It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is that is making me feel displaced. Could be that people dress up for everything here, including going to the market for pan y leche. Could be that they use a fork and knife to eat everything, including sandwiches. Could be because people talk at seeming lightning speed, whereas I understand what I hear at sloth speed. I feel like I am underdressed, even when I wear nice pants and a shirt. I feel like a neanderthal when I eat. Today I ate a burrito at the mall, and I swear I could hear 1/2 the food court snickering at me. I hadn't got a fork with my food, because I never use a fork to eat a burrito, but I felt self-conscious about it. Then I decided that it was just too much effort to wind my way back through all the tables in the food court, with a stroller and a tray of food, to get a fork. So I just tried to finish quickly, to silent the snickering, but I think that made it louder because then I was eating like a ravenous neanderthal. Ah, well. At least I couldn't understand any of the comments people made around me. And Vivi made a bigger mess eating her arrowroot cookie, so maybe I didn't look that bad.
Hoping to find the Chilean version of Miss Manners soon to learn some Espanol, and how to eat a sandwich with a fork.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
food courts, traffic, and parking
So I went to the mall AGAIN because 1. I know where it is and 2. It has stuff I need. I went to get a baby carrier, like a bjorn, because I lost mine at Santa Monica Beach before we left (que lastima!) and I really liked it. We are planning on going to the Persa (huge market) this weekend, which won't be a good place for a stroller, so I want to have it for that.
Let me say that just getting to the mall is an adventure in itself because traffic here is INSANE. Makes Los Angeles seem like the wide open prairie. First, every major intersection is actually a roundabout, with cars, buses, and taxis going in and out with no warning (by that I mean signal, hand gesture, anything). There are rules, like lanes for just taxis and buses, but it's the right lane, so any cars that are turning right, at any of the many, many streets, are in that lane as well. I have yet to figure out any rhyme or reason to the parking areas. Many of the lanes for parking in a lot are dead-end, and it seems to be random as to which way traffic can go. One thing that I am struggling to get used to is that you have to pay for parking before you get to the exit, by taking your ticket to a pay kiosk, somewhere in the mall, and getting your ticket validated. It's most unfortunate to remember that you haven't done this when you've loaded a sleeping baby into the car, with lots of groceries (there's a mercado at the mall!) and you're at the exit, with tons of cars behind you. All you can do at that point is be the stupid gringo and back up (permiso! lo siento!)
So I got the baby carrier, which was $40, which isn't much. Then we (Vivi and I) went to the food court. I went to Taco Bell because Laura Perez-from here-told me about the really great cheese empanadas you can get as a side w/ your burrito (instead of fries-at Taco Bell!) I got them and have to say they were pretty tasty. Then got a frozen yogurt so Vivi could have some fruit (they blend it in fresh). She made a face at the cold at first, but then liked it. Which means she figured out how to turn around in her stoller and stand up, while buckled in, so she could open her mouth like a little bird so I could shovel more yogurt in.
We got groceries, had our traffic debaucle, and then finally left the mall parking area. Then we got lost. For an hour and a half. I once told a friend (Hi, Judy! Miss you!) that the good thing about being lost is, you're not going to be lost forever. Lucky for me, Vivi was entertained by me singing the Moo, Baa, Laa, Laa, Laa song, and then went to sleep. I did get a good view of the mountains, found another mall, and saw a horse-drawn cart almost get creamed by a taxi. And I didn't stay lost forever. Just for an hour and a half. We finally got home, and unloaded the groceries, and then I realized I had forgotten matches, which meant I couldn't cook dinner (all burners have to be individually lit). But I had bought pisco ($3!!!) and chocolate cookies at the market, so all was not lost.
Let me say that just getting to the mall is an adventure in itself because traffic here is INSANE. Makes Los Angeles seem like the wide open prairie. First, every major intersection is actually a roundabout, with cars, buses, and taxis going in and out with no warning (by that I mean signal, hand gesture, anything). There are rules, like lanes for just taxis and buses, but it's the right lane, so any cars that are turning right, at any of the many, many streets, are in that lane as well. I have yet to figure out any rhyme or reason to the parking areas. Many of the lanes for parking in a lot are dead-end, and it seems to be random as to which way traffic can go. One thing that I am struggling to get used to is that you have to pay for parking before you get to the exit, by taking your ticket to a pay kiosk, somewhere in the mall, and getting your ticket validated. It's most unfortunate to remember that you haven't done this when you've loaded a sleeping baby into the car, with lots of groceries (there's a mercado at the mall!) and you're at the exit, with tons of cars behind you. All you can do at that point is be the stupid gringo and back up (permiso! lo siento!)
So I got the baby carrier, which was $40, which isn't much. Then we (Vivi and I) went to the food court. I went to Taco Bell because Laura Perez-from here-told me about the really great cheese empanadas you can get as a side w/ your burrito (instead of fries-at Taco Bell!) I got them and have to say they were pretty tasty. Then got a frozen yogurt so Vivi could have some fruit (they blend it in fresh). She made a face at the cold at first, but then liked it. Which means she figured out how to turn around in her stoller and stand up, while buckled in, so she could open her mouth like a little bird so I could shovel more yogurt in.
We got groceries, had our traffic debaucle, and then finally left the mall parking area. Then we got lost. For an hour and a half. I once told a friend (Hi, Judy! Miss you!) that the good thing about being lost is, you're not going to be lost forever. Lucky for me, Vivi was entertained by me singing the Moo, Baa, Laa, Laa, Laa song, and then went to sleep. I did get a good view of the mountains, found another mall, and saw a horse-drawn cart almost get creamed by a taxi. And I didn't stay lost forever. Just for an hour and a half. We finally got home, and unloaded the groceries, and then I realized I had forgotten matches, which meant I couldn't cook dinner (all burners have to be individually lit). But I had bought pisco ($3!!!) and chocolate cookies at the market, so all was not lost.
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