Teen Tuesday: Of Sia and Segways – that are not for Mommies!

Long gone are the days when I was eyeing the Segway rides in Sentosa Island in Singapore – wondering whether or not I should jump aboard. I made a big mistake skipping the experience back then!

Segway Setback!

Segways are in India – and how! A few years ago, they were seen in luxury expos. Then you started seeing them in music videos. Even my recent favorite ‘High Rated Gabru’ has them – the one without the handle. But suddenly, they became so much more accessible. They started appearing as ‘fun rides’ in malls along with toy cars and bikes. The grown up crowd is getting their fair share of these fun rides!

I was thrilled to see one on my last weekend trip to the mall, totally oblivious to the fact big sis beside me was even more excited to see them! Always the one to push her forth to try something new, I immediately booked a ride for her. And while she was enjoying checking out the ground floor of the mall from her Segway, I got busy cheering the other two in the worn-out but still favorite Bouncy castle.

After patiently waiting for her Segway ride to come to an end, I declared my own intention of jumping on it. To my surprise, my little big girl was completely against it! I tried reasoning, blackmailing and appealing to her good judgement that Mommy was as much fond of a fun ride as she was. But she wouldn’t budge! She was completely reluctant to have her Mom do a Segway ride just like she had done.

It left me completely stumped! After all that ‘friendly relationship’ we have, I couldn’t understand her behavior. But teens it seems have very clear boundaries of how ‘friendly’ they want their parents to get. She doesn’t mind a salon date with her mom, but cannot imagine her mom doing a Segway ride!

Well, I told her I was going to come here minus the kids and do my intended ride. Her smile told me she did not believe me at all. Later, when she wanted to go for another Segway ride, she did try to bribe me by offering half the time on her ride. Of course, I did not give in!

Cheap Thrills?

Was the Segway ride cheap? Yes! A fraction of what I would have paid in Singapore back then. But this isn’t the cheap thrill I am talking about. While I was still getting over my Segway setback, the Monday school morning brought it with another ‘Wow’ moment. As a teen mom, I am slowly getting used to these moments.

So, my daughter gets ready for school on her own. Up until recently, I used to do her hair (ponytails, braids – whatever was needed) but she has recently learned to do that as well. So I do’t pay much attention to the details. I am busy getting my son ready and attending to my toddler who chooses that very time to wake up and demand all the attention.

Somehow, this particular morning, I noticed her elastic bands that were waiting to be used while she combed her hair. I noticed one was black and the other was white. Now, my daughter has a magical way of losing elastic bands and hair clips. They just disappear into thin air apparently and we go through several packets through a school year. I began scolding for losing her bands yet again and chiding her for wearing mismatched bands of all things.

What I wasn’t expecting was this very calm reply. She continued combing her hair while looking in the mirror as she spoke to me.

“I haven’t lost them Mamma. I wear them like this. They make me feel like Sia.”

“Sia? Your friend? She wears one black and one white band?”

“Not my friend Sia. The singer Sia. Don’t you know Sia”?

Uncomfortable silence. The ‘Dab‘ feeling coming back to me. I did not know who Sia is. Do I admit it this time? or google it? Before I could decide, she probably guessed I did not know Sia.

“She is a very famous singer – my favorite. And her hair is half black and half white”

“Really?”

“Yes, listen to her song ‘Cheap Thrill’ Mamma! You will love it!

“Ok. I like Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry and even Nicki Minaj (bluffing here). And I love ‘Despacito’ and ‘Shape of You’!”

As you can guess, I was trying really hard to save my face. It was I who introduced her to ABBA and she still loves ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Dancing Queen’!

“Check her out Mamma. I know you will like it. She doesn’t even show her face. You can only see her hair”

“Ok. So now you want Black and White hair too?” (Sarcasm)

“I know you won’t let me. So I just wear black and white bands. The black ribbon is going to cover them anyway. So no one will know. But on the inside, I feel like her!”

And she picked up her bag and went downstairs to have her milk and leave for school. And I am sure you know what I did next – googled Sia of course!

P.S. Cheap Thrills is a Really Lovely Song! It is all about how you don’t need money and riches to enjoy a party 🙂 Check it out!