Long time readers to this blog might know that I have a particular disdain for Kinder Surprise eggs. The story is a good one and you should probably read it first before continuing with this blog.  Please click here.

So, if you’ve read this, and sympathize (or empathize) with me, you should also know that I have told this story to my students on many occasions–usually when the subject of chocolate comes up or when they are eating the aforementioned eggs during the breaks between classes. They find it amusing, but they don’t share my frustration.  They have always gotten cool stuff.

One of my students took this story to heart and wanted very much to change my opinion. Rather than get me the little egg, he got me a rather large, palm size, Kinder surprise egg.  He felt that the quality of toy inside would redeem the company in my eyes.

I was quite touched by my student’s gift. Maybe it was because he listened to me, or maybe it was because he wanted to do something beyond the ordinary.

As you can see, the toy turned out to be quite nice and surprisingly difficult for me to assemble.  The student who gave me the gift was the one who eventually put it together.  He even came up with a cool title for this post–but I have forgotten it.  Sorry Val.

When I showed my colleagues the toy, they mentioned that these things were banned in the US.  One teacher even wondered what would happen if she tried to drive across the border with a few eggs on the backseat.  I am not sure Kinder smuggling ranks high on the list for homeland security, but I have to imagine the border guards have been given some kind of directive.