First hair cut
I took Alex to get his first US hair cut this morning. I didn't really want to, but he was starting to get really shaggy (which is cute) and people started asking if he was a little girl (not cute).
The place was right down the street from us where Vivek goes to get his hairs cut and is run by Korean women.
A co-worker of mine said that was the only place her son didn't cry.
"Whatever they're saying to him, it works!" she exclaimed.
Korean magic.
Sorry Alex. I didn't take you to those fun Cool Cuts 4 Kids places where you get to sit on an airplane or a fire truck and a nice, young, pretty white girl tells you how beautiful you are.
You sat on a sad-looking cushion, and were given an old, dirty electronic toy to play with that I was praying you wouldn't put your mouth on or put your hands in your mouth after holding it.
Of course, you turned on the tears and tried to get me to pick you up. Good English by the way; I have never heard "all done" or "up" so clearly! You really enunciated those sounds!
So I praised him for understanding so clearly what he said, but then left him there.
Of course, she didn't listen to what I said and cut way too much off, and she scared the hell out of him with the hair dryer (confession: I was blow drying my hair in my room one day and he came in looking curious, so I ran after him with the blow dryer going...worst mom, ever). BUT he can see and she gave him a dum dum which she should have pulled out first. At the sight of candy, he dried those tears up quickly and started laughing and talking gibberish.
She said something to him in Korean, and asked if he understood. I said, "probably." Then the follow up question was if I spoke Korean, which I said no. Since old women cross culturally are openly nosy and need to know everything, the abbreviated adoption story came out. She told me that she knew several members in the Korean community that had adopted from Korea or Korean-mixed babies in the US. She asked if I got to meet my birth mom in Korea and when I said no, she said that I truly had a better life here than I would have had there.
Then she looked at Alex, and told him he was a very lucky boy.
I guess I was surprised.
I always feel mass judgment and disappointment coming from elderly people (especially all old, Asian women) to the younger generation. She told me how terrible it is to be orphaned in Korea and how quality of life for those children is hardly ever good.
I then thought to myself, then why is Korea making it so difficult to get these children adopted?! And why are the Korean people not stepping up to take care of their nation's kids?
Alex got his candy and I left, already accomplishing my bad ass moment for the day
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| Shagalicious |
The place was right down the street from us where Vivek goes to get his hairs cut and is run by Korean women.
A co-worker of mine said that was the only place her son didn't cry.
"Whatever they're saying to him, it works!" she exclaimed.
Korean magic.
Sorry Alex. I didn't take you to those fun Cool Cuts 4 Kids places where you get to sit on an airplane or a fire truck and a nice, young, pretty white girl tells you how beautiful you are.
You sat on a sad-looking cushion, and were given an old, dirty electronic toy to play with that I was praying you wouldn't put your mouth on or put your hands in your mouth after holding it.
Of course, you turned on the tears and tried to get me to pick you up. Good English by the way; I have never heard "all done" or "up" so clearly! You really enunciated those sounds!
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| Sad Panda |
So I praised him for understanding so clearly what he said, but then left him there.
Of course, she didn't listen to what I said and cut way too much off, and she scared the hell out of him with the hair dryer (confession: I was blow drying my hair in my room one day and he came in looking curious, so I ran after him with the blow dryer going...worst mom, ever). BUT he can see and she gave him a dum dum which she should have pulled out first. At the sight of candy, he dried those tears up quickly and started laughing and talking gibberish.
She said something to him in Korean, and asked if he understood. I said, "probably." Then the follow up question was if I spoke Korean, which I said no. Since old women cross culturally are openly nosy and need to know everything, the abbreviated adoption story came out. She told me that she knew several members in the Korean community that had adopted from Korea or Korean-mixed babies in the US. She asked if I got to meet my birth mom in Korea and when I said no, she said that I truly had a better life here than I would have had there.
Then she looked at Alex, and told him he was a very lucky boy.
I guess I was surprised.
I always feel mass judgment and disappointment coming from elderly people (especially all old, Asian women) to the younger generation. She told me how terrible it is to be orphaned in Korea and how quality of life for those children is hardly ever good.
I then thought to myself, then why is Korea making it so difficult to get these children adopted?! And why are the Korean people not stepping up to take care of their nation's kids?
Alex got his candy and I left, already accomplishing my bad ass moment for the day
Kickass story! I like how she upended your expectations of old Asian women (which I generally share).
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