Awww, the class family picture bulletin board at Titus' preschool. But what's this? Something peculiar about the arrangement, can you detect the anomaly?
1. Foreign family posted in the center of the board. (K, so what...)
2. Foreign family is an island. All other family photos are connected in web.
This is ultra classic folks. Lemme break it down for you: We're outsiders.
Keepin' a light heart and chuckling though!
And feeling thankful that our picture is on that board -- our kid is in the school, we live in this community, even if we are outsiders, we're in.
You should also know that if we could examine the subconscious of the teacher who created this display, she was certainly aiming to elevate our status (and the school's) by making the foreign family visible. She wasn't trying to say that we're weirdos. I obviously don't dig the status thing either; it's wrong! But I appreciate the warmth, kindness and respect that Chinese have extended to us foreigners.
...this preschool display board has now been analyzed to death.
Try again next time, Rachel, with a less maundering post!
I love it! These are the very things we think and talk about lately.
ReplyDeleteoh, that is too funny! Here someone would speak up and complain that your picture is isolated and theirs isn't. They would want them on a grid, with the same number of tacks in each picture, yadda, yadda, yadda. I bet thinking of that makes you glad you aren't living here :)
ReplyDeleteI see there is are a couple of families with more than one kid. How is that possible with the law about only having one child?
ReplyDeleteDoes one of the families in the lower left corner also have two children in the picture?
ReplyDeletegood to relate with ya Purser family!
ReplyDeleteyou got it Frogmama!
as for the multiple kids --
yeah, there's twin girls in Titus' class, that accounts for one picture.
and it looks like another student already has a baby sister.
there are actually many exceptions to the one-child policy now that the population has stabilized since the policy was enacted about 20 years ago. ethnic minorities and rural families are often given more children. if two people who are both an only-child marry, they may have two kids. in some situations if the first child is a girl the family can try again for a boy. and finally, I have met many people who were born 'secretly' ... mom hid out during the pregnancy. or maybe she didn't hide out and the family had enough money to pay a fine.
there's usually a gap of perhaps seven years between siblings.
ok, this makes me think of another question... I hope and, uh, HOPE that they make an exception for twins. do they or do they have to pay the fine?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explanation. That's encouraging to hear about the exceptions! Love you guys!
ReplyDeletenaw, people who give birth to twins are just lucky!
ReplyDeleteor unlucky if you consider how much more tired you would feel taking care of two newborns, toddlers, etc.