E: And… yeah… So, how are you doing this evening, Angie? Did you have a good day today?
A: Yes, yes. We … My husband and I took our children to the zoo today. Yeah… We had a lot of fun there.
E: Did you… uh… Do you often do a lot of activities on the weekend with your children?
A: Not too often, but probably once a month, we do something special.
E: Do you.. uh.. this time at the zoo, did you notice other families with children?
A: Oh yeah. Lots of families with children. Some young couples there but mostly they are families with young children.
E: Uh-hum. What are some other things that you would do usually with your family on the weekend?
A: On weekends, when we want to just relax, we stay home and maybe go to some shopping mall… That's it. E: That's it? Oh yeah?
A: That's it. When we feel more active, maybe we go somewhere, I don't know, some picnic? Or maybe go to swimming pool, maybe indoor pool.
E: Ah-huh. Yeah. That is what we would do, too usually. We have a nice… my family is much smaller than yours but we still like to take our young baby, I guess he is a toddler now. He is eleven and a half months old.
A: So has he started walking?
E: Yeah. He is a … A: Wow, that is fast. E: Yeah. See, he already started about a month ago. He was already walking like at ten and a half months. I soon discovered that he was very ambitious, right?
A: Yeah you bet.
E: He is … because his talent is still maybe the talent of an eleven-month-old. He bangs into things a lot so sometimes he is pretty shaky.
A: Shaky, you mean he walks and falls down easily?
E: Yeah. He falls down or if he is standing and something surprises him he'll turn his head and then boom, falls down. A: Hahaha. That is cute.
E: Sometimes he is cute. Sometimes he bangs his head or something. I do not like that too much. That makes me feel worried, so… I think I am a bit, kind of over-protective type.
A: Like my husband.
E: Is he? Is he also like that?
A: Yes. He worries too much about his children, I guess.
E: Really?
Is he like… Does he tell them not to do anything dangerous, or…?
A: Not too… For example, my middle daughter, she is a five-year-old. She can now ride her bicycle by herself and she likes to ride her bicycle around the block in this neighborhood just by herself.
E: Ah huh.
A: And my husband does not like it at all. He is really worried about her having a car accident or maybe she might be kidnapped by some pervert. But I say, “It is okay. She can handle herself in this neighborhood.” That is what I think but he worries too much about her.
E: Yeah. Haha. Usually you 'd think it would be the opposite but I guess with a little girl it is … the daddy is more worried maybe. A: I understand that.
E: Imagine what will happen when she starts bringing home guys.
A: He will be crazy.
E: Yeah. I guess it is a different type of feeling when you have a daughter. I do not have a daughter yet, so… Maybe I will never have one. I have a son now. Yeah… So is your neighborhood… I guess your neighborhood is generally fairly safe then for children.
A: Yeah, I think so. Yes.
E: I see.
A: At least we have three generations living in this neighborhood so I know most of the people around this area. So I think I feel safer than other areas, I guess.
E: I see.
That is lucky. In our neighborhood it is not that safe. I don't think ... it is because we do not have that family network. It is not unsafe. I mean it is not like people shooting each other on the street or anything. It is not like that at all but... it is not like a typical inner city American style neighborhood or whatever. It is kind of inner city but Canadian style. So it is more relaxed and ...on the other hand there are, you know, people sort of that look a little bit strange… sometimes walking around and you know, … sometimes at night you hear a big music coming from, loud music coming from a car and... you see type... sort of gang-related... what you would associate with gangs… type of activity like... their dress and the type of vehicles they drive. So it is a bit worrisome sometimes actually. I do not know, I mean,... maybe I am over-worried though because when I was young I grew up in a farm and I was bored, bored, bored. So maybe I would have been happier if I had been in this situation.
A: I grew up in the city. So being raised in a farm sounds more exciting to me.
E: Really?
A: Yeah. Can you ride a horse?
E: Can I ride a horse? No. I am scared of horses.
A: OK. So, farm is like having cows or…?
E: We had sheep actually. So we can… I know I have a lot of experience with sheep.
A: So you herd sheep?
E: I have herded lots of sheep. Yes.
And I have caught sheep and I have sheared sheep and I have, you know, slaughtered sheep even.
A: Oh really? Wow… E: Yeah. That is one experience actually … that is very, like, particular that I think not many people have had. I have actually killed some animals which were then on the table for food. So it is actually a very good feeling in a sense because you feel like you are really taking part in the cycle of life in a way. I mean, it sounds funny but… yeah.
A: I understand what you mean. Like many children just think that meat is produced in some kind of factory or just wrapped in a package and sold at supermarket. I think that thought is very unhealthy.
E: Yeah it is. And it is not … and a lot of food that is … in a sense it is produced in a factory if you look at some the farms there that are specialized for producing food. It is very mechanical and lots of stuff is used to promote the production of meat, like hormone injections and so on which are, well I do not know, I guess they are all tested to find that they are not unsafe but... I don't know. It is kind of a big question mark in my mind about all this and I still eat meat though.
