Yesterday I drove around with my friends Paul and Oli (pictured above) listening to techno. Oli is 2 & 1/2-years-old and loves singing along with the lyrics of Soulwax’s tune, “It’s not you, it’s the E talking”. Occasionally he would also exclaim, “Want gum!” and “Want popsicles!”.
I felt like I was on my way to a rave. You know, since people tripping on E want gum, popsicles and candy.
But we didn’t go to a rave. We had some dinner instead. Oli stayed put in his seat during dinner for a really long time until he couldn’t take it anymore and tried to bail on us and dive over into the next booth (see photo, top right).
After dinner we drove to Tiffany’s, listening to more techno (Paul had to pick up an engagement ring for a friend. Interestingly this is not the first time I’ve gone with him on an engagement/wedding ring pick-up). Oli was tripping on the white gum. He loves gum! He demanded the E Talking song again. While stretching his gum out into a big long string he exclaimed over and over again, “E Talking! E Talking! E Talking” – until I finally put the song back on for him.
I gave Oli his first-ever gummy candy (my favorite Kasugai Muscat Grape Gummy candy, the flavor is amazing!) He was mesmerized by the texture of it, but ultimately could not bring himself to eat it. We tried to explain that it needs to be chewed like gum. But then swallowed like food. I even made the connection for him of the gummy candy being like jello, I thought that might help. But he wasn’t buying it.
He looked at the gummy candy for a long time, asking incredulously, “It’s candy? Like candy?”. Finally he gave up and hurled it accross the car where it landed on Paul’s arm (and stuck there, since Oli had licked it a little).
