Frame of Reference

We've come to realize that L--'s frame of reference is quite different from our own. It is a small frame of refrence, of late developed primarily in Shanghai. When visiting Grammy and Grampa in the suburbs of Chicago, we directed her to the garage and quickly realized she had no idea what we were talking about. She didn't even realize it was a room in the house. Sitting on the front stoop at Nana and Papa's house, she counted the "taxis" on the street. It didn't occur to her that these may just be cars, which people leave at their own homes every night.

We note this narrow frame of reference in Shanghai as well. She opened a toy farm and identified all of the new pieces. Most were simple requisites on the knowledge list for a 2-year-old: cow, chicken, horse. But we were surprised to hear her find a motorbike on her farm - it replaced the tractor. We've since added a verse to Old MacDonald.

Old MacDonald had a farm
E - I - E - I - O
And on that farm he had a motorbike
E - I - E - I - O
With a honk! honk! here
And a honk! honk! there
Here a honk!
There a honk!
Everywhere a honk! honk!

Those last few lines are well within our Shanghai frame of reference. In fact, the chorus often runs outside our window late into the night.