Ambition

In my efforts to instil the newspaper-reading habit in my children, I often cite examples. Taking cue from my maid who harps on studying well to go abroad to work, I told Ash: You will be able to work in Nairobi or London like your Ammacha (uncle) if you read the papers everyday."

Trust Ash to dumbfound me with his replies: "Oh! werent you reading any when you were growing up? Is that why you are still here in India?!!"

His main interest in The Hindu is the supplement Metroplus for the cinema and tv shows, and Businessline Smartbuy to take note of the latest swank cars in the market. But occasionally a picture in the paper interests him and so too the news that come with it. Like the shawarma food poisoning in Trivandrum.

 

Today, it was Neil Armstrong's death. Ash said he would like to fly in a rocket. I said he could aim to be an astronaut.

"I'd rather check baggage at the airport!" he told me.