This has to be the 2nd most embarrassing day of my life here in China. I have not shared with you the 1st one yet.
Today, I walked to the mall with the baby girl and braved the cold, strong wind (long-sleeved top with fleece jacket). Since I left my sunglasses back at our beloved home, I arrived at the mall with tears streaming down my face and a runny nose. The cold wind is really COLD.
Why am I doing this? I needed a Halloween costume for the kid.
The little girl had slightly cold fingers (I must get her mittens) but she was snugly wrapped up in a long-sleeved babysuit, a vest and a buttoned-down jacket. I need to get her a thicker, lined jacket.
Since only the supermarket was open, I decided to check out household stuff, baby jar foods and baby biscuits. They didn’t allow access to the lifts, which meant the only way down is via the escalator!
Now, I’m hopeless with balancing a stroller up or down the escalator alone – I can only do it with the Hubby around. I pushed her there and stopped. Shit, will I have to do it? What if I slip and she rolls down the escalator???
Then, the kindest, kindest, kindest old Chinese lady came to me!
She’s one of the cleaners at the mall and she asked me if I wanted to go down the escalator. I said yes but I was afraid and she said she’s antsy about it too too and would help me. This Chinese angel in a samfu suit held the front bar steady while I held the handlebars and SQUATTED down on the escalator. I’m that useless…
I was sooooo touched I must have thanked her more than 5 times! Phew, God knows how long I would have waited like an idiot.
Anyway, we went for breakfast at KFC’s first – I fed her wheat cereal with stewed pear and then gobbled up my porridge as fast as I could before she screamed the place down!
Then, she fell asleep after about 10 mins in the supermarket. I was happy because I could take my time to look, compare prices and write down a shopping list of household goods I needed.
I managed to buy quite a lot including some XXL-sized underwear for myself (only 4 pcs left!!!). I am only M- or L-size back home so China can make anyone who does not have a 24-27 inch waist feel REALLY FAT.
In fact, 2 old Chinese ladies were having trouble finding an fall coat for themselves because she had pretty large bellies but they couldn’t have weighed more than 60 kg each.
I was quite happy because I could get some undershirts for RMB39 each and even a pair of XL-sized fleece-lined track pants for RMB70. I also got packs and packs of biscuits for the kids to try – Hubby is always digging around for something to eat anyway.
When I reached the counter, I was shocked to ring up a bill of nearly RMB600! I only had that much in my wallet but I still needed to get the Halloween costume. I forgot that I’d used up RMB200 yesterday to fill up the bakery card (for 10% discount).
I ended up giving up 2 of my undershirts and something else as I had about RMB40 over left in my wallet.
In the morning rush, I forgot to pack the gigantic shopping bags and ended up having to pay RMB0.90 for 3 plastic bags – not a big deal except it’s tough to carry 3 plastic bags and push a stroller! So smart, right?
I thought I could buy some large shopping bags outside the mall but no luck. I stuffed as much as I could into my tote bag and the stroller basket and then went by the Halloween costume center. If needed, I may go home, drop off the shopping and come back here again.
Luckily, I managed to find the boy’s costume quite quickly for only RMB48. And a pumpkin basket for RMB18 plus a pumpkin lantern for RMB12 for the baby. Previously, I spent like RMB160 on his costume alone! Yeah yeah, cheap and good (claps hands).
When I got to the entrance, I found that I only had RMB7 (including coins!!!) in my wallet 
No, the taxi driver will NOT take me home for less than the fare.
I know it’s impossible for Hubby to come to my rescue so I called up my regular cleaner who was coming over in an hour’s time. Thankfully, she was on her way here so I told her to PLEASE come over to the mall instead.
Luckily, I’d packed some baby food and could the baby her lunch while I waited.
My cleaner was really nice and she wouldn’t take the fare but I’ll pay her later in her salary 
I’m DEFINITELY going to get my debit card this weekend and thankfully, there are no hidden cameras outside the mall to capture my embarrassing moment with the taxi driver!
When I told Hubby about this, I was relieved he didn’t say that I was stupid. Instead he laughed and said that I was too “straight”. I should have just taken the taxi and make him wait while I ran up for the fare.
Hmmm…maybe I should have done that 
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- Halloween in China
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow. Don’t they accept credit card at the mall?
Where got embarassing??? Happens to me all the time because I don’t have an ATM card hence little cash. Either that, or my skin is much thicker than yours!
Shooi – Credit cards are probably accepted at the major cities but in our little town, only debit cards are accepted. You should be familiar with the term “Chinaman business”, right? Cash only.
Paik Ling – Really? Then, yes, your skin is definitely much thicker than mine! If my cleaner didn’t show up, I’d probably have to beg the passers-by for the RMB1 and risk getting locked up as a foreign nuisance!!!
I was also wondering why you can’t take the taxi home first and then run to your house to get the fare
A Mom’s Diary – I don’t know if the taxi driver would wait by the roadside for me to push the kid and my shopping stuff out of the car, into the apartment area, upstairs and downstairs with the kid again???
Hmm…maybe I should “try” that one day and see if I get cursed at or not! Some taxi drivers find the kids cute but some are indifferent, naturally.