Follow the Leader

My first few days in China, I established myself as a leader of sorts. I spent a lot of time with a colleague (who happens to share my initials) who has taken the British personality to new heights. She is a follower. Brits, she says, love to queue up (stand in a line), to the point that they will stand in a line just because there is a line. She definitely does that. "Oh, look, a queue! Must be something good over there." She is also a shy and retiring person, and is very glad to let others do the communicating (especially in a foreign language). So, I took us to the McDonald's and the grocery store. I was the leader.

And then, I was usurped as leader. It was a bloodless coup, a velvet revolution, if you will, but another colleague stepped up as leader. He took us across the street and to KFC. Yes, being deposed as leader means you can no longer cross the street first or lead expeditions to American fast food restaurants. It's a heavy blow to handle, certainly.

But last night, I regained my place as leader! I led the trip to Ikea.

How did I regain such an important position? Two ways: 1) I purchased a completely awesome book that has popular destinations and addresses written in English and Chinese so you can give it to the cab driver and 2) I'd already been to Ikea once.

Yes, my friends, I made a trip to Ikea all on my own. I was feeling rather brave, and although I had thought that I would have at least one other person with me, plans fell through and it was just me. I talked to my handler, stared a map, and got on the subway. On the way, I stopped at the Foreign Languages Bookstore (that's its name) and found the cab driver handbook. Instead of then hailing a taxi and calling my handler to have him give the cabbie the directions, I handed the cabbie the book -- and it worked!

I spent a lovely afternoon tripping over Chinese families in the Ikea showrooms. I was astounded by the families using the various demonstration rooms as actual rooms -- you know, napping with the 2-yr-old in the bedroom or having coffee and talking on the phone in the living room. I also had a delicious meal of Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, and lingonberry compote with a green salad with 1000 Island dressing, tiramisu, and coffee that was brewed for me. Heaven, I tell you, heaven. I even managed to get a cab back home with all my Ikea purchases. I was on fire. 

So last night, when my girlfriends wanted to make the trip, I was their leader. I took them to the correct subway stop. I hailed us a cab. I used my book. I took us straight to the cafeteria. And then I walked us through the showrooms. I could point out the method for buying furniture (one woman had NEVER been to an Ikea, ever!). I knew where things were. I was, once again, the leader.

On the way out, I even knew enough to stop by the food store and purchase a box of crackers (we had been lamenting the sad state of crackers in this country) and a box of gingersnaps. Mmmmm.... gingersnaps. A cab ride back (and I even knew enough to point the cabbie to the exact location of our apartments) and my status has been cemented.

I am the leader.

Until the next thing we all try to do and someone else has done before. *sigh* It's a fickle crowd I roll with.