Getting mad...

School holiday time means an influx of little colourer-iners at work and at home. By the weekend I was in need of a break and I took a morning off to read in peace. But long after I had explained this, the rattles on my window persisted. So I let a very loud yelp out of me and scattered them! Then today when the kids were drawing, one of them knocked over a carton of colouring pencils. Six little bodies stiffened and looked up at me. Waiting for the onslaught I presume.
Do Westerners get upset about different things I wonder. I have witnessed many kids (& adults) being roared at or whacked for making a mistake. Intent doesnt seem to be taken into account. Whereas when the kids kept on intruding on my me-time, I could not be rational!

Once, in a beer garden with a bunch of VSOs, there were some kids messing. One of the lads had been pretend-chasing them as we walked to the bar and so they were stuck to him. As he sat there they would creep up to him, he would turn and roar and they would run away shrieking. But then a man walked in, heard the roar and saw the retreating kids. He grabbed one and started beating him. It was a totally instinctive reaction: deal with adult dissatifaction by hitting out. An oyibo playacting with these scruffy kids wasnt easily explained. But then roaring at kids who just want to greet (again) probably isnt too reasonable either...