Monday, June 04, 2012

Dear Kukka - A Letter From Geppetto


My dear Pinocchio,

Yes, Pinocchio. That’s what you’ve been wanting to be called in the last few weeks or maybe even already a month. I must say this is quite an exciting, unique and hillarious phase. To think that it all started so harmlessly. Me wanting you to know The Disney Classics. Since you never been fond of Disney’s princesses and more into animals, toys and fairies, I was thinking of introducing you to Dumbo, Bambi, Lady and The Tramp, Peter Pan (and The Neverland Pirates heheh..) and...Pinocchio. 

I remember only showing you the part where Geppetto had just finished painting Pinocchio’s mouth and danced with the string wooden puppett, Figaro the cat and Cleo the goldfish. It was quite a scene, I admit. The song is nice to sing along and the cute clocks and music boxes made it merrier. I remember you watched it with wide eyes and so seriously. You didn’t say a word. At least not until the dancing scene was finished. And then you said: “Again, pwis!” I played it again. And again. And again. And again. And then I uploaded the full movie on the iPad. And this is when the phase begins :)) 

You’ve been watching it from the beginning until the end like.... Oh, I’m not sure. 12097489265923 million times, maybe? :)) And then you repeat your favorite scenes probably 3 times more? And that’s how you become Pinocchio and “baptized” the rest of us as Pinocchio characters. I’m Geppetto, naturally :) Bapa is Stromboli (because of the similar round belly, I assume?), Kwazii is Figaro, Kaka Namira is The Blue Fairy, Kaka Alyna is Cleo, Uwa Eza is Monstro, Uwa Tanti is Jiminy Cricket, Mas Wondo is Honest John, Mba Santi is Gideon, Aki is The Coach Man, Nini is Alexander (the donkey!!), Oom Anto is Lamwick, and so on. Naming the people you know as the characters in your (recently) favorite movie is actually not a new thing. You used to be Jewel from Rio or Simba from The Lion King. But it never goes out to “public”. 

Now, this Pinocchio phase is epic! Your teachers reported to me that you refuse to be called Kukka and only respond if they called you Pinocchio. You’ve been introducing yourself to new people with a confident hand shake and a firm voice “Pinocchio.” You get angry when we still call you Kukka. You replace the characters’ names in other movies and books with Pinocchio characters. Your favorite line is now “I wanna go home to my Mama” and you’re singing Pinocchio songs all day long. You even made Bapa...I mean, Stromboli, confused when he heard you say “Life is full of temptations.” :))) 

I don’t know if you ever going to remember this still-on-going phase but trust me. I’m not making this up. You can ask about this to the rest of the family or even your (former) preschool teachers one day. Now it seems that you are practicing The Blue Fairy’s famous line “A lie keeps growing and growing until it’s as plain as the nose in your face.” Heheh... Tough one, I know. But I’m sure you can say it in no time, babycakes. 

Because nothing is too difficult for a super smart girl like you ;*