MAN: Hello, I’m wondering if I can return this and get something else. I bought it as a birthday present for my niece, and her mother -- that is, my sister -- says it’s too girly.

WOMAN: It is one of our best selling dolls, but I understand what the girl’s mother is saying. I think the pink frilly dress is a bit much, too. Many parents these days prefer to buy toys that are not made specifically for girls or for boys.

MAN: So what do you suggest? A stuffed animal? Or bicycle? No, that’s too expensive.

WOMAN: How about this talking computer? It’s designed to make computers fun.

MAN: It is brightly coloured, but not blue or pink, and certainly both boys and girls should play with computers…I’ll take it!

WOMAN: Hello again! The talking computer wasn’t acceptable either?

MAN: I’m afraid not. It uses batteries, which are toxic waste. My sister is really worried about pollution.

WOMAN: Well, the toy will work with rechargeable batteries, but let’s see if we can find something else... How about this? A puzzle book. MAN: It’s a very big puzzle book!

WOMAN: Yes, there are a hundred puzzles in it. Some are word puzzles -- like arranging letters to make a word. And some are picture puzzles -- like finding an object ‘hidden’ in a picture. MAN: And my sister can just recycle the book later. It’s paper.

WOMAN: Not only that, the book itself is made from recycled paper!

MAN: Hello, I just came by to tell you that the puzzle book was a hit! My niece loved it!

WOMAN: Her mother liked it as well?

MAN: She did indeed! From now on, that’s going to be the gift I always buy for children. Too bad there aren’t different editions for different ages.

WOMAN: That’s a wonderful idea! You should write to the publisher! I’ll bet the author has already thought of that..

MAN: You could be right. Maybe the publisher just needs to hear there’s a demand for similar books for older kids. The book is really quite wonderful -- I took a good look at it.

WOMAN: I agree. I gave it to my daughter when she was younger. I’m sure it improved her memory, her ability to focus, and to solve problems. And, of course, she had fun!

MAN: I’m not surprised.

WOMAN: Wait a minute while I get the publisher’s address for you.

WOMAN: Hey Rick! How was your weekend?

MAN: It was awesome! We ended up going to the Greek Festival in the park. Have you ever been?

WOMAN: No, but I’ve always wanted to check it out. How was it?

MAN: It was amazing! I went with my wife and kids and there was really something for everyone: food, music, dancing, art, cooking classes. It was pretty cool. We were there for hours.

WOMAN: I’m crazy about Greek food and I’d love to learn some recipes. The cooking class sounds right up my alley. What kind of dishes were they making?

MAN: Mostly appetizers and finger foods. The chefs were a group of local sisters. I think they have a catering business and work at their family’s restaurant.

WOMAN: Oh! I know exactly who you mean! They’re called the Four Sisters. They’ve actually been on FoodTV and even have a new cookbook out. I would have loved to see them. Did you get to try the stuff they cooked?

MAN: No, there were too many people in front of me to get a sample. But there was a huge tent where they served up a ton of traditional Greek food and desserts: pitas, salads, fish, kabobs, baklava. I wasn’t very hungry, so I just tried some lemon cake. My wife and kids had souvlakis. They looked pretty delicious.

WOMAN: And what about the traditional music and dancing? Did you join in? [teasing]

MAN: Haha! No, not me. You know I have no talent for that. Just two left feet! [laughing] They actually even had lessons for the kids. My daughters thought it was pretty fun.

WOMAN: Nic!

MAN: There was lots of other art as well. They had a man teaching people how to sculpt. My wife loves art, so was really happy to learn sculpting. I think the festival is still on this upcoming weekend. I highly recommend it.

WOMAN: OK, you’ve sold me on the idea! [laughing]. Well, let’s get down to business. We’ve got to get this report done for the meeting this afternoon.

MAN: Hello, I wonder if you can help me. I’m interested in taking the cooking classes your grocery store offers.

WOMAN: Sure. We offer one class each week on Wednesdays, usually with a special theme for the month. For example, this is June and the theme is barbecuing.

MAN: My wife said she wants me to do some of the summer cooking. I can barbecue, so your classes might be very helpful. But wait, now that I think of it, I actually wanted to ask about the Indian curry class advertised in your flyer. We love curry. When is it scheduled?

WOMAN: Oh, that isn’t ours. You know, I saw the ad for that class, too. I think it was a four-week mini-course at the community college starting in October. You need to call them.

