Recently, I was driving the 10 year old boy, who was sitting next to the driver's seat - never misses any chance to claim his privileges. We passed a gas trailer carrying petrol. He noticed the caution "No smoking nearby" written on it, he read it out loud then turned quizzical and commented "How Ironic they have the message there..". My simple brain couldn't immediately spot the irony. I replied that it's a fact that smoke will make the petrol explode etc etc. He corrected me, "that's not it. Petrol when burnt causes all the smoke. But they don't want smoke near by petrol itself". I was dumbstruck and proud at the same time enjoying his play on the word "smoke" and also his pro-nature outlook.
Some more lines from an even younger Sanjay -
When Sanjay was 6yrs old, we did an allergy test on him as recommended by a dermatologist for a skin rash. The allergy result came back and everything was fine except that he is allergic to dogs. Suddenly his face brightened up, having got the answer to the one question that was troubling him so far. With a sigh of relief, he concluded - "So that's why I am afraid of dogs".
During our visit to the crocodile farm near Mahabalipuram, we were strolling along the exhibits. Sanjay, 6yrs old then, was studiously and cautiously looking at them. When we neared one exhibit, he pointed to the circular pond in the center of that and exclaimed - "there's an iPond there". We were puzzled and wondered if he is mixing it up with ipad/iphone related things. He clarified himself. The earlier exhibits had a mound of land in them middle surrounded by water and the beasts rested there for sun. His mom was explaining it as an "island" - land surrounded by water. Now he say a circular body of water surrounded by land - so it became a ispond". How can you question that - after all English is a funny language !
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