My house is quite full today. MyeongHee’s brother and his wife and baby came last night along with my mother-in-law. Mother-in-law wanted to see the baby and since she live in Pohang and MH’s brother lives in Busan a compromise location was made – our house. No problem, though. Despite have only two bedrooms – one for me and MH and one for her son DongHyun – the rest of the family, including the baby, is happy sleeping on the floor as they usually do.
Today, MyeongHee and her brother both went off to work. I am still home with the sister-in-law and mother-in-law who apparently find cleaning voraciously to be fun. It’s non-stop action if one is holding or feeding the baby, the other is making ban-chan (various side dishes for meals), cleaning or tidying up. I used to feel bad when I’d sit around and type on the keyboard while the mother-in-law clewans. I’ve since been reassured that that is typical and expected behavior fo males in Korea. So, I try to enjoy it while trying to appear small and staying out of the way.
Such a difference in raising babies, though, between here and in America. At my daughter’s house the place is filled with bright, colorful toys for the girls to look at and play with. It was that way when she was a baby, too. Lots of toys and mind-stimulating items. No so, here. In fact, they’ve brought not a single colorful anything in all the times I’ve seen them and their new baby. Nothing to hang from the baby bassinet or baby carrier to catch the baby’s attention. In fact, no bassinet or baby carrier. Not even a car seat. The baby is too small, they tell me. Although car seats for children are, in fact used in Korea, my experience in seeing them is quite rare. It’s often that I see someone in the car with a small child in the front seat on mommy’s lap, even with the little one’s hands on the dashboard. When my brother-in-law and his wife travel with the baby, she just gets in the back seat and holds the baby.
The difference in laws regarding personal freedoms here and in the US are interesting, too. Here, you have the freedom to endanger your children without the government telling you how to, although as the adult driver or passenger you must wear a seat belt.
Korea Style.