The following video is just a small glimpse of what it’s like for us when we venture out in public with the kids. Basically, the kids are rock stars. Everyone with a camera phone within a 100 yard radius immediately begins to take photos (what do they do with the photos?)
Some especially bold people try to grab them pick them up or pose them for their camera phone photo shoot. (They don’t like that AT ALL! fyi)
Take a look;
A Night At The Square from Steve Webel on Vimeo.
We are trying to help the kids navigate this very difficult situation. It’s stressful for them to get so much attention, but it’s a reality of our life in China. The only way to avoid it would be to make the kids into hermits and keep them in our house during normal waking hours. (That’s not gonna fly!)
For now, the tactic is to try to always keep moving, never stop in any one place for very long. With exceptionally ‘bold’ people, we might have a word or two with them about giving the kids their space.
I do have to say, by and large, most people here respect us and our kids immensely and treat us with nothing but extreme politeness and hospitality. These people almost all have less than we do (worldly wealth wise), yet they would give us anything if they thought it would help.
It’s one of those realities we face because we live where we do. Please remember our three kids (TCK’s) in your prayers, ask that this difficult cultural reality will be used as a positive in their lives and will not turn them off to the Chinese people.
Hi! I'm Steve Webel and this is my blog. Thanks for stopping by!
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Grandpa says “Yes!”
Wow. Yes.
Service is frequently a burden for our kids, which becomes a burden on us. I am praying for you and your kids.
Thanks, much appreciated.
Haha … glad you’re posting videos of the laowai circus. I wonder about the effect when they come back to the states too, when they get little to no attention … that was a big adjustment for me too!
Probably because of their “pure” white skin… It would stress me out a little, both from the perspective of worrying about somebody grabbing them and running, and also from a child development side. Maybe make a sign that your kids wear that says (in Chinese) something like “Please do not be rude and crowd our very young children, it scares them.” or something like that?
HP, that would work if these people were in their ‘rational’ brains. The problem is, when they exhibit this behavior, they have been sucked in by the ‘naked man’ syndrome. (You know, it’s like if there is a naked dude running across the street, you really don’t want to look, but the shock of seeing it and sheer curiosity ‘force’ you to look.)
It’s not uncommon for somebody to see us while they are walking down the street or riding a bike, etc, and in their inability to look away from us, they run into a light pole, a random pedestrian, or even a building. This actually happened last week when we took the girls out to run some errands! (I’m not positive, but I think we are responsible for at least a couple of traffic accidents where drivers of moving vehicles felt it was more important to stare at the white skinned foreigners than it was to watch where they were going!)
Ha! You trouble maker, you!