Chinese and kids

When we decided to go to China, we didn't know what to expect, since it is so completely different from Taiwan. We went to see some friends who have been there. They also have a kid a bit older then Alec, so they could tell us the things we needed to think about. They told us that Chinese are crazy about small kids, and then in particular the western and/or the mixed kids.

However, they also told me that sometimes kids are being kidnapped and being sold on the black market, and especially mixed kids are popular. Well, for me, I love Alec more then life itself, and I am scared to death anything big happening to him. So, when we were there, I was looking everywhere for potential kidnappers, and thugs planning to hurt Alec. In every Chinese who was watching Alec a little bit longer then normal, I was seeing someone who was calculating Alec's market value. So, it was a bit nerve-wrecking.
Especially since all Chinese are crazy about kids, and they have the tendency to stop for and pick up western kids. And especially mixed kids are very popular. Where ever we walked, heads turned our way, especially for Alec. And when we stopped at a popular touristic attraction, we BECAME the touristic attraction. In the Forbidden City we draw a crowd. A whole group of schoolgirls went crazy and wanted to take picture of Alec.



One time we were standing in a cd-shop, late in the evening, and Alec was quite tired. He was sitting on my arm, head a bit leaning on my shoulder. YuMei had walked inside and I was standing a the doorway. All of a sudden, there were three girls coming in the shop, looked at Alec, and started to go MENTAL! "Hao ke-ai!, Hao ke-ai" ("So cute"). And before I got the chance to say anything, Alec was pulled from my arm, and went from one girl to the other (every man's dream). He himself didn't mind, he liked the attention, but I was a bit afraid he might start to cry, and never stop crying.


And even though only girls/ladies pick him up, guys are also very interested. When we were in the Summer Palace, there were some guys looking at Alec, giving me lots of good advice, like to tuck him in warm, since it was quite cold.....DUH!!! Like I didn't know that already.



Well, it's not only mixed kids that are the lucky ones. Also blonde western girls have all the atttention. There was this American lady with a blond girl about 7 years old sitting in JinShan Park, with 3 or 4 Chinese ladies around the girl.

So, here's a bit of advice: You can't stop them, so just go with the flow, but try to tell them when they go to far. If that doesn't work........GET THE HELL OUTTA THERE! Well....that's my advice. If some else has a better advice, please share it with us.