The girls get along perfectly most of the time. Enjoying the same TV shows, playing the same iPad games, singing the same songs, playing the same silly self created games.

There are times when they tease or annoy each other, especially on long car journeys. And common complaints we get are :
“Maa, jiejie is annoying me.”
“Maa, jiejie spit at me.”
“Mum, Zaria doesn’t want to share the arm rest”
“Mum, Zaria copying (immitating) everything I say.”
I normally ignore them, until they get physical with each other, and start punching each other pushing and shoving.

For every movie that they watch together, they like to identify who is which character in the show. E.g.
Powerpuff girls.
Zara : Zaria, Jiejie is Blossom, you are Butter Cup because you always frown.

Alice In Wonderland the movie.
Zara : I’m the White Queen.
Zaria Jiejie said I’m the Red Queen.

And then sometmes they cannot agree with each other.
Zaria : Why jiejie always want me to be the villian
Zara : Ya.. because you always get angry.

Zara is also constantly reminding Zaria she’s the jiejie. E.g.
Zaria : (asking me) Why you didn’t buy for Zara?
Zara : It’s jie jie ok. not Zara.. you need to call me jiejie.

I like listening to their conversation with each other, it can be quite entertaining. I caught these few.

The girls were reading about Sleeping Beauty, and this version started with the King inviting 12 wise women to the party to celebrate the birth of the pricess.
Zaria : (referring to the picture in the story) How come there’s only women in the party and no boy except the King?
Zara : Have you heard of men being wise? Only women are wise, that’s why there are only wise women to invite.

Zara was meant to go to MIL’s place while Zaria was attending Yamaha JMC class, but she decided she wanted to stay home, so she called MIL.
(MIL speaks only Cantonese and Mandarin)
Zara : (on the phone) 我不要去你的家了。我要在家做我自己的东西 (I don’t want to go to your house, I want to stay home to do my own things). Bye bye.
Zaria : 再见 (zai-jian), you should say 再见 (zai-jian). Bye is English. Mama cannot speak English.
Zara : Every body can understand bye ok? Even if you don’t understand English.
Zaria : (enlightened) Oh

Zara joined in the school Bahasa Malaysia singing contest and got 2nd place, so she brought home a silver trophy.
Zara showed Zaria the trophy and told her about her contest.
Zaria : Wah. Jie, good…. you got a trophy.
Then she continued : But jie, how come your trophy is silver and not gold?
Zara : Because I got 2nd place. If you get 1st place, your trophy will be gold.
Zaria : (another enlightenment) Oh

But the 2nd day, when Zara is not around.
Zaria : Ma, you know, I don’t like jiejie’s trophy. Jiejie’s trophy is silver.. I like a gold one
Me : Next time when you are standard 1.. you go to jiejie’s primary school.. you go on stage to sing and get the gold trophy ok?
Zaria : I’ll go on stage.. but I won’t sing.. I’ll snatch the gold trophy from the 校长 (headmaster) o.O”

If only every day is like this.. (the littlest one is my bestie’s daughter Maya).

Kiasi (traditional Chinese: 驚死, 惊死, kiaⁿ-sí) is a Hokkien phrase, literally means afraid of death, to describe the attitude of being overly afraid or timid.

Since she was very young, Zara has already shown sign she’s very kiasi.
She’s afraid of the dark.
She’ll try to eat healthy so that she’ll not fall ill.

When she was 3+, she sometime had nightmare which woke her up in the middle of the night. Her nightly prayer during that time would include a line like “Jesus, please don’t let me have nightmare.” and she would ask me everynight, “Mum, will I have nightmare?”

She’s never been on a nebuliser, but had seen kids using it. When she’s not well, she will eat her medicine on a timely basis even though it’s extremely yucky. She will not touch cold drinks when she’s having the flu/cold/cough because I’d told her if she didn’t take care when she’s not well, she might need to use the nebuliser.

When she learnt about Hand Foot And Mouth Disease and H1N1 in school, she started checking her body frequently, and when there were ‘suspicious’ spots, she would ask worriedly, “Do I have Hand Foot and Mouth Disease.”; and when a stubborn cough or flu continued for a few days longer, she would ask, “Do I have H1N1?”

