Come out, kiddies! [First published June 1, 2014] June 1st is Children's Day in China. Did you assume that China's "one child" policy means that the streets of its cities are as bereft of children as that Vulgarian town in the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?
Nope. At least here in Zibo, children and babies are everywhere -- riding behind their parents on bicycles and scooters, walking to school in their uniforms, being carried around by their doting grandmothers. I see more children at the stores and on the street than I did in Canada.
Nope. At least here in Zibo, children and babies are everywhere -- riding behind their parents on bicycles and scooters, walking to school in their uniforms, being carried around by their doting grandmothers. I see more children at the stores and on the street than I did in Canada.
WTF?!? Unfortunately for me, when I coo at an adorable baby or toddler, the child looks concerned at best, and one baby got hysterical. They've never seen anyone like me and I'm probably dangerous. Often, parents with elementary-school-age children gently push their child toward me (at the bus stop, for example), while urging their kid, who has probably been attending English school on Saturdays since he or she was three years old, to say "hello." They then discover that their investment in time and money has not paid off with amazing English fluency. Sometimes I do get a "hello."
The ubiquitous Pleasant Goat Two minutes in any department store around here would convince you that children rule in China -- a large percentage of the store is given over to toys, clothes, furniture and sports equipment for children. Out in front of the mall, there is a mini fairground with rides for the kids. Featuring Pleasant Goat, of course.
Come to think of it, while Mao's face is on the yuan notes, and Mao's face is on the medallions that hang from the rear-view mirror of the taxi cabs, Pleasant Goat is more ubiquitous than the Great Helmsman. It's like there's a law stating you cannot operate a convenience store without at least one Pleasant Goat ride-on by the front door, with its wide staring blank eyes and creepy horns. But I digress.
Come to think of it, while Mao's face is on the yuan notes, and Mao's face is on the medallions that hang from the rear-view mirror of the taxi cabs, Pleasant Goat is more ubiquitous than the Great Helmsman. It's like there's a law stating you cannot operate a convenience store without at least one Pleasant Goat ride-on by the front door, with its wide staring blank eyes and creepy horns. But I digress.
"Shanghai Baby" Also, Chinese toddlers can poop and pee anywhere they want. Little children wear pants that are open at the crotch, with no diaper. That is, the seam of the crotch is not sewn together. This design goes along with a certain sangfroid about toilet training. A sidewalk tree well or curb is an impromptu toilet, and so is an empty water bottle at the grocery store and so is, well, you don't want to know probably. I confess this doesn't bother me although it certainly disturbs other foreigners. My own children and niece and nephew grew up on a property with a big hedge and a large private yard, so we also took a fresh-air-and-sunshine approach with our toddlers. No diaper rash! However, I know crotchless pants for children would never catch on in the West because of our fears about child sexual abuse. In fact I couldn't bring myself to snap a picture of somebody else's baby in the streets, which is why I filched this pic from another blog.
In case you had not heard, the Chinese authorities recently relaxed the rules for the "One Child" policy. Couples can have more than one child if they are themselves only children. Did you know that China does not have the lowest birth rate in Asia? Perhaps the Communist Party will realize that prosperity, modernity and taxes drives down birthrates more effectively than totalitarianism.
In case you had not heard, the Chinese authorities recently relaxed the rules for the "One Child" policy. Couples can have more than one child if they are themselves only children. Did you know that China does not have the lowest birth rate in Asia? Perhaps the Communist Party will realize that prosperity, modernity and taxes drives down birthrates more effectively than totalitarianism.
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