Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Cold?

Some days are already starting to feel hot, but mostly the weather is just pleasant right now. I need to enjoy it because there are only about 2 weeks of pleasant and then it is right on into scorching. Sam and I are from Utah; we are used to cold, real cold, but the people here in Southern China are not. They don't really know what cold is. So they will bundle up and pack their kids in what look like snow-suits when it is 70 degrees outside. The poor kids can't even move! The other day at the grocery store Sam pointed out a kid to me who was laying flat in a stroller and was so bundled up all he could move were his eyes. And his eyes were about all you could see of him too. (unless of course you were to lift him up -then you could probably see a bare brown bottom...) Keep in mind this was in an indoor, heated grocery store -- poor kid. So then they will look at how I dress Eve and are aghast! (Keep in mind I have her in a long-sleeved onsie, a shirt on top of that and a jacket, long pants, socks and a hat) They say: "oh look how little she is wearing!" then they will touch her hand and say: "her hand is like ice!" (I touch her hand and don't think it is even cold) Then they will touch her socked-foot and say "her foot is like ice!" I'm not sure how they are even imagining that one because it is a sock they are touching and it is not cold. Then I may reply with something like "its not that cold" or "I am sweating so I'm sure she is not cold" or "I'm from a cold place, so this does not feel cold" and they will say "oh, but there is wind!". Basically at this point I just ignore them and they continue to talk to each other about what a poor parent I am for dressing my baby this way. Its times like this that I wish I just didn't understand them =)

6 comments:

Jessica McKay said...

I hope that no Chinese move here. Many days we don't break single digits (unless you are looking at windchill and then we don't hit above zero). We use "warm" to describe when we talk about weather in the 20s. For example yesterday, I shoveled a few inches of snow and my friend remarked about how nice and warm it was to be out shoveling. My thermometer read a balmy 21 degrees F.

Meg said...

I love your stories. We live next to the UCLA housing where a lot of Chinese families live. Your stories explain a lot of the things said and seen around here. You better believe when it drops below 70 degrees people even in SoCal are bundled up. And when it drops to 50 degrees people don't leave their homes.

Teresa said...

Oh, Amy, it was exactly the same in Guatemala and they thought Chris and I were horrible parents. For a while it really got to me, but then I had to learn to just ignore them, basically, and let them think what they think. In my mind I always thought "oh, yeah, well you don't put your kids in carseats, and you let them play in the water in lightning storms, so don't be so judgy!"

Laura said...

haha Between yours and Teresa's stories I think I could be entertained all day:)

Loren said...

have you been able to observe how they toilet train their babies, or keep them clean when they are "fully" dressed? It certainly sounds like it is more earth friendly-kara

Lee and Jane Curtis said...

Enjoy the perfect weather while youcan. We are seeing swelling buds and the snow is all melted in the valley. Nice. You are a great Mom! Love-Jane/Mom