hangin' out with leo

today we met up with angie and leo who are also vacationing here in hong kong. we went up to the peak for lunch and then walked around afterwards. nathan was cranky/sleepy for most of the afternoon. we hoped that by taking him out for the bulk of the day today that it would help him get adjusted to HK time. we shuttled him to the peak via MTR and taxi. the MTR isn't the most stroller friendly due to the large crowds, but we managed to shove our way on.

i have to say that the chinese here seem to lack a sense of one's personal space. at the restaurants we were at today, waiters would just come right up to the babies and start poking at them. even on the MTR...nathan is/was clearly crying and yet the lady next to me still felt compelled to try and strike up a conversation with him. and of course the random criticizing of one's parenting. while at lunch today, angie was feeding leo his baby food. the waiter walks by and remarks on how dirty his face is and how we should be wiping it clean. obviously his mom is not going to let him walk around with food on his face, but are we supposed to be wiping after each bite? guess it's a cultural thing (the criticizing, as opposed to the wiping of one's face).

after lunch we went to a playground where leo was able to run free. ken got a taste of what nathan might be like in a year's time. i don't know how the parents of two young kids do it. i don't think i'd be able to run around after one while trying to hold and comfort another. thank goodness for the baby bjorn that will at least allow you the use of your hands while still "holding" a baby.

post-park, we took a taxi back down and went to the IFC mall. the a/c was a welcome relief. it was HOT out today. i think i could deal okay with the heat...it's more the humidity that bugs me. i thought finding places to feed nathan would be more of a challenge, but thankfully we found this baby room at the IFC. it was pretty small (basically it only accommodates one compared to the three+ in canadian malls), but it was clean and bright. nathan was able to eat undisturbed and in the comfort of air conditioning. the first photo is just after his feeding. the happiest we've seen him during the day! :o)