Malachi and I went on a walk the other day and the grannies about had heart failure when they saw his cheeks. (Note: Chinese grannies love to fuss at anyone with a child. I'm still learning it's only because they care.) She started talking a mile a minute and all I could say to her was the Chiense word for eczema that I had prepared in advance, knowing this would happen. I assumed she was telling me to put some lotion or medicine on it. A few students walked by and apparently saw the blank "I don't understand" stare on my face and offered a translation. The kind boy said, "Maybe your baby is too hot." I about died.
A few things to take note of. First, yes, it was 75 and sunny that day. Hence, why we were enjoying our walk. Second, I thought I'd never hear a Chinese person saying that before May 1st. Let me explain. The Chinese like to follow their culture and their calendar instead of the present reality. That's not a dis--just several thousand years of traditions deeply rooted. Most Chinese wear long underwear from November 1st to May 1st. Even if it's hot and sunny, you'll still find most of them (especially the grannies) donning their extra layers. Are they hot? Yes. Do they admit it? Sometimes. Will the change? Unlikely. They have a few thousand years to unravel first.
In the moment the granny was trying to tell me what to do, I desperately wanted to tell her the laundry list of things we had tried. But I couldn't. Maybe I'll be able to next year, after learning some more of the language. I just had to simply say "thank you" and walk away.
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