The Living Room Volcano

We’re back in Faggioli’s office.

Faggioli: You said your mother didn’t worry, but was more into culinary crafts.

Banani: Yeah, she didn’t care if the house exploded — as long as the kitchen stayed intact. 🤣

Faggioli: Can you tell me about a typical incident?

Flashback. Interior, Banani’s living room – Afternoon.
The floor is covered in newspaper. In the center stands a half-meter-tall papier-mâché volcano, painted red and black. Ten-year-old Banani wears swim goggles and oven mitts. Next to him, his loyal friend Henry watches nervously.

Banani: Okay… based on my calculations, with a bit of bleach, the lava effect will look way more realistic.

Henry: Banani… your volcano is perfect, but I’m not so sure about the bleach part!

Banani: Trust me! It’s strong, but I’ve got it all under control! Now pass me the industrial vinegar.

Henry: Vinegar? Industrial? Okay… if you say so… here.

Banani: Great! Now we pour it into the crater… then we add a bit of baking soda.

A beat of silence… then a violent reaction: foamy lava bubbles up and a reddish jet shoots into the air, splattering the walls, curtains, and ceiling. 🤣

Henry: AAAAH! That scared me!

Banani: It works! IT WORKS!

BOOM! Another burst of foamy lava explodes.

Henry: Look, Banani! The volcano messed up the whole living room!

Mom (from the other room): Banani, what are you doing? What was that explosion I just heard?

Henry: Oops! I just remembered I’ve got homework to do! 🤣
Henry bolts out.

Mom enters, wearing a floral apron with hand-sewn flowers and holding a jar of dark brown liquid.

Mom: Oh no!… Here we go again.
She sniffs the air, coughs lightly.

Mom: Bleach? And… industrial vinegar?

Banani: It was for the science fair. I just… overdid the power a bit.

Mom: I’ll take care of it. I’ve just prepared a new cleaning solution: white vinegar, used coffee grounds, lavender essential oil, and fermented banana peel. 🤣

She starts spraying the mix on the walls, scrubbing with a crocheted sponge. The smell becomes unbearable.

Dad enters, tired, in an oil-stained jumpsuit.

Dad (sniffing): What’s that stench?

Banani (guiltily): Dad… it’s for the fair. I just kind of exploded the living room.

Dad: Oh, Banani! There’s no peace in this house!

Banani: Sorry, Dad!

Dad: It’s fine! I’ll grab my tools.

Ten minutes later. Dad returns with his trusty toolbox and a shiny steam gun. He’s wearing work goggles.

Dad: Flexible spatula for the walls, steam for the curtains… and voilà, clean in under an hour.

Mom: Meanwhile, I’ll make some cucumber ice cream with cinnamon. I’ve got some recycled ice in the freezer. 🤣

Banani (looking at the half-melted volcano): Dad, can I build a submarine next year?

Dad: Only if you test it in your mother’s bathtub.

Mom (from afar): NEVER AGAIN!

End of flashback.

Igor: So according to Banani’s mom, you can clean up bleach and industrial vinegar with banana peel bits? Yep, that’s the Banani family. Totally bananas! 🤣
But now let’s talk about this “recycled ice” thing. 🤣
Sorry, but I’m a little confused. I mean, to make normal ice, you freeze water — ideally clean water. So what’s the process for recycled ice? 🤣
Like… instead of throwing water away, you reuse it? 🤣
Say a guest only drinks half a glass of ice water. The rest melts. So Banani’s mom used that water to make more ice? 🤣
Or worse — imagine the water used to wash dishes! 🤣
Instead of pouring it down the drain, she had a bucket to collect it for future ice? 🤣
You know what? Maybe it’s best not to dig any deeper! 🤣