Friday, January 2, 2009

Xmas goes by so quickly


Its a brand new year!!! My god! How time flies! 2009..wow.

Another new year and celebrated once again in another country.

Been kinda lazy to blog with all the festive season and all.

Xmas week was fantastic. Having my bro and family around to keep me company all week long. My nephews were fun of course, esp the little one. I never had anyone wanting to hold my hand like the WHOLE day before, so its a really new experience, the sort with heavy responsibility to make sure he is alright.

This family time tell me a few things.

Apart from to-off work peak hours, despite the constant mob of people, HK is surprisingly a relatively child friendly place. Take the train and infamous crowded causeway bay for instance. The stretch from sogo, to times square (near MTRexit F) is always jam pack. U see nothing but waves and waves of human traffic and bobbing head. YET, people always give way to me when they see my little 3-4yr old nephew in tow with me. People often jam brake last min and give me/ nephew space to walk. They would apologise if they think they had knocked him a little. (I must clarify this kind consideration only applies to HK people and exclude many CHINA people in HK).

Another surprising instance on the train. A HK family even told his son (prob about 7 or 8 yrs old), to give up his seat to my little nephew. The boy obliged without a word. I was pleasantly surprised and awed. In SINGAPORE, its a challenge even to get anyone to give up seat to pregnant or old people. Here, I was presented by a HK family who thinks his young son ought to give up seat to someone younger. I told my brother, this would prob NEVER happen in Singapore. Singapore parents prob think "My kid need a seat too".

Everywhere I go with my nephew happily holding on to my hands, I experienced much kindness. The sales people (retail, food industry) would naturally be nicer calling my nephew "小朋友" all the time. Even on the bus to ocean park, the bus driver who saw me carrying my nephew down the bus would tell me to take my time, slowly does it, not to fall down and watch the steps. Wow!

The only time where its "all for oneself" was during 6.30pm on train where people doesnt give a shit if u are handicap or a child. Its back to back squeezing and with my nephew, my arms were definitely building up muscle and pressure resistance, just making sure he is not being squashed by the train madness..
Another seperate incident as to why I just cannot like China people travelling in HK. While Q'ing for the peak tram, this china old man with a young china woman was just pushing on even though I told him to watch the kid, and most of all, the Q is overall not moving as the tram isnt here yet. This China freak obviously doesnt give a shit to a child, and looking like he is with some cheap young whore, he prob isnt much of a man anycase to care about anyone else apart from his own personal enjoyment. Asshole. I hope he doesnt have some heart attack that night from wild actions judging at how desperate he was with the woman who was happy to voluntarily cheapen herself for $. I have never felt so much like giving someone a boot from behind like I would to him, and see him break a jaw or something. But we all know....violence never pays...

Child friendliness -Does that happen in Singapore, I have no idea since I am not a mom, but in a crowded HK, this is a brand new experience for me because I am so used to being shoved and bumped by people. This special consideration for a little one is so unusual finding. I guess HK is truly a very family oriented space so to speak.

Well apart from that, I too discover I will not be a great mum. Simply because I have no patience at all. I snapped at him just as readily as I would to an adult when I'm up to my neck. Sometimes I'm just too tired to snap and he is quick to see my eyes almost rolling backwards or my "sigh".... All those western "love" shit, "talk and talk" and do not yell at kids physco babble definitely do not apply to me. My poor older nephew must have coop a few shit from me... poor thing... I do feel a little bad :( . He should be glad I'm just his aunt. haaa haaa.










2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Haha... I love spending time with kids (below 5 years old), it's just so fun. Generally I have good impression towards H.K. people, may be b'cos I have one staying with me who is a very nice and considerate person, so as her family. Also my visits to H.K. convinced me that H.K. people are quite service minded, as compared to e.g. KL. I suppose they are friendly to kids too.

Nomad said...

well it depends. I think the younger generation (meaning like ours or maybe those few years older) are pretty decent and considerate. Even those not so educted one are relatively polite. But the older ones like the old mums and pas wen travelling in groups are hideously noisy and can be annoying... otherwise, they are relatively nice people.

ha! next time u visit Hk must let me know! :)