The Beijing Shopping Experience, Solo!

My new friends here had accompanied me on the frist couple of shopping trips to make sure I got set up with necessities (Of course it didn't hurt to bribe them with the offer to cook for them!). Well today it was time for me to try it solo.

First and foremost: Never and I mean NEVER go grocery shopping on Sunday! What was I thinking? Most folks, in this city of 21 million people, work 6 days a week with Sunday's off, so of course where do they go?

First you fight through a crowd of folks to find what you need, keeping in mind that you took a taxi so don't buy anything you can't carry. Then you stand in line for no less than an hour and a half, inching your way as the line moves in front of you.

Just when I can see the register coming in front of me a fight breaks out between the woman in front of me and someone who is actually crazy enough to try to cut into the line. OMG!!! there was yelling, gesturing, and at this point I'm pretty sure swearing [It was a good thing I can't translate yet because I'm sure it was far too harsh for my sensitive ears ;-) ]. Two of the store employees come over to try to calm the situation down, and as they're doing so the two women in front of me grab my cart and pull it directly behind theirs to basically block this intruder, all the while the women behind me is shoving me forward with her cart to make sure she stays in her spot too. The next thing I know is that the cutter's cart goes scooting down the aisle next to us! When I turn back around to face the register the woman in front of me, who by the way made sure I didn't lose my place in line, is laughing and smiling as if this is just part of the entertainment.

I place my items at the register pay and carry my bags of goodies out to the line of taxi's waiting to run us all back to our residence's. I start down the line showing my address to each driver trying to find one that is willing to go that direction. The fourth one in line accepts the challenge and off we go. The problem is that I live on a fairly well known street, but the specific address is not something that the drivers are familiar with so I always end up having to keep my eyes peeled so that when I'm about a block or two away I can tell them where to turn.

Now if you payed attention earlier you know that I haven't yet learned the language so the interaction between myself and the driver has got to be a hilarious site to someone watching, or listening, but hey it works and I'm back home.

I get back to the room, open the door, and there on the floor is a sheet of paper that was slid under my door. On it is the new schedule of shuttle runs from the apartment complex to the grocery store! I notice that the shuttle doesn't run on Sunday. I think to myself : "Huh, go figure"!