Monday, May 14, 2001		Article

She knows her A,B, Computing
By Peeyush Agnihotri

A for Applet, B for Browser, C for CD-ROM — probably that’s how 2-and-a-half-year-old Sileena associates these letters.

Daughter of Capt. Jaideep Pannu, a serving Army officer, and Jatinder Pannu, a housewife, Sileena’s tryst with the Net began when she started sending greeting cards to her Masi who lives abroad. "It was then we realised how good she is at handling the mouse. Now she has become an expert in browsing and playing computer games," says her mother.

It was because of the child’s persistence that her grandfather, Major Devinder Pannu, bought a computer. "While I do not know how to operate the computer, Sileena loves to sit in front of it all day long," he says.

Born on November 28, 1998, this young little girl is a bit moody like other kids of her age.

She loves to sing nursery rhymes and doesn’t like to be disturbed when online.

Apart from surfing the Net, Sileena plays computer games — Mowgli, Prince, Aladdin, Lion King and Ea kids are some of her favourite ones.

And her skills defy her age. "Even in the school, where we admitted her this academic session, she is faring better than her classmates," her mother asserts.

After being cajoled to recite one nursery rhyme at least, Sileena preferred the one wherein a cat frightens a little mouse under the chair. Perhaps, the word mouse holds a special meaning for her.