Tony can't wear the green hat that goes with the sweater.

I hate to tell my mom this but the great hat she knitted for Tony, that goes with the sweater you see in the above photo, cannot be worn in China. A green hat is worn by a cuckold, that is by some husband whose wife is having lots of trouble with the cable or plumbing and needs repairmen coming constantly to the apartment to fix the problem. I told my wife that Tony was only 14 months and that surely such a thing could not be imputed to him if he wore a green toque. But my wife insisted that the taboo against the green hat was so strong, no one, not matter how old, could wear one, even a woman.

Asking my wife about the woman wearing a hat, she said in no uncertain words: "No one in China can wear a green hat. It is stupid!"

When I told one Wuxi Expat about this taboo, he said he would wear one, because he didn't want anyone to think he was a loyal husband.

What are these people doing?

The people you can see in the sea of bicycles are all parents waiting for their children to finish classes at a primary school. Photo taken on a side street near my school.

What is this man doing?

This man is cleaning another man's ear. In in his hand, you can see some metal wires with cotton swabs on the ends which he sticks deep in his customer's ear. I had this street ear-cleaning done once. I recall the man pulled out a lot of wax, both newly moist and old flaky like. Could I hear better as a result? The misanthrope in me does not want to hear human jaw-jawing so I never went back.

Vomit Day in Wuxi, China.

Some days in Wuxi, China, I see a lot of traffic accidents. Other days like Sunday, I see a lot of people vomiting in public. At the KFC in Baoli, I saw a child spew in the play area. Everyone cleared the area until the next unsuspecting family let their child go there. Then getting off the bus at the terminal #12 stop on Xicheng Road, I saw a woman let it all out onto the street, her companions holding onto to each of her arms as she did so.

This phenomenon of public vomiting is common in Wuxi. It is rare that I don't walk down the street and see the results of someone probably eating unclean street or restaurant food or doing too much gambeiing at a local pub.

Wuxi Tony Update #221

Like Atlas carried the world, I carry Tony on my shoulders in this video.

Wuxi Tony Update #220

Tony in Downtown Wuxi,China.

I got my son on my shoulders.

I had my son Tony on my shoulders as the Kaulins family went for a stroll in Downtown Wuxi Sunday Afternoon. What could be finer? I ask you.

Was he heavy on my shoulders? Not really. My worry was that he would flop backwards making it awkward for me to hold him. This was the first instance, I was confident enough that I didn't need to hold onto his arms because he could balance himself on my shoulders.

Jenny told me that he thoroughly enjoyed himself up there.

You will see the video of this feat in WTU 221. Coming soon to the my Youtube channel!

Saturday Night.

It is a Saturday night at the K household in the Hui Shan Economic Development Area of Wuxi, China. My wife has been on the phone for a hour about talking about something in her circle of womanhood. Will she ever get off the phone.... Sheesh!!!

Meanwhile, Little T, the junior member of the K consortium here in Wuxi, China won't go to sleep so I am having a hard time listening to the latest installment of Radio Derb where the times are dark and will be getting darker soon. By which the Derb means there is no chance of Ron Paul winning the U.S. election.

Apparently, G. Gordon Libby is a terrorist. John McCain went on his radio show. Therefore, McCain was cavorting with a terrorist. I like G. Gordon Libby and I listened to his show often when I could get it in Canada. I never felt any urge to crash a plane into a building because of it.

Simon and Garfunkel isn't putting Tony to sleep but it is putting me to sleep.

I had one of those pound-the-trunk-of-a-car moments Saturday morning as a car swerved to avoid me instead of doing the honourable thing of yielding to a pedestrian at a pedestrian crossing.

Wuxi Tony Update #219

The road to peace has been ruined by an infitada. What's a guy to do? Carry on with the Grant family: Simon, Nicole, and Amy.