Shopping With Kirstie

Since Kirstie's birth there have only been a few times that Allen and I have attempted taking our daughter with us on our shopping errands. I think any parent would understand why shopping with a small baby can be difficult. Being foreigners in Taipei adds a few more hurdles to the experience (finding a taxi driver that will accept foreigners with a big stroller, baby, and big bags of goods, trying to fit the stroller in the taxi, trying to be gone and back home in time for our hungry baby to be fed). But today we were feeling pretty daring and decided to try "family shopping" again. It took 15 minutes of walking before we found a willing taxi driver - not the best start if you have a long shopping list and a strict time schedule. First stop was Costco where we planned to grab a quick lunch but as we stepped inside we were greeted by the sight of about a hundred people going about their eating routine. This routine involves several tasks: wait in line to order, scour over the tables to jump on the first half-open seat, save seats for the rest of your group, then liesurely eat your meal using as little space as possible. I waited with Kirstie as Allen stood in line, received our food, and then proceeded in asking people if the space next to them was open. This was a little frustrating because people would shake their heads up and down and wave their hands like they were inviting us to sit down, but they got upset when we tried to squeeze in. Perhaps the reason for this confusion was because they thought we were asking "is someone sitting here" rather than "may we sit here". Or perhaps they invited us to come sit and then change their minds, or maybe someone else grabbed the seat before we could get the other half of our bottom on it. Embarrassed and culture stressed, I just wanted eat standing up even though this was not really feasible. I told Allen, "I'm having culture shock and I hate this." He agreed and patiently kept trying to find a spot to sit. As we paused and sighed in defeat Allen noticed a man waving at him. "Do you think he is waving at us to sit there?" he asked me. We went to find out and were pleasantly surprised and relieved at this man's kindness. Finally a moment to relax. After finishing our meal we decided that since we were at Costco we might as well pick up a few things. This wasn't such a good idea because Kirstie became like a peice of metal in a room full of magnets. Everyone wanted to look at and talk to this cute, white baby. I was at a stand still, trying to be polite, answer questions, and keep moving. Time was running short and we still had another store to go to, so we decided to use the less crowded outside aisles to finish our shopping. The next store was the same story with the crowds. By the time we passed through the checkout line Kistie was crying. Thankfully I was able to calm her while Allen repacked our things for the taxi ride home. Outside the store we waited until an old, dirty, no-flooring taxi became available. This was not the time to be picky, so we flagged it down. The driver helped Allen load up our stuff and strap the trunk down over our stroller. All around us traffic was becoming congested because of the stop light and then I heard that familiar fender-bender sound. I looked up to see two nice-looking vans stopped in the middle of traffic, their drivers out disgustedly inspecting their seemingly untouched vehicles. Hopefully no one was assuming that the foreigners and their stopped taxi was the cause of this mess. I decided to get in the car so that us and our stuff would be less noticeable, but as soon as I sat down Kirstie decided that she didn't want to be content. I think my Spirit must have been groaning for no traffic jams and a kind taxi driver because that is what God blessed us with. Instead of being nervous and flustered with the crying baby he sympathized with her saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry". And he didn't seem to mind having to communicate with Allen over her loud sobs. It would have been nice to know how to effectively express our gratitude, but a simple "Thank you" had to do and we hoped he understood how appreciative we were. What a day for God to teach and remind me. Be patient when under culture stress, count my blessings, and don't go shopping on Saturday.