"The Shame Was Unbearable..."

We are both feeling better today and toured the countryside. Unfortunately I only took footage from the camcorder and cannot upload it from here. So this cute little "naptime" shot upon returning will have to suffice.

We drove out into the rice paddy fields and a little "neighborhood." Not unlike the times I've visited parts of the "3rd world," our visit quickly brought me great perspective. What seemed like absolute poverty to me, this neighborhood was later described as being "affluent."

Man, just a half hour there and, thankfully, I can now better distinguish between true "needs" and "wants." I call it the "Haiti Effect" - which is where Elise and I first got to know one another. Whenever we spend hours deciding, say, which couch to buy...one of us will look at each other and say, "You know, it's time to go back to Haiti." Thus, the Haiti Effect. Which I think we all kinda felt....ourselves each being exposed a bit. Someone from our group asked the question we were all awkwardly wondering: "Is this alright??? To be taking pictures of these people and their homes like gawking tourists with $500 cameras in our hands?" I readily agreed with her tension and was glad she asked. Then snapped away undeterred - deciding to live in the tension versus run from it, you see.

Perspective has a shelf life, you know...

As our bus pulled into the middle of town, we were flocked by the local villagers. When I stepped off the bus into the frigid cold, an old lady rushed up to me and began to bark incessantly in mandarin - all of which I missed except the general sense that she was not real pleased. She pointed at Mia's legs and grabbed Cindy (our guide) and gestured frantically. Apparently, three layers on my little girl did not suffice to the local village standards. Old men shouted at me as they passed by, other Moms shook their sticks, and one dog in particular really wanted to let me have it. The shame was unbearable. I mean, they acted like I had her clothed in a 2-piece.

Now, in fairness, I was warned about this. My wife warned me before leaving. Cindy warned us upon arriving. The first morning in Nanchang, in fact, she even scurried me back up to the hotel room b/c my outfit selection did not meet her approval. I can't remember exactly why but it had something to do with Mia showing some leg.

So, today, after the villagers tore their robes and beat their chests in protest, Cindy turned to me, rolled her eyes and kindly snorted, "I told you so!"

"How do you translate: 'But I'm just a dad!'" I cried, to no one in particular.