Whenever we go out, they always ask my children: "leng bu leng" which means cold/not cold. I think this is just a nice way of acknowledging someone but it does grate on my nerves when they ask us this and pinch our arms and shoulders to see how thick our jackets are. I have to constantly remind myself they are asking and doing this out of love, and intruding our personal space is a cultural behavior, it's not personal.
The grandmas are very particular about the clothes children wear. Last year, I was constantly told my daughter didn't have the correct coat. She had a down filled puffy coat that is popular in the states. While the Chinese kids all wore cotton coats with a cotton overcoat over them. I figured out pretty quickly that coats get dirty in China. I would have to wash coats a few times a week. So this year I invested in the cotton over coat for my youngest daughter (children only wear these until they are bout 3 or 4 years old).
I was so happy the first day she wore it. I thought, surely the grandmas can't criticize me now.
January 3, 2017. UPDATE
I talked with a friend that grew up in Xi'an during the 1980s. She said at the time all houses were heated using coal stoves and every year at least one neighbor would die from carbon monoxide poisoning. Knowing this history, it makes sense why the grandmas are so sensitive about kids being bundled up. When they were younger it really was a life or death situation.
Well, as you can see, I forgot the thick cotton pants. I was told countless times she needs thick cotton pants, her legs are going to freeze.
Next, I got out her snow pants.
I thought surely, the grandmas can't criticize me now, but they did because the pants are not cotton. I didn't know how to tell them that they are thick and waterproof. So I opted for my easiest way out "wo bu dong" which means I don't understand.
This is just another funny example of how no matter how I try, I can't quite fit into the Chinese cultural expectations. #Chinesegrandmaswinagain
No comments:
Post a Comment