Interview: Kieran

Happy New Year everyone! Presenting the interview with Kieran my god son and nephew. I recorded this interview on 30dec 2010. Excuse the laughter in the recording, Kieran is funny. Non l'ho tradotto tutto ma solo alcune parole.

...

Juunta: Can you let everyone know who are you?

Kieran: KIERAN ISSAC PHAAANG

J: Where are you now?

K: In Singapore

J: How old are you?

K: I am a thousand and fifty years old. (it: mille chinquanta anni)
(laughter)
J: ahaha I know that's fine, I know you are very old.

K: I'm nine... I'm nine ... I'm nine..

J:It's the school holidays now right?

K: Yeah

J: When it starts what level are you?

K: Uh? What?

J: Are you... what level ... like primary school (it: scuola elementari)
.... are you still in primary school or are you already in secondary school?

K: What ...If you say that I am thousand years old then I'm dead by now.

(laughter)(it:risata)

but if you say I am 9 years old then I'm still in primary school.

next year (2011) I am (in) primary 4.

J: primary 4

K: Five

Keran's mom Ginny: 4

K: eh? 4...

J:ok

J: So what is your favourite subject?

K: Uhmmm.... English...

J:Why?

K:It's easy

J: Uh... ok

K: I hate chinese the most...

K: it's like jing jang ju...  jang jing jang

(laughter)(it:risata)

jang jing jung ja jing

J: Yeah I think Chinese was my worst subject.... but I don't like English...
my favourite was maths

K: maths? yeah I hate maths as well.

J: Oh you hate maths?

K:... plus 1 equals 5054 because there are 5054 plus 1 look there 5053 plus 1 and 1, 1 and there is only one equal and there is only one 5354 (scherzava)

J: Do you have a favourite teacher?

K: A favourite teacher ? yeah...

J: Is it your English teacher?

K: no. ... my science teacher, Mr Siew
He makes his lessons the most interesting.

J: Oh really... What does he....

K: maybe you can change my favourite subject to science like he lets us fish for tadpoles (it: girini)

J: You didn't stay in class for lessons? You went out for fishing?(it: pescare)

K: Sometimes we go fishing for tadpoles, catch frogs,(it: rane)

J: Uh ... you've caught a frog before?

K: No I caught tadpoles and fish...

J: Uh... where did you go? Is it...

K: My ecogarden...

J: Oh... You mean you have a garden (it: giardino) in your school?

K: Yup

J: wow you are so lucky!

K: my friend caught ... uhm what's that ah... a baby dragon fly (it: lebellula) and he didn't know it

J: really!

K: yeah!... and then by the time he gave it to me... by now if it was still alive it should an adult by now ... flying away. But the silly cat killed all the fish, so we had to throw it away with the dragon fly.

...wait let me turn on the video this is my cat

(puts the cat in front of the webcam)

J: He doesn't seem very willing... ahaha

K (as the cat): uhroaahhhuuu ....

K: hey brooke!....

J: what happened?

K: he closed the thing ... (switched off the webcam) that's how intelligent he is. there he is ...

J: Yeah...

K's mom: Stop sitting on the wires,  you silly cat!

K: next question...

J: Oh I know that you swim, and dance,... and do karate...

k: karate?

j: no you don't?

k: martial arts... (it: arti martiali)

k's mom: he is going to climb Mount Kinabalu in march (it: Mount Kinabalu)

k: and I'm going to tame my cat right now....

k: see! he's a monster.... he's a monster....

k: would you like to interview him?

j: yes... can you ....

k (as the cat) : hi godma ma .... mimi....

j: can you ask the cat what is favourite activity, what does he like to do the best?

I like destroying the toilet door....
(I would add that I don't understand what was being said. Kieran was doing it in his funny voice and it was drowned out by our laughter.) (it: mi dispiace ...non sentivo cosa stava dicendo....)

k's mom: since when I did I get a daughter....

