Rugrat ramblings

Rugrat Ramblings Hit me with your best shot

The youngest member of our team gets vaccinated

So... something happened. Something that I have been putting off writing about for some time because it was, I suppose, a rather traumatic experience. What I like to call a ‘surprise attack’. Unexpected. Brutal. Even writing about it now makes my baby palms sweat a little bit. No, not from this Hong Kong heat, but the sheer horror of it all.

But, I think I’m ready now. I mean c’mon, It’s been four months since it happened and I don’t consider myself to be a little baby anymore. I’m a big baby now and I can crawl and clap and pull myself up on stuff. I’m different, stronger, changed. My hope is that sharing this experience will prepare others for the nightmare that it was and perhaps be less of a shock. So here goes.

It started out like any other day. I woke up, had breakfast, (well, the floor had most of it) and mummy dressed me. I remember looking at myself in the mirror thinking that I looked particularly sharp that day and that nothing could ruin my mood. Oh, how terribly wrong I was.

We hopped on the bus headed for Tung Chung and I figured we were going to pick up some groceries. No big deal, I love groceries, they’re great. But as soon as we arrived and began walking away from what I thought was our destination, I knew something was off.

Five minutes later we enter a building and take a seat with other mummies and babies. “It’s okay,” mummy says to me. Excuse me, what? What’s okay? I look up at her from my carrier and she has a look

Thoughts and perceptions from the mind of an expat baby

of fear on her face. As I cuddle up against her chest I can feel her heart rate increase a little. “EXCUSE ME, WHAT’S OKAY?”

Before she can respond, we enter another area where everyone is asked to put on a mask. Oh no, oh no. I can feel the energy in this place and it’s tense. Like, off the chart tense. “Have you travelled overseas in the last fourteen days?” “No, nope, no,” mum responds. So we are given a ticket which I will refer to as “The Ticket of Terror”.

“Number four” a voice booms down from above. Mum stands up, takes a deep breath and we enter another room. She takes me out of the carrier and sits down. “Left leg,” the nurse says. Mum looks at my legs. “Your left or my left?” The nurse looks confused. She points to my leg. “Leg,” she says. And then... SONOFABIGHORSE what on earth was that? A bite? A scratch? Pain shoots down my left thigh. “Other side,” the nurse says. Wait, wait wa..... SONOFACHIMP it happens again. Here come the waterworks. “Thank you,” mum says as she exits. Thank you? I thought we were on the same team here.

But then something happens. It’s mamma, making a hushing sound. “Shh shh shh, it’s over now.” The tears stop and my eyes droop a little. I cuddle up close. “Mamma’s here.” Those words melt me. I feel safe and can’t help but think that whatever just happened was for the best.

Just like when mum and dad don’t let me watch television, or when they make me wear pants. I trust there’s a reason for their madness.

Here’s how I see it. To get better I need to be a little bit uncomfortable, just like all those Covid-19 restrictions recently. It’s no secret Hong Kong is going through some trying times. But we’re strong and resilient and being a baby born through all of this, I like to think I am too. We’ve come so far as a city and we’ve pushed through the worst. We’ve been uncomfortable in order to be healthy and happy and that’s just fine with me. JUST.