Nanny-hunting

Torrential rain, lighting and thunder, reminding us that we are living on a subtropical island, after all.

After dropping Noah off, we went with a friend to visit a potential nanny for Benjamin. Her home is in Zhubei, about 15 minutes north of the city of Hsinchu. She's very nice Hakka lady who has cared for 22 kids for the last 20 years. At the moment she's taking care one 15-month-old boy. We learned that in Taiwan it's common to send your baby to a nanny for 24-hour care. This little boy lives with the nanny and only goes home on Saturday, returning Sunday evening. It is hard for us to imagine ever doing that, but it's quite a common practice here when both parents are working. (In this way, my mom-friends in the US really have it harder, but perhaps enjoy a much more rewarding experience.)

It seems that with her extensive experience and knowledge about kids, we would not be able to influence how she cares for our kid. I trust that she is very good, but definitely set in her ways and believes in them deeply. For example, she hears that Ben's coughing, and suggested that we put on long pants if in an air-conditioned environment, rub his back to help get the mucus out, and never offer anything cold to him. These are common Chinese beliefs (we've experienced multiple times how resistent people are to direct A/C air. According to their health beliefs, our practice must make us sick often).

Afterwards, we explored the downtown area a bit, visited a great European bakery (RT Pastry House), ate hand-made noodles for lunch, and bought a pair of sandals for Ben. Kids shoes are SO adorable and selection is huge here. Friends with little kids, make your order with us if you want some cute and comfy Taiwanese shoes!

BTW, I have been wanting to report about the amazing recyling program in Taiwan. Everywhere you go, people recycle, and there are sophisticated categories for recyclables, including alumini cans, paper, glass, plastic, kitchen compost, batteries, etc. In large markets, they don't offer plastic bags unless you buy them. This practice and the public's high level of awareness about consumed resources is very really impressive.