I REFER to the Lifestyle article ''Honey, I adopted the kids''(South China Morning Post, September 27). Shane Burke is obviously not an adoptive parent. If that were the case, he/she would never describe adoption as ''a shortcut to motherhood''. Nor would Burke comment that for Jamie Lee Curtis and Kirstie Alley ''the choice'' was made for them. Neither could have children of their own. Burke also seems to suggest that five years into her marriage, Curtis simply woke up one day and said ''hey, I can't get pregnant, let's adopt!'' As the adoptive mother of two children, I suggest that the reality for Curtis was somewhat different, that alot of time during those years was spent anxiously visiting doctors, watching dates come and then go; taking just one more test, one more time. I suspect there was a period of anguish, questioning and adjustment before the decision to try adoption was made. California laws may be different, but to adopt a child through the Hong Kong Government means that every area of your background is carefully scrutinised before a child is placed in your care. This again happens over a period of time and, one doesn't know until the end of the procedure whether or not one is ''acceptable'' as a parent. JACKY ANDREWS Cheung Chau
