Incredible Sights and Incidents from Daily Life

Every now and then, when I come across something incredible or somebody who gives me this ‘Wow!’ sensation, I end up thinking that I should write about it and share it with my friends. Well, this is the place where I’ll do exactly that. You can, while reading, imagine you’re here with me and let yourself visualise my stories. I will share all that’s outstanding – good and bad.

A very friendly nation

The  first aspect that struck me, when I arrived in China, was the friendliness of the Chinese people. Whereas I was imagining a nation of overly serious people, all bogged down with work, rigid and disciplined by the communist regime – I was pleasantly surprised to be welcomed by light and cheerful folks, who’s main interests are their families, their friends and their hobbies, like singing, dancing, playing cards and eating, not necessarily in that order. I shall expand on these aspects in various other little stories, as they come along. Taking the idea of a generally friendly nation is sufficient for now.

Child, asleep, on his mummy's lap - whilst driving a moped!

One day, watching out from the back seat of a car in motion, we were travelling around a roundabout and the traffic was substantial. I noticed this woman on a moped, riding a little bit in front of us and to the right of our car, near enough for me to see the child she was carrying on her lap. This was a baby, between 2-3 years old, who was … fast asleep! Or so it seemed. I gasped with surprise, at the lack of security devices or at least a strap to hold this child in place – his mum’s lap was an instant pillow… in heavy traffic! AND mum kept driving!

Bottom-split trousers :-)

Looking in the distance, stood in front of my pharmacy once, a child (about 2or 3) came on the scene and interfered with my vision in a way that attracted my attention back from the far-distance point I was focussing on before. He bent down to pick up something from the street and I could see his bum AND his dickey hanging out from his trousers. My mouth opened involuntarily, with amazement. Everybody else was clad in their coats, wearing their scarfs and gloves, on that nearly freezing November morning, but this baby’s private parts were left uncovered for some reason, which was later explained to me.

To save substantial sums being spent for nappies, let alone the hassle of changing them regularly (hence other funds are being saved from having to build all those secure baby changing rooms), babies in China are wearing these trousers with a split between their legs, to allow them to do their business as and when nature calls for it. Ever since realising this, many a times I notice women holding babies in a squatting position, to allow them to wee or poo wherever they happen to be – on the street, in the park, in the car parks, you name it. Once, I was in this KFC outlet with my friends, queuing for the toilet, when all of a sudden a woman took her baby boy and held him over the bin, for him to do his business NOW, as if 2 minutes later it would have been too late!

I'm thankful the winter's over!