In my hood….the one child policy is in evidence everywhere.
Not just on the streets where besotted grandparents are looking after their one grandchild whilst their own child is at work. But at the counter in every convenience store, chemist and supermarket.
Introduced in 1979, there are in fact many exceptions to the one child rule and they vary from province to province. In general if both parents are single children they can have two children; rural families can have 2 children if the firstborn is female and ethnic minorities are exempt from the rule completely.
If a second child has not been ‘applied’ for in the correct way or if the family is not deemed to meet the criteria for a second child the policy is strictly enforced and fines are imposed based on the family income. The fines are substantial – often in the region of double the combined annual income of the parents.
With that in mind it’s no wonder that contraception is widely available and nothing is off limits when it comes to what is on the displays including sex toys and various lotions and potions. But seriously – someone in marketing must have been having a laugh when they came up with this name for a brand of condoms?
Anywhere else in the world this prime retail space is packed full of sugary sweets for that last ‘spontaneous’ purchase before leaving the shop. I don’t have kids but I imagine it must be quite unsettling to have brightly coloured packets of condoms at toddler eye level!!!
What’s going on in your hood?