LEAF-go-VSO   

Kids in China

Children playing in a tea pickers' village near Simao

    As in all countries there are entertainments that have to be paid for and those that are free. While we were in Kunming we saw bouncy castles, fun parks (below), pedal boats, candy floss and dodgems. On the whole, however, children are entertaining themselves around their homes or outside shops (where their parents/guardians work). Younger children, less than school age, are usually cared for by their grandparents or  parents  and there's a VAST range of practical child-carrying systems around. Here's a selection of these.

The embroidered velvet sling on the left is the most common. Two long straps come over the shoulders, across the chest (usually, although this lady has used a different technique), round the back under the baby's bottom and back round the waist to be tied. Slings can be used from birth up to about 3 or 4 years (if your back can take it) and can by tied on the front as well. The second system is this rather uncomfortable but versatile bamboo chair, which can go in front or behind. I don't fancy that for long distances. Very useful at the market, however, if you're going to be stopping in one place for a while!

This picture was taken to show the fabulously economic nappy system the Chinese people use - no nappy at all! Children's trousers can be bought with ready-made slits and babies are trained from birth to urinate to a whistle. They're not always reliable, of course, but this design limits the amount of clothing that gets wet. Unless they're sitting on your knee that is!

Candy floss in a Kunming park      

Our trips to Kunming parks were very interesting. As well as indulging in some of the tourist activities (pedal boats and candy floss - He was working so hard on the pedals to turn the drum we couldn't resist) we found ourselves hiding from camera-mad  Chinese tourists. There have been, quite literally, countless requests for Edie and Freda to stand with a poor, confused little Chinese child to have their photo taken. This little girl would have preferred to have been standing by the giant sized Winnie the Pooh belonging to the professional photographer but the little "laowai" (foreign) babies won the day! Sometimes we refuse requests. Sometimes we accept. Usually the girls choose and it all comes down to the method of asking! (ie. grabbing by the arm and dragging doesn't usually work). The baby in the centre picture was reluctant on this occasion. 

This park trip was much more low key. As tropical rain lashed down in the afternoon we sheltered under leaky umbrellas to play this paddling pool fishing game with a number of other children. Then Freda and Edie scrounged some bird feed from another family to help feed the doves. Did bird flu cross my mind? Of course, but we decided these were safe and we didn't take one home for tea.

Here are some children that we came across on the street. No bouncy castles, camera-yielding parents or candy floss although the boy and girl on the steps are enjoying a spicy, hot wrap from their mum's street stand. 

I forgot to mention another mode of transport. We have more photos in the archives but for now here is one classic sight - a chair perched in the rear part of a trike (sanlunche). What caught my eye was the plastic baby toy and the girls somewhat regal posture and costume. This system also looks somewhat precarious but I guess these trikes aren't likely to accelerate or even swerve suddenly. 

And to finish with, a wee gem from a trip to The Golden Temple, Kunming. As Freda and I explored the Great Bell Tower Ali and Edie watched a young boy get dressed up for a photograph. The photographer had a whole range of costumes to choose from and before Ali knew what was happening, Edie was being dressed up like Santa Claus. She very willingly held the young boy's hand (whose name we never did find out) and the two of them stood very obligingly for the cameras. That was the last photo session of the day.