Need To Get Out
Three months out of America and feeling relatively safe in Chiang Mai, Thailand, I attempted a supermarket outing all by myself. One aspect of traveling abroad as a family is not a lot of alone time happens, and I really do need some of that goodness. I volunteered myself to grocery shop at the Tesco Supermarket down the road and noted that I would be going out alone.
Local people have said Tesco is similar to Wal-Mart. That sounded familiar to me so off I headed on this blissful adventure all on my own. With wind in my hair and sun shining down I rode my bike with the cute basket to the front gate. I half skipped half ran across the terrifying street to wait for a green truck; I felt on top of the world and free. After a few minutes of waiting a Tuk Tuk came by and agreed to take me down the street. Sitting in the back of the Tuk Tuk I was feeling confident and excited for the time alone.
What Have I Done?
I was on full alert so I didn’t miss my stop; there is no way of knowing if the driver understood where I wanted to end up. The driver pulled to the Tesco entrance and upon dropping me off wanted twice as much as a local would pay. Now my anxiety was high and a whole flood of emotions was surfacing. Everything from anger to sadness to hurt was bubbling up. The driver took what I gave him and drove off. He left me feeling vulnerable and full of doubt that I had made a bad decision coming alone.
Entering the shopping center I instantly felt like a lost child. The only thing I could read was the toilet sign, in pictures. So I raced for the toilet and tried to control this flood of emotions. After a short pep talk I re-entered the shopping area with more bravery, but not much.
With shopping list in hand I began with the produce, it is the easiest food to recognize. After getting what I needed I headed into the aisles. This is the breaking point in the shopping trip; I completely lost it. Besides Oreos and Ritz crackers I could neither read nor figure out what any of the products were. One aisle literally had hundreds of glass bottles filled with dark liquid. I can only assume they all contained different ingredients, but what even one of them contained I could not tell. Meandering up and down the aisles I tried in vain to spot anything that I could make without knowing how to read Thai. My shopping list went out the window. Biscuits, bread, yogurt, Yakult (Tage’s favorite), Coke Zero (for Jake), milk and some meat made it into the basket.
Defeated
Feeling defeated, I stopped at the ATM to grab some cash. I was going to need more if I got the tourist price for the ride home. The ATM spit out 1,000baht in a 1,000 bill. Weighed down with the grocery bags I now had to break the large bill. In an effort to lift my spirits I thought I’d bring a surprise home for the family, a delicious bag of colorful donuts. A few groceries and some change for the ride home filled my arms and pockets; it was time to find my way home.
Taxis are not frequent in the area of town we live. I walked probably half a mile before a red taxi finally pulled up behind me and asked if I’d like a ride. Red taxis are for private full day hire, but this guy said he would take me home for 100baht. This is an extraordinary price for the distance, but my obvious tourist status doesn’t give me a lot of leverage. My dripping sweat and grocery bags that got heavier with every step made the 100baht worth it in that moment.
Trying to hide my hideous mood from the driver I gratefully jumped in the truck and listened to him try to sell me a tour for later on in the week. One more tour pitch only made my mood worse; the left hand turn after the petrol station could not come soon enough. Laden with groceries and slew of the grumpies following me I rode the bike home. I ended up hating that outing and that whole day, really.
Supermarket Outing: Take II
Fast forward a few days and I announced another outing. This one, I determined was going to go better. The foreign Supermarket, Rimping, would be my destination of choice along with the outdoor market nearby. Tage came with me for moral support and he brightens anyone’s bad mood.
In drizzling rain and cool air Tage clung to me as we rode to the front gate. Together we ran across the treacherous street and waited, and waited, and waited some more. Not one green truck or Tuk Tuk passed by. However, a kind Thai lady who spoke a little English understood where we wanted to go and offered us a ride on her motorbike.
Remember when your mom said, “Never go with strangers”? Yeah, we broke that rule. It turned out to be a great experience for Tage and me. Tage got a motorcycle ride, his little thrill, and I was felt blessed by this sweet Thai lady who saw a need and served. She dropped us off in the middle of the street in front of the market and sped off. We crossed the rest of the busy road to the outdoor market.
Tage is loved by the people of Asia; they can’t keep their hand off his cute face. The vendors are more helpful and smiley when Tage is with me. We purchased produce at the outdoor market, that never gets old. The drizzle had stopped so we only had to avoid the puddles on the walkway to the supermarket. Rimping has labels in English and products that resemble items from home. This helped to make a more successful shopping trip. With a basket full of items to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a few days we proudly walked out of the Supermarket.
Now it was time to try Uber, my first time using the service on my own. Jake normally does all the work to summon an Uber. It was a smooth transaction in that we made it home. We ended up waiting quite a while for the driver, but he made it and I was able to direct him right to our front door. My skills in giving and receiving directions lack in all ways, so this is something to celebrate. Other than my Uber account not allowing me to switch from cash to credit card payment, Uber is a smooth and convenient service.
Happy Endings
This time I arrived home with a smile and proud of the goods I returned home with. It was a success. Tage was fun to have with me and the motorbike ride was a bonus for him.