The Cure to ANY Ailment

In the Hengyang mind, the cure to any ailment-- "put on more clothes." You have a headache- put on more clothes, you have a stomachache- put on more clothes, your knee is hurt- wear more clothes. Many of my students and people in our community take this very seriously. The Ayi at the apartment gate will pinch my leg to see if I have on long johns and my students will ask me how many shirts I am wearing and if I feel cold.
I find this extremely funny... but they take it very seriously... especially when it comes to children. Many children cannot bend their arms because they have on so many layers. I have always wanted to capture this in a photograph but did not want to appear rude. This week I had the perfect opportunity. The child in this picture is only 3 months old. I counted the layers of clothes-- 5 LAYERS and 2 HATS!!! OH MY GOODNESS. This deserves the phrase "poor baby" But this Hengyang mommy is doing her duty of putting on more clothes.