How to change someones bad opinion of you.....

This Sunday I took the girls back home from church on the bus. Bus travel is my most common option when I take the girls out and about the city. Sounds simple enough, but actually it's quite an operation. Up until very very recently, my area and anywhere I went to from my area never had wheel chair access buses. Now there is one service, buses come every 15 to 20 minutes. Which is long in Taipei City. Anyway, on Sunday we were taking a normal, non wheelchair access bus.

I had, two girls (one needing to be carried), one stroller, one bag of dumplings (in which there were 60 dumplings - Steve has since been firmly told that there will be no more pop in to the dumpling store by the church requests...) my own bag full of ..... stuff, a jacket that a certain 4.5 year old didn't want to carry, and another bag.  Then I have to get all of this up stairs on the bus, which as soon as we get our feet on the steps will start moving again. Because I was at an early stop before the major stop just up the road, there were not many people on board. I plonked them in the first two seats on the bus. Evie had the stroller in her seat and was rather uncomfortable. I gave Evie the iPod and Tilly the iPhone. They are both allowed to watch Sesame Streets What's the word on the street? podcast while we travel. This to me is essential. In the end I moved Evie to the seat behind her with her sister, however they each held their own ipod. Yes, I admit they did look like spoiled western brats sitting there with their latest technology each, not even having to share. They are only allowed to use them in such a situation, on a long journey and when I need them to be still. They don't use the ipod at home (disclaimer disclaimer). What's the word on the street? is excellent by the way. Tilly can randomly say things like, a conflict is when two or more people have an arguement about something... They do real adult words and she loves it. Evie just likes looking at it because it's Sesame Street.

People really seemed to take offense to them sitting their watching their (mother's) ipod. And I could hear and understand what they were saying...... Some people even pushed through the thick fog of people on the bus to point. The grandma behind them actually grabbed on to their chair and hung over the edge to get a better look. But I think she just genuinely wanted to know 'what the word on the street' was for the day.....

I managed to stand there as if nothing was going on. In between all this I realised that my....... stuff....... was taking up a valuable seat and therefore I put it all on my shoulders and held the pram up against the rail and then tried to envision how I was going to pick up Evie and carry it all out when the time came. Let's not forget the bus is moving and stopping the whole time and most bus drivers here go heavy on the brakes. Rather annoying.

Two bus stops before I had to get out. I asked the girls to pass me the ipod/iphone, and to sit quietly while we waited for the bus stop to approach. I picked up Evie and passed the card to Tilly giving her instructions to swipe on the way out. We got to the stop and walked quietly off the bus, Tilly swiped the card and stayed close beside me as we climbed down the steps and out on to the street. No obnoxious white devil behaviour. Just three very orderly passengers with a great deal of ...... stuff...... getting off the bus. Flicked open the stroller and Evie was seated in it with ...... stuff......  hanging off it, before the bus even pulled away. (And of course by stuff I mean cr*p.....)

And it is at this point that everyone starts looking at us all differently. I could hear, wow, and amazing and what a good little girl. And other such accolades... An old couple getting off behind us actually stopped on the street and watched the procession and praise Tilly for being able to swipe the card and be a good girl (?! - I don't get it either).

Because you see when a foreigner is getting around with kids and strollers and stuff in this city it basically sets off a chain reaction of comments and points and attention. Most of which I completely ignore. However I guess a 19th month old watching the ipod is a little too much to bear (sometimes even for me!), however before one judges I challenge you to a Taipei City bus ride with stuff and strollers and children and dare you to do it without a designated distraction...