Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Tony about to leave for preschool.


Photo taken on the morning of April 1, 2010.
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Tony can recite the "To be or not to be" speech.

It is amazing the things that they teach at preschools these days.

Tony at Preschool: a report.

Jenny tells me that the teachers at the preschool have told her that Tony is a generous kid and knows how to play with toys.  One of these two  traits must definitely have come from his mother; I may know how to play with some toys.  

Jenny tells me that Tony's generosity comes from the fact that he is richer than the other kids there.  This thought seems so alien to me -- I have always thought of myself as a  poor sot.  But dumb self-centered me, I haven't realized, or have forgotten how fortunate my position is here relative to most of the locals.  I feel like such a sap now, to put it mildly.  

When Tony plays with toys, the preschool teacher told Jenny, the other kids watch, not knowing what to do.  Again, this is because Tony has more toys than the other children.  Again, I feel the sap because of some beastly behavior you will about in another blog of mine.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Wuxi Tony Update #558: Tony needs his father's help badly

Wuxi Tony Update #158

Another blast from the recent past.

Last time AKIC saw TKIC...

was this morning.  TKIC was awake but he didn't seem interested to getting up.  He was the exact opposite of what he should have been.  

The evening before, he was the same way.  He was jumping up and down like a ball of energy when he should have be laying about quietly.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Maybe Tony doesn't like James Brown

Earlier, I said that there was a chance that Tony liked James Brown music -- James Brown being the King of Funk or Soul or whatever.   Anyway, I then exposed Tony to a few James Brown videos and all my son could say was "We will Rock You!".  So, he didn't go for it.  Whether that is a good thing or bad thing, can be argued till the cows come home, or the chickens come to roost and then go out again.  But, it is amazing nonetheless.

Just think.  In the old days, in Canada, if one would have wanted their child to see or hear some James Brown songs, you would have to gone by dog sled three hundred miles to the nearest thing resembling an urban metropolis to find a  recording -- and the chances are none would be available, so you would have to order the recording, return three hundred miles to your cold water shack, wait three months, and if the season was right, make another 500 kilometer trip (you missed your chance to vote against Trudeau) through mosquitoes or mud to the urban metropolis (somewhat), and hope the recording that your ordered had come in, and then return home again -- another three hundred mile trip -- pardon my unpatriotic use of miles.

But now, in China, all I have to do is journey the three meters (one yard) from the my living room to my computer, and locate a James Brown Video (thirty seconds), and expose it to my child.  

Remarkable.  And yet, how we so often take this for granted.

Wuxi Tony Update #557: Rainy Day Tony

Wuxi Tony Update #157

Tony looks outside

Photo taken on our veranda.
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Tony holds a green apple

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Saturday, March 27, 2010

Tony might like James Brown

TKIC danced funkily when he overheard a James Brown song that was being used as bumper music on a podcast I was listening to. AKIC will expose him to more of this kind of music to see how he reacts.

Tony's Mercury Cougar

Read about it here.

Three Photos

Tony does a Pollock on the computer.

Tony on Saturday Morning.
Tony on Saturday Night.
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Tony loves Earthmovers


This photo was taken at Wuxi's Nanchang Temple Market.
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Wuxi Tony Update #556: Tony at Bed Time

TKIC jumps on AKIC in Wuxi, China.

Wuxi Tony Update #56

Tony on March 13, 2008.

Another site that Tony likes.

Craymachine is a blast.  Press a letter key and watch something fantastic.  Don't do what Tony does though and press the upper-case key -- the program then won't work.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Putting things out of Tony's reach

Every morning, I have to put the alarm clock on a very high shelf to stop Tony from playing with it.

A Tony studio portrait

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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Unhappy TKIC

AKIC took this photo as he dropped TKIC off at preschool. TKIC is not happy because AKIC had just taken him for a long walk, and so the prospect of going to the preschool seemed depressing.
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Wuxi Tony Update #55: Attack of Stroller Boy!

A blast from the past.

Tony is in a stroller in this video.

Object de Art?


They give Tony colouring sheets at the preschool, and this is what he does with them. He says "Wow!" when he looks at his. Really, he has no reason to, but I think the handlers at the preschool have taught him to react so.

If Tony is going to be a Pollock - better he be Sam Pollock, General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1970s, than the artist Jackson Pollock who he right now clearly resembles.
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Tony Kaulins in Beixing


Tony hanging out in his mother's hometown.
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Tony's favorite toddler game site

Kneebouncers is a great site for Toddler games.  All the toddlers have to do is press a key and watch an amusing thing happen.  Tony really enjoys the fish and number games.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Wuxi Tony Update #555: Tony the Reactionary

Tony by the Lake


This photo was taken over six months ago.

Today (March 25), Tony hopefully goes to preschool. He didn't yesterday because it was a rain day.
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Tony on Tuesday Night

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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Wuxi Tony Update #554: Tony from above.

A Paradigm shifting WTU.

Wuxi Tony Update #54

Tony two years ago.

What Tony can now say.

He likes to play "Daddy Ball".

He can say "Wuxi!".

When it rained yesterday, Tony said "Xiayu le" which means "it is raining!" in Mandarin.
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Monday, March 22, 2010

Wuxi HyLite Language School looking for English Trainers

The School where I work is looking for teachers.  If you are interested, you can email me (akaulins@gmail.com) for details.  Only Native English Speakers and serious teachers (not tourists) need apply.

Happy 31st Tony!


Anthony Arnis Peng Kaulins is 31 months old today!

Congratulations to Jenny, his mother.
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Wuxi Tony Update #553: What is he singing?

A Chinese version of an all-time children's favorite.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Tony is napping

Tony is napping as I write this.  My wife tells me that he slept in the crib of his own volition.  I guess he has picked up a habit, from his preschool, of wanting to sleep in a bed of his own.

Wuxi Tony Update #551: Yellow Jacket and Cool Bag

Saturday Night Tony

He watches television while holding onto his doll.
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Tony and His father on an electric bike



This still images were taken from a recent WTU.
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Tony asleep


I took this photo of Tony before I left for work. I didn't use a flash, hence the blur.
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Friday, March 19, 2010

Wuxi Tony Update #550: On a bridge near the train station

AKIC took TKIC for a walk after preschool one day.

Thursday, March 18, 2010