MAN: Ok. I’ll start with your barbecuing class. What’s on your menu?

WOMAN: The main meat item is Beer Can Chicken. It involves seasoning a small chicken, then standing it over an open can of heated beer. The beer steams through the chicken, adding wonderful flavour and keeping it deliciously tender.

MAN: That sounds ... how should I say this ... different? We don’t drink alcohol, though.

WOMAN: In that case, it would be a good idea to skip this one and register for next week. That menu contains no alcohol, I guarantee. Apple Marinated Scallops, Cedar Planked Salmon, Roasted Asparagus, and Chocolate Mousse. Just fill out this form and pay the $15.00 and you’re registered. 6:00 p.m. next Wednesday.

MAN: I didn’t realize there was a fee. I thought the grocery store offered these for free.

WOMAN: Well, first you’ll be watching the chef make the food and describing the process as he does it. Then he plates the food, and you eat what he prepared. So you’ll eat dinner in the class! The fee covers the food costs. Oh, and you get copies of the recipes.

MAN: (sounding disappointed) Oh, so we aren’t doing hands-on cooking ourselves?

WOMAN: That’s right. I’m sure you’ll learn a lot, though. So are you interested in our class for next week?

MAN: You’ve convinced me! Sign me up! I’ll also check out that curry class for October. Will my wife ever be surprised this summer!

Local figure skater, fifteen-year-old Kim Chung, has made the national figure skating team. Although Chung only placed sixth at the National Skating Championships, one of the first five place finishers was injured last week, and Chung was named as her replacement. Happy about the opportunity, Chung told reporters it’s not how she wanted to make the team, but she does think she deserves it, and will do her best! Chung competed in the Nationals last year as well, but a serious injury hampered her performance and she finished a disappointing tenth.

Speaking about the increase in injuries among elite figure skaters, retired coach Elisa Dunlop said that the program requirements have gone crazy. Skaters have to cram their program with so many difficult and high-risk moves. Dunlop claims that overtraining is inevitable, and so are injuries, especially among the younger skaters. Dunlop also lamented that the requirements left no room for artistry anymore.

As a member of the team, Chung will represent Canada at international competitions. A list of these competitions, along with dates and locations, is available on the Skate Canada website.

Many of us will remember, as children, waking up early Saturday morning, trekking downstairs while our parents slept and flipping on our favorite Saturday morning cartoons. A weekend ritual that entertained children and allowed weary parents a few extra hours of sleep, Saturday morning cartoons seemed like a win-win situation. Indeed, despite their primary purpose being a means to advertise products to a young and captive audience for several hours a week, most parents likely appreciated the brief reprieve that they provided.

However, Natalie Kingsley, spokesperson for the parent advocacy group, “Turn it off,” contends that children today watch far more than just a few hours of TV a week--the current average being closer to two hours daily. With most Canadian homes now owning multiple televisions, in addition to other electronic devices, such as computers, tablets, or cellphones, children now have access to round the clock TV programming and games. Kingsley believes the excessive time spent in these sedentary behaviors can be blamed for the increasing prevalence of disorders such as obesity and Attention Deficit Disorder seen in children today. She also aptly points out the disturbing trend towards infant and toddler specific television programming, such as LaLa TV, which, despite warnings from the majority of pediatricians that children under two should never watch TV, are becoming increasingly popular.

Yet, for Maya Pang, a working mother of three, LaLa TV has been a lifesaver. While Pang understands the importance of not letting her 10-month old watch TV all day, she is grateful for the hour of quiet provided when her child watches his favorite TV show, a rare moment of calm that allows her to get supper prepared. Being a parent herself, Kingsley understands Pang’s sentiment, however, she asserts that, although this one hour may seem harmless, before the age of three, children learn better from the real world. They may be fascinated and entertained by the images they see on a screen, but they are unable to make sense of them. Time spent watching TV takes away from time that should be spent exploring the real world, a fact which can have adverse effects on learning, in particular, language development. While Pang is aware of these concerns, she believes parents can drive themselves nuts trying to be perfect. Letting her son watch LaLa TV each day gives her the time to prepare a healthy, home-cooked dinner for her family. Before LaLa TV, a fussy infant combined with Pang’s busy schedule, meant dinners often consisted of take-out or frozen meals. For Pang, although not a perfect solution, it is one that works for her family.