Grubbs n Critters

July 13, 2011

Baby Wearing: The Rucksack Carry

When I started on this baby wearing journey, I knew there was no turning back.

What began as something out of necessity actually become a passion, one of which I am an advocate of. I am always curious on the various types of baby carriers there are out there and the various ways one can wear a baby.

Despite Spud being extra squirmy these days, I still love wearing her in The Wrap or my Mei-Tai when we are out and about. The decision to use either one really depends on my mood, although I generally prefer The Wrap mainly for its versatility, because I can be quite unpredictable when it comes to the various methods of how I want to tie the wrap at any one point in time. I use the Mei-Tai only when I feel lazy, and it works faster too, for when Spud’s cranky.

I have been experimenting with the Rucksack carry recently in my bid to carry Spud differently such that she can look outwards when she’s being worn. I had some help from Silver Bullet on my first attempt, and I must say, it was quite comfortable to be carrying Spud on my back like this.

However, I have not made it out of the house with the rucksack style yet, simply because, I still need a lot of practice! This method of wearing Spud is more tiring, especially so when she decides that she isn’tgoing to corporate and starts squirming away …

For now, there is no way I can accomplish the Rucksack Carry with the wrap all on my own.

Hats off to Mommas who can do this effortlessly…check this one out. Like one of the comments stated – she totally killed it!

Discrimination

Category: Rant and Thoughts

This is one of the signs that are being plastered on the wall of every BTS trains in Bangkok. I found them to be very distasteful, discriminatory as well as stoopidly biased against moms with babies OUTSIDE the womb.

So, no. Once the baby is out of your womb and “upgraded” into your arms, you no longer earn the right to be offered a seat while riding the BTS. But, if you are a monk, however, you’ll immediately be given that priority. And yes, you saw the signs right — the first one depicted an image of a small child.

So yes again: kids of about 4-9 years of age DO get offered a seat. Why, I don’t know; but I fail to see the logic of why non-handicapped kids of such age get priority (of being offered a seat) when they can jolly well stand. After all, they are young, lithe and perfectly capable of standing on their own two feet.

So, that being established, my question then is: why don’t the adults or the kids alike offer their seats to the more needy ones instead? Like giving up the seat to any mother or father who happens to be carrying a baby and at the same time, totting along a couple of bags with him/her?

Wouldn’t then these people be more deserving to a seat on the BTS train as opposed to a 10 year old kid who is able to stand on his/her own feet?

To be fair, there are the odd occasions when I did get offer a seat when I’m wearing Spud. I said ODD. By odd I mean like 1 out of every 6 times. That is a very sad number.

What baffles me more, and consequently annoys me sometimes is the fact that while they take the time to tease, touch, play and generally try to get Spud’s attention while I am standing and trying to keep my balance as I stand, they forgot that giving up their seat for me would probably be the most gracious thing to do! (Reminds me of this post I wrote a while ago)

If that very sign is a mandate for everyone, then yes! I feel discriminated. But, it gets even sadder.

Pregnant women sometimes don’t even get offered a seat. Come to think of it, even when I was very pregnant, the times I have been offered a seat while riding the BTS was far and between. Perhaps, out of the 20 times I took the BTS throughout the times I was expecting, I dare say that only 5 people (or less!) had offered their seat to me.

While there are certainly a few kind souls out there, unfortunately, most people don’t even bother. In pursuit of iPhones, iPads, Blackberries and other material stuff, we human being have lost the basic courtesy of simple kindness and morphed into a very unkind, self-centred “me-first” society.

We live in a very sad and selfish world indeed.

Aichmophobia

Category: Random

I have a confession to make. I have aichmophobia. That means I have an inexplicable and unnatural fear of sharp knives.

Funny that.

Considering I cook so much, I’d much rather work with a blunt knife as opposed to using some fancy-smatchzy chef’s knives and risk losing a finger or two. Or three; much to the amusement of Silver Bullet who is into state of art chef’s knives.

I do wonder where that phobia came from and after all this while, I still don’t know the cause of it. I do know though, that I really hate to use sharp knives. The sight of them scares the crap out of me. It sends shivers down my spine! I shudder just thinking about a bunch of really sharp knives I have in the kitchen.

I know this sound strange, but I like my knife blunt. That means, just sharp enough to be able to cut stuff up, but not nearly sharp enough to draw blood from any of my fingers!

So now you know. I’m a wuss when it comes to knives. My knife skills just royally suck big time and I’m convinced that I’m the worse food cutter there is. I imagine I’m Gordon Ramsey’s nightmare if I ever worked in his kitchen. (Not that I ever would really…he probably would balk at the stuff I cook.)

But that’s OK. At the rate I’m cutting up my ingredients for cooking, I’d happily trade my knife skills for my precious fingers.

Anytime.