I've often commented on how things are done very differently in Asia to how we would do things back home. People here seem to expect a level of service (which more often than not is met) and things like having a maid to do what we would all do for ourselves at home is just the norm here.
However, I had a real laugh to myself yesterday when I was speaking to a Singaporean Mum at James' tennis class. I've spoken to her a few times and she's very nice and chatty. Yesterday for whatever reason we got on to speaking about when our kids were born. I mentioned that James had been very premature and that he'd spent his first 7 weeks in hospital.
She asked me what I did about feeding him - or did they just do that for me in the nursery? Ha ha ha ha!!! She was totally stunned when I told her that UK hospitals don't have nurseries anymore. Its just a case of here's your baby - get on with it!! Her face was an absolute picture!!
She then asked, looking more horrified by the minute, whether the nurses/midwives bathed the baby for you. Nope!!!
She then went on to tell me that although she has two boys - one who's 6 years old and one of 18 months - she's NEVER changed a nappy as the maid does all that for her.
It really is another world out here!!!
Here are a couple of gratuitous baby photos of my two just in keeping with the topic!!
'tis so funny Catherine and oh so true!!!
ReplyDeleteI often wonder how some of the expats will even cope when they go 'back home' after being here X number of years and having a nanny and or a maid....
gonna be a big shock eh??
(and this is what is called Reverse Culture Shock)