Friday, November 2, 2007

B'ah!

All the Indonesians I have met so far love children. Men and women, old or young, even other children like children younger then them. Policemen, fish monger, bell boy. They all seem to find children, especially babies, irresistible.



So here comes the problem. What do they do when they meet these adorable little ones? Well, they come almost eyeball to eyeball with the baby and suddenly say "B'ah!", sometimes exhaling all the air from their lungs as they do it. Think of it as the Indonesian version of peek-a-boo except there is no peeking or hiding and instead of boo its B'ah. Its just IN YOUR FACE exhalation. They all do it. Its like a 100% fool proof way to get a squeal of delight out of the child. OK, it seems to work 99% of the time so I guess that why they do it but it has the opposite effect on me.

I keep thinking of all the germs they're blowing into Aaron's face. Airborne germs. Saliva particles. Bad breath. Cigarette breath (every male you meet here smokes). Tooth decay breath. Eew!

There's nothing much I can do about it except hope that the vitamins I'm now feeding him daily and the immunities he's supposedly getting from breast milk protect him. I don't avoid anybody because they are all so friendly and 'real'. Just have to get over the initial greeting. B'ah! B'ah! B'ah!

6 comments:

Kellan said...

"version of peek-a-boo except there is no peeking or hiding and instead of boo its B'ah. Its just IN YOUR FACE exhalation." - so funny. See ya.

Bilbo said...

I can just see my daughter's reaction if someone would do the "B'ah!" thing to Leya ... I'd be trying to post her bail on the murder charge.

Serina Hope said...

Yeah, that would bother me too. Strange custom. But it is good that Aaron likes it.

Jean-Luc Picard said...

I see what you mean. I think you're right.

John A Hill said...

My wife, the germaphobe, would have extreme difficulty with this tradition.

Amanda said...

I was starting to think I was too judgemental and maybe its no big deal BUT, I'm comforted to know that other moms would behave the same way too.