GPS

It took two years of riding my bike and hailing taxis, but I finally got my Chinese driver’s license.  Shortly thereafter, I got a car!  In the past year, my new-found freedom has been nothing short of phenomenal.  I am no longer scared out of my wits to be on the road, although I have to be careful not to be jaded by the lack of road rules (something to remember during those visits back home).

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Here’s a good article, albeit from an alarmist right-wing British newspaper, about the rise of smother-love. It seems that in the UK there has been a boom in the sale of GPS tracking devices, not for high-tech espionage exploits, but so that inquisitive parents can know where there kids are at all times.

Is this overprotection good for them? Should kids be allowed to experience cut knees and bloody noses as part of the growing up process? It’s tough to say, and is obviously one of those “where do you draw the line?” dilemmas.

There’s a good quote from the film director Terry Gilliam about parenting that I’ll paraphrase, if I may: “The good thing about children is when you drop them, they bounce.”