Baby showers at work & not knowing

[Grog]

The other day I'm in line at Superstore, a big, Costco-inspired grocery store - I go there about three times a year! - and the two women ahead of me are checking out with 40 to 50 assorted 2L bottles of pop... and a 4L container of vinegar. I though it was funny so I asked what they were going to do with that, she said: "Oh, we're having a baby shower for my daughter." She proceeded to explain there would be 200 guests. I still can't wrap my head around that.

**

Baby and wedding were a very foreign thing to me as well. I still haven't quite adapted, despite attending three baby showers in the last there months and going through my own wedding shower. I participated in the latter as graciously as I could because I knew the organizers did it as a very kind gesture to me. I'm also happy to do the baby showers for women that I befriend, although I much prefer when they have both women and men as guests. I'm not super keen on the games and things like that, but I love socializing, and, in my book, every excuse is good to celebrate.

Two of the baby showers were reasonable affairs. A bit of eating, a bit of drinking (I had a beer with the father!) and a few nice gifts. One of them was so over-the-top it made me really uneasy. There were about 40 women there and everyone gave pretty big gifts. All that consumption and wrapping paper etc. bothered me a little. On the other hand, I know that the women there were celebrating, in their own way, the arrival of a new member of the community. (It was great that it was after the baby was born, so the cutie was passed around and met a lot of people, too.)

When invited, I try to partake as a "participant observer." I do ethnography for a living, after all. When my partner and I have children, I know there will most likely be a shower organized. So be it. I'll be thankful, and not worry too much if things are not going my way for once.

I totally agree that you should not feel like you have to participate if you're not interested and/or don't know this person too well. But I also understand that you would feel a bit funny about if you didn't. If it was me, I think I would bring just a small gift (it's still possible to find something decent for $10) and attend the event just to get a taste of English Canadian West Coast culture.

[Biciclista]

The other day I'm in line at Superstore, a big, Costco-inspired grocery store - I go there about three times a year! - and the two women ahead of me are checking out with 40 to 50 assorted 2L bottles of pop... and a 4L container of vinegar. I though it was funny so I asked what they were going to do with that, she said: "Oh, we're having a baby shower for my daughter." She proceeded to explain there would be 200 guests. I still can't wrap my head around that.

**.

WOW, just wow!