2Pac or two forks

One of my students in lunch class today, call her Angel, was very excited to show me her two new forks. These are kids forks. Small, plastic handles metal prongs with some “cool” cartoon character on it—is there research to support that kids really like cartoon characters on forks or is it the brain washing of the parents think that the kids would go crazy over forks? Some of you know that I help assist in the constant clean up of rice on the floor and the daily yell fest at Jack and Harry to either sit down and or to stop running around. Anyway, she says to me, “Teacher, 2Pac!”

“What?” I said. I couldn’t believe what I heard. How does she know about 2Pac? She’s a cute, five year old Korean girl in the middle of Korea; where mosquitoes fly, dust never settles and the constant sound of construction and traffic makes you angry and crazy. Does she have a 2Pac character on her backpack or on her fork? Do her parents groove to the angry and disenchanted sounds and lyrics of American Gangsta rap when they’re not busy working 12 hour days and payin (payin!!) $800 a month for their Angel to attend an elitist Canadian English school?

I asked her again. She says, “two pac.” Oh, I think: Two forks. She’s saying two forks. Hmm. They are nice forks, Angel. I correct her by saying. “Two forks,” and she smiles and goes back to eating slowly, the way kids eat. Can’t bottle or sell that cuteness!