Today was one of those charming days with cool breezes and smiling Hong Kongers. It started out with Aaron and I sandal shopping for Maeli because little feet are quick to grow and summer is fast approaching. We didn’t buy anything and ended up at an indoor play gym. All over China we’ve been to play areas where we pay around a dollar for Maeli to take on a giant climbing maze full of plastic balls. She can’t get enough of them. During this outing I noticed that I had no diapers left and of course as the laws of diapering go, Maeli needed changed shortly after. Aaron had just left us to work in the hotel room so I didn’t have enough money to buy any. I ended up approaching a nice foreign father who was kind enough to give me an extra diaper he had on hand. This started out my day of give and take.
Maeli and I then headed to Kowloon Park in hopes of catching the free Kung Fu show. On the way, we ran into two girls looking for the subway. To my surprise, I was able to help them out. We parted ways with a lift in my step and pride written all over my face.
When we arrived at the enormous Kowloon Park it was up to the kindness of others to help us find the Kung Fu show. I asked stall workers, police men, passersby and of course no one knew anything about it. However, we did catch the last bit of a cultural dance. The professional photographers were glad to see us as they all got shots of Maeli doing her groove thing.
Undaunted, we searched again for the Kung Fu show. After more enquires and a flights of stairs (always fun with a stroller), we found the it. Excited by the opening music, Maeli dropped her snack. The man next to us was so concerned she was still hungry that he went and bought her a muffin. If you haven’t noticed it by now, there is a trend during our travels of strangers catering to Maeli. If we wrote about all the random acts of kindness towards her, this blog would be nothing else. During the show a Chinese woman volunteered as a translator for me and explained the presentation was a mix of Tai Chi and martial arts.
I was so touched by the kindness of strangers that I now feel guilty about all the times I cursed line cutters and crowd pushers. I suppose that for an optimist like myself it only takes one day of kindness to make up for weeks of rude behavior.
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