...

k (as the cat): bye... thank you... (it: lui faceva il voce del gatto)

j: How have you been preparing to climb the mountain?

k: uhm by farting (it: scoreggiare) ... to eat potatoes and onions and fart my way up mount kinabalu

(laughter)(it:risata)

j: ahaha

j: so what have you been this holiday

k: during this holiday? Nothing much

k's mom: he does housework... (it: lavori di casa)

j: I'm being child tortured. .... aaaahhhh I begging you stoppppp...

k's mom: my helper went home for a few weeks.

k: stoppppp...

j: oh yeah,I know... I know... I read about it...You wrote about it on facebook...

k: no she didn't ....

j: oh yes she did...

k: no she wrote about child labour and torturing...

k's mom: he had to bank in the cheque for me today

k in the background: "you be a slave" (it: schiavo)

k's mom: return the videos, then when it's raining he has take the trash out to the dust bin.

when it is raining he has to put down the bamboo chick (it: tapparella di bambu)  in the kitchen.

k: when it's raining I have to take out the trash out into the dust bin .... do you want me to flood the trashcan (it: bidone) ... right?

j: Is he a good housekeeper (it: raggazzo della pulizia), Ginny?

k's mom: uh he is quite reliable... I'm quite pleased. Helped to clean the table

k: wants me to do this and that, whips me if I do something wrong... like go to bath room... (it:...scherzava)

k's mom: what rubbish?

k: let see what esle she throws the cats on me. She puts my head in the dustbin.
ehehehe

...

k: is this interview over yet?

j: no no, not yet I haven't ask you what do you like about this year (2010)?

k: what I liked about this year?...

j: yeah since we are going to finish it off soon.

k: hmmm I liked ... that my mom is giving me child labour (it: scherzava.... lavoro minorile) and the gifts would come in a wrapper

laughter

I like... I hated everything about this year

j: eh?

k's mom: he got promoted to junior assistant teacher at martial arts...

k: I hated ...

j: really...?

k's mom: and then now he is a devout alter boy (it: chierichetto) . After church camp (it: ritiro spirituale) he had renewed faith. So now whenever there is a baptism

k(in the background)(it: .... in sfondo) : oh be quiet....

k's mom: at a funeral and whenever they want him to serve

k's mom: but actually right... at wedding he is waiting to get ang baos ... (it: una busta con un regalo di soldi)

j: what? I can't hear you?

k's mom: he's earning money serving mass and wedding by getting ang baos

j: good good,  get extra income...

k's mom: you continue... (leaves the room)

j: wait wait ... one more question... what is your new year's resolution for next year (2011)?

k: erhm...

j: are you going to make more money by serving as an altar boy?

k: no that's not it... uhm ... beat my maid (it: la colf) ... whack her

j: why?

k: I don't like her

j: oh ...you don't like her

k: yeah.... "do this do that"... blar blar blar... all day when I am with her ... that is all I hear..  and now we have someone backing her up and also going zeh ha yeh yeh.... the conclusion is to get out of this place or I'll be hearing more zeh zeh zu zat...

j: why does she nag (it: brontola) at you so often?

K: I don't know she is just crazy... zeh zeh vlu zat... and once she starts ... jabbering (it: parlando, chiachierando) about something, she won't stop jabbering... the last time I had a conversation with I nearly fell asleep.

K's mom (just entered the room): what are you talking about?

K: no mom, you don't know you weren't home that day. She was jabbering...

K's mom: what are you talking about?

K: forget it mom... is that all...?


end.
...

It was such a fun interview, sorry it had to end on such a sad note. Living with maids is a common issue in Singapore. Since young or as long as I could remember we had a maid in my parents' place. We had maids that would change every one or two years. I did not have fond memories about them, they would behave one way when my parents were around and another when they were with the kids. But with the parents away at work, sometimes it is hard to cope without them. Ginny my cousin is a single mom, with her irregular hours and hectic work, it's really difficult without her maid. Well, you can't live with them and you can't live without them.

I really didn't know what to expect of Kieran. I'm a bit out of touch as a godma and auntie. My mom was telling he is mature beyond he's years. .... certainly doesn't show up here. Conclusion: I'm related to a monkey. :P eheeheh.... sono una parente di una scimmia.

ps. just want to say hello the people from russia and croatia that have been visiting this blog. Thank you very much and Happy New Year! .... Happy New Year to all!