小朋友 xiăo péngyóu (kiddies)

(The last post was a bit depressing--lets switch it up with something cute, eh?)

When possible, I prefer walking to other forms of transportation. Not only is it additional exercise, but it's also a much better way to see and appreciate China.

Today on my way to a coffee shop to do some Chingrish editing for the museum, I saw an older man playing with a 4-6 year-old boy. He was sitting on a raised step with an empty bottle placed in front of him. The boy stood a few feet away and rolled a ball in his direction. When he successfully knocked the bottle over, the man raised a finger on his right hand; when he didn't, he raised one on his left. As I walked past, the boy missed his first shot and started throwing a hissy-fit. The old saw me chuckling, and we exchanged friendly smiles.

Any of my friends will quickly tell you that no, I am not a kid-person. However, I'm not going to lie: babies in China are cute. REALLY cute. "Goddamn-estrogen" kind of cute.

I'll include a few examples below--I'll bet you can't suppress the "aww" reflex. I'll continue to add to the kiddie-montage as I collect them.

2/3/11 (Xi'an): balloon vendor on Chinese New Year

2/3/11 (Xi'an): Bunny, meet Winnie. Winnie, meet Bunny.

2/6/11 (Xi'an): Young girl participates in Shanbei Performance

2/12/11 (Xi'an): Merry go-round at Small Goose Pagoda

2/12/11 (Xi'an): Small Goose Pagoda

3/30/11 (Kaifeng): I posted this earlier, but look how cute!

3/30/11 (Kaifeng): my personal favorite--baby uses ramp as a slide,

and wipes out near a puddle of pee.
(The baby in the hat clearly thinks he's an idiot.)

5/24/11 (Shangri-la)
Typical China: Mother holds urinating baby over the street

5/24/11 (Shangri-la): Child running around one of Asia's largest prayer wheels