To give you an idea of what it is like to walk outside of my front door, imagine if you lived on a crowded street, perhaps near a park. And every time you stepped outside, several complete strangers stared at you and watched your every move.
Watching white people is one form of entertainment. We are to them, what movies are to us.
So when I leave my house I am getting accustomed to several people stopping what they are doing, and watching my every move..... until I am out of their site. It isn't a brief stare, it's an I'll watch you as long as I can...stare. There is no awkwardness in staring here, no uncomfortable part to looking prolonged into your eyes. There is no looking away quickly or looking down as is such a part of American culture.
Many people watch silently, and sometimes I'll interact, a greeting, or something to make the kids laugh. Sometimes they'll be rude and laugh and point. After all I'm not only white, I'm HUGE!
It's something you get used to, but it is still a bit odd as I walk to work, there is a section I pass where several people stare as their heads follow me. (as I'm passing by the local clinic).
So it should come as no surprise to me that yesterday as I stepped outside my door, there were 25 or so young kids sitting on my front lawn. I figured they were there to watch me, and then it dawned on me.
They were there to play with my kids.
My kids are very social. It started with a few kids and a ball.
Then it moved on to every day two or three friends would come over. We love our neighbors' children. They speak some English, but the little girl that is fast becoming my daughter's closest friend is very polite. She offers to wash laundry, helps my daughter clean her room and otherwise encourages my daughter to be a better person
"Sydney, u no can tok long yu mama like dat!, U listen to hah!"
A great little girl!
It has progressed to where there were 30 kids in our yard yesterday playing. It isn't because we provide snacks, we had to stop doing that, it's because the kids come up with some very fun games and they enjoy each other.
But now we have a problem. The odds of someone getting hurt increase exponentially when you have 30 kids. Not only that, my wife didn't sign up to run a day care.
If one of those kids should get hurt, suddenly we have a "Hevi" with their parents... we would owe them something, we would be in their debt if their child got hurt on our property. It is a part of the culture called "compensation".
So.. we have asked our daughter to tell them she can play with 6 a day, and a different 6 another day. While this made her sad... she understood.
Secretly, we suspect our children are planning to overthrow us and are amassing a small army. We are taking every opportunity to disperse the mob before they get too organized, but I think they are having secret meetings in the bathroom because my son has to go an awful lot these days. (this is a joke (-; )
