We are achieving a certain amount of notoriety here.
A very dear friend of mine is an teacher at the English Department in the local University. She was talking to her relatively new students about native English speakers in Tuzla (there aren't many of us). She mentioned that there was an English family with two small boys and a dog in town and asked if anyone knew us.
There was a silence. No one put there hand up. Then one girl ventured: 'we don't actually know them, but we have heard them quite a lot.'
Curse those beautifully behaved Bosnian children who stand silently and watch as my two demolish the window displays in shoe stores. Damn those sensible Bosnian women who sensibly have a big gap between their children so have never had to run the 2 toddler through the market stalls selling toy guns gauntlet. Evil glares to the supermarket who not only insist on having their toy section right at the entrance to the store immediately reducing the visit to 'no you can't have 85 million toys' but who also have trolleys that will tip over if the boys stand on the side and jump, as we have discovered to our detriment - twice. Grrrrr to my boys who insist on going really fast on their scooters, forcing me to run after them, dragging a reluctant dog on the lead, shrieking 'too far! too far! STOP!!!' every time we take them out.
I'm never going to town again.
Wednesday 25 November 2009
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21 comments:
Brilliant - I think it's great that you've made an impression on Tuzla!
You've made quite the impression then, imagine the tales they would tell if you invited those mothers around for some of your "unique" shaped xmas biscuits :)
You've made quite the impression then, imagine the tales they would tell if you invited those mothers around for some of your "unique" shaped xmas biscuits :)
Oh I'm so glad it's not just me - I have to do exactly the same thing with my 2 boys on their scooters. All the other mums I see seem to have beautifully behaved kids, who sedately use their scooters, never getting too far ahead, and always stopping immediately when they're asked. Still it's keeping me fit, even if the pitying(?) stares are somewhat embarrassing!
I think I am having the same effect here ... I may be in an English town ... but it's a Northern English town and I am a SOUTHERNER! The other day I picked my darling daughter up from playgroup and she screamed the whole way home ... I mean SCREAMED ... right through the town centre. First because she didn't want to walk (trying to lose the buggy) and then (because I had stupidly bribed her with a bun at the bakers if she walked but she had still refused - so no cake) because she wanted cake. She screamed the whole way CAKE! CAKE! CAKE! MUMMY!!! I could see the locals rolling their eyes thinking 'bloody Southerners feeding their children rubbish!' ... ha ha. I feel your pain ;-)
I'd change you phone ringtone to mad dogs and Englishmen and embrace it ... just think of the colour you are adding to their lives !
Hey, at least they'll remember you when you're gone!!!
There's no such thing as bad publicity!!!
He he he, wonderful to make an impression, even if it is the wrong kind. I am known for having enthusiastic children. I just roll my eyes now I am used to it!
Tee hee. I think we've made a similar impression here, people keep telling me they've 'heard about us' and the boys are definitely notorious for their scooters (and the fact that they don't wear helmets, unlike children here, which means I am probably viewed as highly irresponsible...). In fact your scooter trips sound a lot like ours - SLOW DOWN!being the operative words.
Notoriety! Surely that is something other people only dream of!
Oh dear! This made me laugh! Better to have made some kind of impression than none at all, right?
Oh I'd be worried about children who were always perfect. Yours sound just fine!!!
The one thing Bosnians seem incapable of doing at the moment is drawing attention to themselves. Carry on giving them the free lessons, they need it.
LOL! I think our neighbours hear us quite a lot too!
WDA - I'm not sure it is the impression that I wanted to leave of English parenting methods!
WoB - Hee hee! Although everyone has them and no one apart from me think they are naughty. Maybe if I ice them just right...
Jude - the scooters. I love 'em and I hate 'em. Mine are so quick on theirs and I really have to run to catch them if they don't feel like stopping. Gah! Do other children really go sedately and stop when ask? Mine are the only ones on scooters here so I just assumed that all children went a bit mad on theirs.
Alice - A southerner, in the north. But you are in a foreign country!
MAM - LOVE it! I wonder if someone somewhere is writing a dear so and so in Tuzla and have included something about mad English families who are just so loud.
TM - Pretty srue they will. They might not miss being clattered around the ankles with their scooters. The old guys on their bench definitely enjoy the spectacle of me trying to catch the boys on their scooters whilst dragging the dog who is trying to eat some discarded bread.
TW - I like to be known. Rumour has it that a local TV station is thinking of doing a piece on us. Seriously.
MH - Enthusiastic children. I love it. that is how I shall describe mine from now on.
NVG - That would make a statement here, helmets. The Bosnians can barely put helmets on when they are riding motorbikes. SLOW DOWN are words I also use A LOT on scooting trips. I think notoriety is good. I've decided to embrace it whilst I can.
Mwa - I'm embracing it.
Karen - that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Expat Mum - fortunately I've seen the true Bosnian children colours at nursery. They are just like mine. It is just that their parents only ever take them out one at a time (thank you granny who lives up stairs) and even I can keep mine well behaved when they are one on one!
Owen - Lessons from a 2 year old and a 4 year old duly administered on a daily basis.
MM - I hate to think what our neighbours think!
Great stuff! and I agree with Tattie Weasle!
I wanted to let you know I blogged about Great Ormond Street.
And after reading about your imminent move I wanted to wish you all the love and luck in the world for your return to Blighty...oh no sorry, I think I mean the UK. x
I too agree with Tattie Weasle. Great & funny post! Helena xx
Ah well, if it gets too much you can always comfort yourself with the knowledge that you're leaving!
Hilarious! It's fame of a kind...
You shd come to Albania, the kids here are terribly behaved, well, wild, uncontrolled, very rowdy & very horrible to animals a lot of the time. Parents totally tune out, drag them along to long lunches with nothing to do etc & then ignore them. The converse positive spin off is they all think my children are impeccably behaved......and who am I to disabuse them of that notion?
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