Kids Without Pants

Before I arrived in Beijing, my image of China was that of a modern skyline with tall buildings, flashy neon signs along the waterfront, civilians and soldiers saluting the flag during the ceremonies at dawn. But now, if you ask me about an enduring visual symbol of this Far East economic and cultural giant, I can only conjure up one thing: children who don't wear pants.

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Upon seeing this sight a few times, I was reminded of the classic print ad for Coppertone tanning lotion, you know, the one with the dog yanking down the kid's shorts to reveal the tan line? Except in China, the mutt has managed to tear the youngster's pants completely off, and no one...NO ONE...seems bothered by it one bit.

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In the U. S., the debate rages on about "who wears the pants in the family." In China, there is no question about who does not. It is always the child between 2 and 5 years of age, a toddler that clearly should be well on his-or-her way to pre-school development, who is seen in public sans shorts or trousers. Or, even worse, wearing pants with the crotch panel missing so the child's bare butt sticks out. Putting aside the chill factor, wouldn't you think a country seemingly obsessed with national humiliation could spare of the feelings of millions of its youngest citizens by making sure they are fully clothed?

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The answer, as usual, lies in the ancient recesses of Chinese culture. This one suggests that Chinese children are historically taught to eliminate bodily waste as soon as the urge strikes, and must not allow a few inches of fabric get in the way. Hence the sight of a mother holding a toddler over a public wastebasket along a busy city street, letting the child eject a solid stream of urine into the can. Or the scene of another child, squatting and dropping #2 while a woman, presumably mom again, stands at a distance looking the other way, as if she's letting her dog do its thing during its morning walk.

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The variety of places where I've witnessed parental-supervised kids whizzing and pooping in public is mind-boggling, at least to my Western-raised mind, anyway: busy sidewalks, city parks, bus stops, subway platforms, office plazas, bicycle parking lots, picnic tables, potted plants, bar-b-que pits, taxi stands, produce markets, train stations, and even on the airport tarmac.

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In fairness, many Chinese have told me that this behavior is slowly being learned out of the culture, and it is frowned upon by most urban residents. But I don't imagine it will change anytime soon. It's one of the surest signs of spring: all of the kids get to play outside, and half of the clothes will stay in the closet.