We are proud to announce the newest member of our family! Baby G. She promises to help us learn a whole new side of Indonesian culture! She entered the world on 9/15.
Even with temperatures around 80-90 degrees, our house helper has expressed her concern for our child who is wearing only a sleeper (We don't have the heart to tell her that except for the mosquitos, we'd stick her in a onesie!). Children here are carried around in full winter gear: hats, coats, and gloves, and think blankets. The fact that our daughter doesn't get sick causes them to reply "she must be so strong!"
Mommy G had to drive to pick me up at school the other day (literally 5 minutes round trip). And our house helper was 1) shocked she left the house 2) shocked she drove 3) shocked she put the baby in a carseat and took her along!
Carseats are rare here. And we were the only family at the hospital checkups with a carseat carrier - everyone else carries their baby around in a traditional sling (usually after arriving at the hospital on the back of a motorcycle... with their infant in a sling)
It's not bad - it's just different... very different!