I just don’t understand.
When I went to Indonesia end of last year, we did this touristy tour as some of my Japanese friends came along with us. We visited Borobudur. Entrance ticket for Indonesian was Rp.9000 and for non-Indonesian was USD11 (equal to Rp.99000, eleven times more expensive). The different was, other than the ticket printed in glossy colored paper, as the holder of non-Indonesian entrance ticket, you are entitled to use the special odorless western style toilet located in the air-conditioned room. If you are Indonesian, just hold your breath at the wet smelly squad toilet.

We also visited Yogyakarta Kraton (palace) the entrance fee for Indonesian was Rp.4000 and non-Indonesian was somewhere around Rp.10000 (sorry can’t recall the exact, but it is more than double). No difference in service received.

Then how you will attract tourist to come to Indonesia with the clear discrimination? Plus the security issue…

You got to put your fallen tooth under the pillow at night, so the Tooth Fairy will come and change your teeth into money or candy or present for you.

So this is what Raisa learnt from her friends, the story book and TV. She discussed about this a couple of times and she decided to put her next fallen tooth under the pillow before bed to see if the Tooth Fairy will come and do her work. So three days ago when her upper front teeth fell, at night, we wrapped the tooth in a tissue paper and place it under the pillow before she went to bed.
Then, I got to do my part. When I learn that I was running out of a thousand yen bill, I asked hubby if he has any. He said we should not teach her any imaginary belief and can just simply give the money or buy her gift to show how proud we are of her. We had a brief discussion but I decided to go with the money under the pillow not to make the girl disappointed with the thing she already talked about from months ago.

In the morning, when Raisa found out that the tooth has changed into money, she cried. She got louder and louder as I got confused and confused.
Later when I was able to calmed her down, she said she was scared. The fact something came to her room, to her bed, did something to her (like picking her up from the pillow to put something under it) is really scary. She said she learnt it is not safe to sleep in her room as some stranger proven to be able to enter the room and do something. It turned out that she put the tooth under the pillow to proof this.

Oh…

Now I recall that even she talked about this, she never talked what she will do/buy with the money.

We then tried to explain her and break the secret. That the Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist. (Sorry Santa, we got to bring your name too…) That Mommy put the money for her to make her happy. She asked me some proof like "show me the tooth now! ".

She said, I don’t want the money. I don’t want any magic. I am a big girl.

You got to put your fallen tooth under the pillow at night, so the Tooth Fairy will come and change your teeth into money or candy or present for you.

So this is what Raisa learnt from her friends, the story book and TV. She discussed about this a couple of times and she decided to put her next fallen tooth under the pillow before bed to see if the Tooth Fairy will come and do her work. So three days ago when her upper front teeth fell, at night, we wrapped the tooth in a tissue paper and place it under the pillow before she went to bed.
Then, I got to do my part. When I learn that I was running out of a thousand yen bill, I asked hubby if he has any. He said we should not teach her any imaginary belief and can just simply give the money or buy her gift to show how proud we are of her. We had a brief discussion but I decided to go with the money under the pillow not to make the girl disappointed with the thing she already talked about from months ago.

In the morning, when Raisa found out that the tooth has changed into money, she cried. She got louder and louder as I got confused and confused.
Later when I was able to calmed her down, she said she was scared. The fact something came to her room, to her bed, did something to her (like picking her up from the pillow to put something under it) is really scary. She said she learnt it is not safe to sleep in her room as some stranger proven to be able to enter the room and do something. It turned out that she put the tooth under the pillow to proof this.

Oh…

Now I recall that even she talked about this, she never talked what she will do/buy with the money.

We then tried to explain her and break the secret. That the Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist. (Sorry Santa, we got to bring your name too…) That Mommy put the money for her to make her happy. She asked me some proof like "show me the tooth now! ".

She said, I don’t want the money. I don’t want any magic. I am a big girl.

You got to put your fallen tooth under the pillow at night, so the Tooth Fairy will come and change your teeth into money or candy or present for you.

So this is what Raisa learnt from her friends, the story book and TV. She discussed about this a couple of times and she decided to put her next fallen tooth under the pillow before bed to see if the Tooth Fairy will come and do her work. So three days ago when her upper front teeth fell, at night, we wrapped the tooth in a tissue paper and place it under the pillow before she went to bed.
Then, I got to do my part. When I learn that I was running out of a thousand yen bill, I asked hubby if he has any. He said we should not teach her any imaginary belief and can just simply give the money or buy her gift to show how proud we are of her. We had a brief discussion but I decided to go with the money under the pillow not to make the girl disappointed with the thing she already talked about from months ago.

In the morning, when Raisa found out that the tooth has changed into money, she cried. She got louder and louder as I got confused and confused.
Later when I was able to calmed her down, she said she was scared. The fact something came to her room, to her bed, did something to her (like picking her up from the pillow to put something under it) is really scary. She said she learnt it is not safe to sleep in her room as some stranger proven to be able to enter the room and do something. It turned out that she put the tooth under the pillow to proof this.

Oh…

Now I recall that even she talked about this, she never talked what she will do/buy with the money.

We then tried to explain her and break the secret. That the Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist. (Sorry Santa, we got to bring your name too…) That Mommy put the money for her to make her happy. She asked me some proof like "show me the tooth now! ".

She said, I don’t want the money. I don’t want any magic. I am a big girl.

"Oh am surprised that he can turn on the TV and change the channel by himself !" said I to a friend looking at her 3 years old son skillfully playing with the remote control.

"Yes, he is a smart boy. He’s been doing it from he was two years old. He loves TV." replied that friend with a tone of proud.

"So you let him do it by himself?"I curious. Remembering Raisa at home can only use the remote when she was five, after endless effort from me to hide the how-to-use it from her, until she knew it by herself.

" Oh yes. He always busy by himself changing channels, he can also put the DVD on and off, see cartoon or whatever. Even at midnight when we all gone to sleep"she continued.

"You mean he watches by himself ?"I disbelief.

"Sure, he will turned it off just when he got sleepy and ready for bed. Sometime until 2 o’clock at night. It is practical that he can do it by himself" the proud Mom said.

In normal cases, when you hear someone say something good about the kids, you will return with compliment. But for this, I can’t. I don’t feel this is something good and deserve a praise. I hate it when Raisa stuck her eyes to the TV drown in concentration and can’t hear what I say. Like being hypnotized.

One of my colleague said I am too strict by giving my children only some 15-30 minutes TV allotment per day, on selected program/channel only, accompanied or at least the program has been screened by hubby or me. That allotment, only  IF they behave well. In some weekend treat, they can see one movie either from Disney or Sesame Street Home Video.

Well, I’m no Madonna who forbids her children from TV at all. Not like her, I have no line of assistants ready to be  the play-mate for some interactive game with the kids. I got to work, house chores, this and that. I have no huge fortune to buy many fancy toys to distract kids from the poison flat screen.
But I tried my best to hold the control and limit the innocent eyes from the rubbish and bad influence.

I don’t know until when this works, specially when kid getting bigger and influence from surrounding specially friends will be much more. Including about the TV stuff.
But at least I try.