Thursday, July 15, 2004
yet again,getupgrll shows me the light. and I'd like to apologise, mentally. to the small mean thought I had about yesterdays mom-of-twins giving her babies Cheerios. whatever the hell Cheerios are, anyway.
that girl rocks. getup, I mean, not the twin mom. she's coping. and speaking of infertility, there was an adopted chinese girl, 3 months, at today's hospital playgroup. and we all went "aaah". and later I thought: that could have been me. that might still be me. and: somewhere there is a woman with a three-month postpartum body and no baby. and I wondered what happens if they abort/give away female babies, hoping for a boy, and then don't conceive again? and if it's true, as I've read on the Web, that the one-child policy may still be over?
all of which is a rambling start to noting that the hospital playgroup was excellent. I arrived, car seat in tow, in a taxi, and the receptionist pointed me "not far" to a building right up a steep hong kong hill. if I'd had to, I'd have climbed it with the seat and the baby, in the hot sun. as it turned out, I left the seat at reception, and found the playgroup right next door, not up the hill. and I've never in my life been so glad to see a room full of blonds. yes, Western women, with Western babies. speaking English about baby stuff. some tiny babies, a few A's age, but most importantly an overall welcoming atmosphere and people who gave me their cards and asked about A, as I did about their babies. it felt good.
then I even shared a cab back down with one woman. she's European and kept her baby on her lap while I squashed myself next to A in his giant heavy car seat. I risk being labelled paranoid - most western mums here seem to take the middle ground and use a baby bjorn in cabs - but I wouldn't do it in Australia so, so far at least, I'm using the seat. and I am so going back next week, 1/2 hour cab ride or not.
that girl rocks. getup, I mean, not the twin mom. she's coping. and speaking of infertility, there was an adopted chinese girl, 3 months, at today's hospital playgroup. and we all went "aaah". and later I thought: that could have been me. that might still be me. and: somewhere there is a woman with a three-month postpartum body and no baby. and I wondered what happens if they abort/give away female babies, hoping for a boy, and then don't conceive again? and if it's true, as I've read on the Web, that the one-child policy may still be over?
all of which is a rambling start to noting that the hospital playgroup was excellent. I arrived, car seat in tow, in a taxi, and the receptionist pointed me "not far" to a building right up a steep hong kong hill. if I'd had to, I'd have climbed it with the seat and the baby, in the hot sun. as it turned out, I left the seat at reception, and found the playgroup right next door, not up the hill. and I've never in my life been so glad to see a room full of blonds. yes, Western women, with Western babies. speaking English about baby stuff. some tiny babies, a few A's age, but most importantly an overall welcoming atmosphere and people who gave me their cards and asked about A, as I did about their babies. it felt good.
then I even shared a cab back down with one woman. she's European and kept her baby on her lap while I squashed myself next to A in his giant heavy car seat. I risk being labelled paranoid - most western mums here seem to take the middle ground and use a baby bjorn in cabs - but I wouldn't do it in Australia so, so far at least, I'm using the seat. and I am so going back next week, 1/2 hour cab ride or not.
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