.
Today is a school holiday, you’ve been at home for the Easter Holiday since last Thursday. I didn’t have to get up early for getting you ready to school. When I came downstairs for a coffee and a cigarette, I was very pleased to see you doing some writing.
Maria was on the computer, you were in the lounge, still in your pyjamas. I know you hadn’t had a wash - I saw some sleep on your face and your hair tangled. You were sitting on the sofa holding a pen, facing the plastic table covered by your baby blanket Paddington Bear. Some pieces of paper on the table were already full of your nice small handwriting. (Last time I told you, I’ll pay you 10p for each page of your writing whether it’s good or bad, but the letters has to be small, and if using the computer, the font size not more than 12. Well, I have to make the most out of my money, don’t I?)
I’m very pleased you’ve been writing again using a pen instead of the computer. The computer is not only bad for your eyes – if you stare too much on its screen – but also can make the editor in the back of your head very easy interfering your writing.
When you practice writing, it’s better just write whatever comes in your mind without looking back at what you’ve written. You don’t have to worry about grammar and spelling, that’s your work later when you edit it. By using a pen, your writing will be more original as what coming in your mind in the first place, and your writing will be flowing better.
I also want to treasure your pieces of paper. It will be nice for us later when you grow up to see all your writings when you are little. I’m sure one day they’ll bring a smile on your face.
The telly was blaring in the background, it was Drake And Josh in Nickelodeon. I asked you if I can turn it off, so you can concentrate on your work. But you said, “No, I want to watch Zoe 101”. I wondered how could you do some writing with the telly on. When Zoe 101 was on, I saw you didn’t really watch it. Perhaps you just like the noise. That’s OK, some people even writing in the café sometimes, like Hemmingway or Natalie Goldberg.
When I said I want to write a book, you told me want to write a book as well. I think your book will finished sooner than mine, Saskia. A few minutes after I sat on the sofa, you showed me 3 pages full of your handwriting. “It’s a script for the play”, you said. Now you want to be an actress and writing the script by your own. Yesterday when I was in the toilet, you asked me to be your director and take the video of your play. Unfortunately, the camcorder isn’t working. We have to leave the filming of your movie till we have a new camcorder.
At the moment, I could only capture you when you were writing that script – before I went upstairs to write about it – and here is your pictures this morning, 2 April 2007.
arr.. she is so cute!!!! x
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