We were enjoying our trip to Hong Kong Disneyland in March recently. We managed to complete a few rounds of our favourite Buzz Lightyear attraction, and then decided to head to the Winnie the Pooh ride. We lined up in queue and right in front of us a mother and two young children came through the Fastpass.
Clearly, the mother was already frazzled and when the younger son screamed in tears because apparently his older sister (probably just one year older) took away his sticker. Mother screamed at the daughter, which sent the poor girl in tears too. The little girl hid her face in the mother's trousers and suddenly the mother screamed out loudly and started to hit the girl on the face, the head, the body, shouting obscenities and kicking the little girl.
All of us lining up behind were horrified and some ladies standing behind me commented disapprovingly. The mother overheard and looked at our direction, shouting out in Cantonese, "Don't you dare teach me how to bring up my kids!"
We were shocked beyond belief and felt so helpless. We observed the little boy imitating his mother and scolding his older sister in a very similar way the mother was shouting at her. I wanted to carry off the little girl or perhaps alert the authorities, but it seemed everyone preferred to turn the other way. Finally, the mother yanked her two children away into the Winnie the Pooh ride, still shouting and screaming and slapping away.
All through our Winnie the Pooh ride, I was still in a daze and kept wondering if the little girl survived the ride with her angry mother and equally angry little brother.
