Being helpful

Today we went to visit Dad at work. We also needed to do some paperwork to get Naomi's citizenship. We figure she needs a country, and we sure like ours, so we'll go ahead and have her become American... not that we have many (any) other options.

Anyway, after lunch, I took the girls outside and got started hailing a cab. There are certain times of day when it's practically impossible to get a taxi, and this was one of them. I hailed and waved, but none of the taxis were available.

I didn't want to take the public bus. They're crowded, hot, and not terribly convenient with a stroller and two babies. However, I recently learned which number goes from our house to the Consulate, and I headed in that direction. Along my way, a lady told me how beautiful my daughters were. Thank you. How old is that one? She's almost two. How old is this one? She's a whole month. Aiya! And you're already taking her outside?! Yup.

This is my typical walking-down-the-street conversation. It was punctuated by my frequently stopping to wave at taxis. She commented how the street we were on wasn't so good for hailing cabs (che buhao da), but it might be easier at the intersection ahead. I agreed. She wondered where we were going, and after I told her, she pointed at which direction we should head. Thank you.

When we got to the intersection, we parted ways, and I stood on the corner waving down cabs. They were all full.

We waited and sweated in the sunshine for a few minutes before I realized what was going on. The lady I'd been talking to wasn't just going on her merry way; she had wandered into traffic and was talking to a cabbie, pointing at us occasionally.

When she motioned for us to come, I pushed Penny's stroller and trotted on out into (stopped) traffic. She had stopped a cab-- a cab that already had a passenger, mind you-- and talked the driver into taking us as well. He would take his first passenger to his destination and then take me to mine.

The lady reminded me to thank the driver-- and of course I thanked her as well.

Sometimes I feel kind of annoyed when everyone wants to have their say in how I hold, feed, dress, or shade my children. But then times like this remind me that many people just want to be helpful.