THE MEANING OF "8"

I was playing "numbers" with a couple of eleven year old kids. I wrote the number 8 in large type and held it up.
"What is this? "
"Eight!" - in chorus.
"What does it mean?"
Coy smiles... the surely-you-know-what-it-means or Ahhh-this-sounds-like-a-trick-question variety.
I persisted.
"Where do you find it?"
"In school in Maths we use it!"

There is nothing quite like an innocent kid to amuse you in the purest and simplest way.

I interpret the last response to denote "institutionalization" or a symptom of the state of our gravely diseased education system. The equations are set.
EIGHT=Maths class
HYDROCHLORIC ACID=Chemistry exam
PACIFIC OCEAN=Geography homework

Etc.
Life proceeds on its track while education charts its own a fair distance away, making sure it never crosses life's path.

I persisted further.
"From the time you wake up in the morning until you go to bed, where might you use it or find it?"
One of the kids traces his finger on the table in the shape of 8 and says shyly "When we run in  circles like this?". Brilliant!  Now this kid was headed away from the lunacy of education. Not quite in the direction I "wanted" him to go but this was progress.

A couple of leading questions later we had the desired outpouring...
I have eight friends
I want eight chocolates

This morning there were  eight parrots on that tree (kid points to a tree some distance away which does house parrots at this time of the year. We were getting warm...
The examples kept flowing.

At one point I said "So I think we know what 8 means?  It is not just something we use in school, right?" Vigorous nods followed.

"So we know things like 8 parrots and eight chocolates. Now how about 8 waters? 8 milks? Does that mean anything to you?"

I could see them confused (henceforth we will recognize the acronym CITICFE to stand for Confusion Is The Ideal Catalyst For Enlightenment). A few CITICFE moments followed, judging by their expressions. Then one of them erupted...
एऽऽऽ ते litre असतंऽऽऽ! (Ayyऽऽऽ that's litres!!")

So then we chatted about how not all things can be just "8". Some have to be 8 something like 8 litres."

"Do you know any other such things?"
Prompt responses from both kids..."Kilos, centimetres" accompanied by broad grins. Hey who doesn't like success?

"So did you enjoy 8?"
"Yes!!!" - smiles all around.
"See this way you can enjoy all other numbers also on your own?"

At this point I gave them a break saying “After some time let us try to understand what 3/5 means.”  We followed it up with the meaning of 3/5.  I will post the 3/5 story later.