Early this year, she started having frequent nose bleed. A couple of times, it bled in the middle of the night, making everybody worry. I initially taught it was caused by extreme ‘heatiness’, so I told her to watch what she eats, and drinks more water.
Her prayer became “Jesus, please don’t let me have nosebleed.” and she would ask me everynight, “Mum, will I have nosebleed?”
She stopped having chocolate and deep fried food although those were her favourite (Even if you tempt her and placed them in front of her, she’ll just say, “No! After I’ll get nosebleed.”)
We eventually found out the reason for her nosebleed. She has extremely sensitive nose. No nose picking and no nose spray (anto-congestion nor salt-water spray) and that fixed the problem.
She’s back on her favourite food now.

She eats most vegetable although she may not like them just because they will make her healthy.
She makes sure her hands are clean before picking up anything to eat.

Recently, I started making homemade ice cream and told her that most ice cream sold had some sort of chemical or preservatives to make them last longer, so best for her to just stick to my ice cream. I shared with her as well some ice cream use artificial sweetener which may cause cancer.
So now her favourite question is, “Will I get cancer.” when she touches something which I told her might contain artificial flavouring or sweetener. o.O”

At 4+, Zaria is still gullible enough to believe the lies I told things I said.

When I told her I was giong out with Aunty Dinah (Jazzmint‘s farewell), and kids were not allowed.
Zaria asked, “Why? They serve only beer in the restaurant? They serve only sambal?”
I lied answered and said Yes to those questions, and she said, “Oh, then I better don’t go too.”
Phew.

I bought 2 tickets to Jacky Cheung’s concert (Yippie), and I was planning to bring Zara with me (or maybe just go with Daddy).
Zaria cried when I told her I only bought tickets for Zara and myself.
I lied told her there was a height limit, and because she’s below 120cm, they wouldn’t sell me the ticket; also taking the opportunity to tell her she has to eat well to grow taller.
Zaria told me after she stopped crying, “I have an idea, you can buy me high heel shoes. And when I wear the high heel shoes to the concert, I’ll be tall enough.” o.O”
I told her that the tickets have been sold off (which is the truth), and no way I could get another ticket.

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My girls have better sense than some racist goons out there.
I asked Zaria one day, “Mei Mei, do you know what race you are?”
Zaria replied, “I’m human race.”
(Best ever reply!)
When Zara got back home, I asked her the same question.
Zara replied, “You mean my culture?”

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Zaria came back from school one day and told me, “Mummy, Aidan scratched my eye with his shoe. Can you report to the police?”
I told her ok, I’ll call the police later.
After 1 minute, she came back and told me, “I think better you don’t call the police, you tell his mummy, so that his mummy will beat his bumbum.”
(at least she has some compasion)

Zaria saw one of her stickers on Zara’s book.
Zaria : Maa, jiejie took my sticker without permission.
Me : So what should we do about that?
Zaria : Send (give) her to another family.
Me : Do you really want to do that?
Zaria : Actually I do not want to do that, but the only way to teach her is to punish her. o.O”

One day Zaria refused to do her Chinese reading, and I had to push and push her. She then declared, “I wish I have no mommy!”
The following day when I picked her and her carpool friend from school, she told her car pool friend “You know, if your mommy is fierce it’s actualy good. It’s to teach you good things you know.” o.O”

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Zaria saw the neighbour went topless watering his plant.
Zaria : “Eeeeyer Mum, why is Uncle P not wearing his clothes?”
Me : “He’s hot I think… If mommy is hot can mommy take off my clothes?”
Zaria : “Eeeyer.. no mum, because you are a big breasted lady.” o.O”

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On another day.
Zaria : Mom, you should put a Y in my name. Now it’s Za-ri-AH. If you put a Y, then only it becomes Za-ri-YAH.
Me : So how should your name be spelled?
Zaria : You should spell my name as Z-A-R-I-Y-A. o.O”