Peace and Love don't Push and Shove...

a great quote someone told clayt and apparently they've never heard it here. We are in the land of pushes and shoves. Like we said before, there is a lot of cutting. We have been cut in line at the grocery store, the bank, the market and the post office. People simply without shame walk up and if you are at a window of some sort (like at the bank) people just come up beside you and (sometimes actually pushing you out of the way) put their documents or merchandise or whatever on top of or in front of yours. Its pretty irritating. The guidebook tells us its to be expected, and its just the way it is here. It also said getting mad or making a fuss doesn't do anything, and if you can't beat them, join them. We haven't joined them, but we've developed a sort of system, where i stand in line with my elbows out and clayt sort of circles me or stands on one side, so noone can pass us. If we are close to the front of the line or almost to the window, we stick out our hands so they really can't get close. Its the same on the bus and other places. People push you and shove you to get on the bus before you and get off the bus before you. I think, hey, jerk, I'm getting off too! Trouble is, if you let enough people off in front of you, you may miss your chance to get off, as sometimes the bus doesn't stop at all, just slows down alot. If you are trying to walk into or out of a store, there is no concept of letting the other person get through the doorway before you also try to get through. We find it to be really rude, but clayt reminds me that what we think defines rude is a cultural thing. Their ideas of rude are different. If they hit your feet in any way, they stop to say sorry and shake your hand.

anyways, in the spirit of blending in or something like that, I fought back (in my little timid way) over the weekend. We were in line at a supermarket sort of place, and there was only one line open, making it kind of long and perfect for cutters. We had just gotten in line and these two ladies with a shopping cart came up, and the one tried to just come and butt her shpping cart into line in front of us. So, I just pushed her cart away with my hand. I didn't say anything, I just pushed her cart enough to make it face in the opposite direction. And then she just got in line behind us. No dirty looks or anything! After a year of this clayt and I are going to be agressive city folks i think. Watch out cutters! Or maybe we will be the cutters. Uh-oh.