NOUGHTS

The good thing about Paediatrics is that if you get bored while on the ward, you can always grab a storybook or a game from the playroom. Over the last few days, I've read about pink mermaids, anak ikan paus, bicycles, telling the time, tea and biscuits; and of course nursery rhymes and Blyton's The Faraway Tree.

You'd think I'd shoot myself in the head by now. But I love storybooks :P

I used to love reading The Faraway Tree series *blush*. It's about a huge magic tree right in the middle of an enchanted wood discovered by some children; and every week or so a magic land will appear at the top of the tree. Some examples are the Land of Topsy Turvy and the Land of Birthdays. They sound stupid now but I wanted to go to some of those lands then.

More than 15 years now, of course I wonder if books that encourage children to daydream are really good for them. Think Aladdin and his genie (I wish to have a thousand wishes). But then again, creativity can come from daydreaming. I wish they had good role models in children's storybooks though. Cinderella and Snow White are such stupid bimbos.

So anyway, I was in the playroom writing up my clerking when a 7-year-old girl and her slightly older brother came in to play. They were visiting their baby brother who was being investigated for Hirchsprung's. Unfortunately for me, the little girl was not the kinda shy girls who would stay away from strangers. She decided to sit next to me and invited me to play noughts and crosses with her.

For horrifying 3 seconds, I couldn't recall how to play the game. That's how long it's been. One of the dilemmas I had was whether to let the little girl win easy. Afterall she was already 7; big enough to know if people were being patronizing. I'm not an expert on 7-year-olds! But I discovered that I didn't know how to let little children win at noughts and crosses.

I so kicked her ass. 4 straight wins!

I don't know how to talk to children and I have no idea how other people do it. I hate paediatrics oh make no mistakes I honestly hate it, but I have a lot of respect for the paediatricians and they're absolutely amazing at communication. I can say my youngest brother is only 4 years away from me but we all know that's not an excuse. I just wasn't born with the talent.

She said people often told her she looked Chinese even though she was actually a Bangladeshi. Without thinking, I said while shrugging my shoulders: Nah, you look more like a Vietnamese, or a Thai.

If you were there, you would be rolling on the floor laughing at me. Let me tell you I was really embarrassed by the blank look she gave me. Budak kecik memang susah tau.