Curious Titus

Titus is into climbing on everything -- I even caught him on TOP of the tv twice. So it's no wonder he fell off his old baby walker while dismounting it today. You can see the results for yourself, cept there was a lot more blood everywhere than is visible in these pictures.

This week some wonderful people sent us a Curious George storybook. George --- innocent yet prone-to-mischief --- helped me to understand Titus a little better.


"This is George [Titus].
George [Titus] was a good little monkey [boy] and always very curious."

"Sometimes when a monkey [boy] sees something to climb, he can't help himself. He has to climb it."

- Curious George and the Hot Air Balloon

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China's Special Needs People

China's orphanages would be filled with abandoned disabled kids, but ... most of the time kids with disabilities don't survive past infancy because they don't receive basic, proper care.

Families with a special-needs kid feel that the child is a huge liability. With basically no special education programs and no health insurance or welfare, how can a parent possibly care for a child with Down Syndrome, or a cleft palate, or Cerebral Palsy? Furthermore, in this culture children are the parents' retirement plan and social security, that is, parents rely on children to care for them when they are aged. Of course, a disabled child will not be able to care for and support his/her parents when they are retired. So to a Chinese family, a disabled child is nothing but a liability.

Another expat organization working in Changsha has been caring for the city's most severely disabled children. A decade ago, they approached the Chinese orphanages and said "give us your 'worst' cases". They improved the quality of life for these kids by offering better living conditions and opportunities for therapy, classes, and even work. One of the goals was to show the Chinese social system, by example, that special needs people can be productive and wonderful members of society.

Recently, this expat organization also opened a center which aims to prevent abandonment of special needs kids. Right now they're working with about 100 families to provide support, therapy and education for the child and parents. Here's the kite mural I just finished for one of their therapy rooms.



Believing that every child is made in His image,

Rachel


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Squatty Potty

The Squatty Potty can be found in China and other East Asian countries. I'm curious to know if you've ever used one before? To save just a little decorum, I'm showing you a photo of the most beautiful, pristine Squatty I've ever seen.

How to use:

• Squat, straddling the hole, facing the door (if there is a door).
• Shoot any excretions directly into the drain. If you don't hit the drain directly, there is a likelihood of spray all over the floor and your feet.
• There's no tissue paper, so you must bring your own!
• Discard tissue paper in the waste bin, don't flush.
• Flush the Squatty.
  
• Good luck washing your hands. If there is a water tap, there's no soap or towels, so if you're a germaphobe bring hand sanitizer.

Also, it's good to note that public restrooms are not widely available. When going out, do your best to plan accordingly. We really don't mind using Sqautties, but our university was kind, and built the foreign teacher apartments with western toilets.

Speaking of western toilets, sometimes when Asians run into one they don't know what to do. This sign was posted in a bathroom in Thailand.



Now you know how to "go" if you visit East Asia!


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Celebrating One Year in China with A Culture Series: Bizzare and Likeable

With over 2,000 years of history and traditions, Chinese culture is rich, complex, intriguing and ...

lovable.


We've now lived in China for one year! To celebrate, I'm planning to tell you about the most bizarre, likable, or bizarre and likable elements of Chinese culture. Some topics: Food, toileting, abortion, romance, language, market-shopping, tea, poverty, saving face and family life. I think you will understand our daily life in a deeper way after this series!


To kick it off, here's a list of
TEN THINGS ANYONE CAN LOVE ABOUT CHINA

1. people adore kids, even strangers' kids
   
2. people freely share food, especially fruit, with each other
3. delightful, healthy and inexpensive cuisine
4. public transportation -- so you don't need a car
5. xiu xi -- routine afternoon nap time for adults
   
6. Drew says: the fastest bullet train in the world runs through our city
   
7. it's not taboo to talk about your diarrhea issues
   
8. Drew says: spicy sheep meat on a stick
9. haggling for better prices at the market
10. calling your friends and acquaintances by familial terms -- "auntie", "older brother", "little sister", "grandpa", etc.
    

First post about Chinese culture coming soon.


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