i've never really noticed this before, because ordinarily when i am playing with the kiddies i am lolling at ground level. from the time i took delivery of my niece, however, i was trailed by a steady stream of chatter emanating from around my knees, which makes conversation and locomotion quite difficult to achieve at the same time. at hougang mrt i gave her the option of escalator or lift, but she chose "ramp" (i.e. the service ramp connecting station to bus interchange) so we went overland instead of underground to the 72 bus stop. i hoped for a doubledecker and got one, we sat on the upperdeck and at the front of the bus where the window view provided distractions. "if we're very high, like in aeroplane, then if we fall out, maybe we will die." we counted 12 strolling herons on the way to tampines, and observed moss on the side of the canals. "we are going very far...does my mummy know where tampines is?" we collect minyin at tampines mrt but not before she gets a few photos of us on the quiet and i try to wrangle a concession but the ticket woman says not unless my kid sits on my knee and i did not want a squirming child on my knee for 85 minutes. we buy tickets and sit at the fountain in tampines mall basement and she pointed out the fountain spouts. "watering cans!" she is put out to find minyin doesn't eat bananas. "why is auntie minyin scared of bananas? bananas don't bite people!" after trying to distract her with mos burger and dairy queen she asks "is it time for the movie yet" we buy popcorn and go to brother bear, which is a singularly insipid movie. i also think that children who walk up and down the aisle during movies and who creep up and tug on my arm should be smacked and sent out. and that kindergartens should not organise movie trips. fortunately my niece only asked a few questions during the movie, and minyin didn't haul her out, although she grumbled at *me* for answering questions! bathroom trips = 1 only, very exciting because tampines mall toilets had the u-shaped hand-dryers which she had not yet seen. lunch: after consultation she chooses macdonalds over horfun, and we buy her nuggets and a milo which was too hot. minyin asked for two more cups and i tariked it much to her puzzlement (she has never seen teh being tariked) and then i get her on another doubledecker 72. "is this the same bus we took to come here?" "yes" "but..." *scrutinising the window and seats* "i think it's a different bus" hm. this is surely not a good time to give a lesson on rigid designators. "well, when i say it's the same bus, i mean that it is the same route we took to come here. although the bus..." "it's not the same bus because the bus driver is different." oh! oh dear. on upper serangoon i get her ready to press the bell ("it's the red button right? it says "stop" right?") and some other kancheong person gets in ahead of her. this does not dampen her enthusiasm, and as the bus pulled into the bus bay, "is this our stop? is this where we're getting off?" "yes" "DINGDONG!" as the doors opened. i got her off without looking at the bus driver's face, which perhaps didn't have much to say about children and bells but why risk it? and at that point someone honks at us and my cousin-in-law pulls up at the kerb and hussle all of us into the car so we get a ride the last 50 metres home. minyin who came home with us admits that i am unimpressive but not incompetent as aunt, although she accuses me of walking my niece into a metal dustbin, but really she only stubbed her shoe on it, and i protested i can't always be steering at knee-level, that most people don't, which is why most of them have at some point in their lives kicked young children, and at least we don't make a habit of kicking children as von does. i could possibly do this again.