Sunburn

Okay, a departure from retrospective posts. Here is something which makes us more extraordinary than ordinary here, even at CAJ. Our white skin. Sounds obvious, doesn't it? But we do things to protect our white skin that people with darker skin don't do. Also, coming from Australia where the ozone hole is closer, we are far more aware of skin cancer than white people from the northern hemisphere. So, you can pick an Australian from a mile off in summer – they are lathering up and always wearing hats and sunglasses.

Well today I forgot that others don't realise what we need to do, nor to they realise the consequences. I allowed my 6 y.o. to go down to the river with some classmates and their parents. I didn't go because the older two wanted to stay home and my husband is on the other side of Tokyo today. The group he was with were almost all Asian with one northern hemisphere Caucasian. All the kids were at least part-Asian. Their skin is much more tolerant to the sun.

I put sunscreen on his arms and face and sent him off with water and a hat. But did I tell him not to take his shirt off? No. Did I tell the lady I asked to look after him to not let him take his shirt off? No. Now he is sunburnt. Ouch.