Yesterday Myanmar celebrated Thadingyut or 'the festival of lights'. The festival is to mark the end of Buddhist Lent. There are lanterns hanging all over and last night plenty of noisy firecrackers and 'fire balloons'. The fire balloons would remind you of some science experiment you might have done in high school. A big trash bag with strings at the bottom and a cylinder of 'I'm not sure what' hanging from the bottom which is set alight. Then, like a hot air balloon, it rises into the air and eventually disappears.
We were very kindly invited along to share the evening with some locals. A colleague of Don's has lived here for many many years and is close friends with the family who used to be his maid and carer for his wife who is in a wheelchair as a result of a stroke.Sometimes I feel like an over protective mother. Especially since we've been here. Total strangers will grab Cushla from my arms and disappear round a corner to show her off to a friend. Everybody reaches out to touch her or pinch her. All of this attention is meant with kindness and affection but I do have to just bite my tongue, take a deep breath and remind myself not to make an arse of myself while at the same time never ever taking my eyes off my wee munchkin. (she's hard to miss though...her being 'pale blue' in skin colour compared to the locals) Last night I was tested again. There were other children at the house we visited and we were sitting outside, in a sort of driveway area so the main street was right there. When we arrived Cushla was promptly removed from daddy's arms by a young girl who whisked her away. I tried to enjoy my food and join in with the conversation but I had one eye whizzing round the whole time following them. Then....the fireworks started! The girl holding Cushla waved sparklers around. A little girl who could only be 5 or 6 held a huge long rocket while it exploded skywards, occasionally waving it in the wrong direction. They then all crowded round to light the fire balloon and drag it around with the huge flame at the bottom until it became airborne. I was a little nervous.
Don and I were talking about it on the way home and commented that in some ways it reminds us of our own childhood when you could disappear two streets away (or much further) with no mobile phone or anybody really knowing where you were. You could play in dirt and ditches and with children you didn't know. Don of course agreed I was being a little uptight about it all and nobody 
would have lost a limb or anything...just some minor burns!!! ah well...that's OK then. However, here in Yangon people are much more relaxed (or unaware) about the possible dangers all around and so I sat and sipped my drink and sweated quietly. Cushla, of course, had a great time! 
5 comments:
There is something endearing about Asian culture and their love of children. We have similar experiences here. Ella and Michael know so many more people than we do. The lovely domestic helpers and the doormen, the street sweepers and caretakers. They all love our children. It does take some getting used to when we come from such a different place, but then it's what I grew up with too. My mum says that when they'd go out to eat, the waitresses would wisk whichever child was the smallest away and she'd have time to actually eat.
Oh, and we're constantly having people ask to take their photos (not so much now Ella's bigger). But she was a real tourist attraction. They'd bend down next to her stroller and do the Hong Kong pose (the peace sign). Better get used to it with a new baby coming. It's the ones who don't ask that make me a bit cross.
funny you say that. when we were at the temple a couple weeks ago. we were busy snapping the pagodas and buddahs and suddenly Don spotted people snapping Cushla!
our adoption social worker was just talking with us about this very thing, and i wonder, as norbyah said, if it really is specific to asian culture??? she was preparing us for the fact that our new baby will be coming from a foster home where everything revolves around him or her, as it's important in korea that the children are raised knowing that they can and should always depend on the big people around them, whomever they may be.
You are brave Gillian!
I get all antsy when Harry's cousins take hm into the backyard to play. I can't imagine what it must feel like to see Cushla disappear around the corner.
Just try and remember that you and Don are providing a wonderful understanding of other cultures to Cushla.
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