The Case of the Broken Key
Thought I was going to have a pretty chill day yesterday despite waking up to no power for the second consecutive day. Bailed on the apartment, grabbed some street vendor breakfast and then hit the internet cafe to see the Monday Night Football score, (9am on Tuesday here). I picked 8/14 and am in a solid fifth place in my league. From China!
Got back to the apartment and just hung out and watched Dodgeball on my laptop which pretty much drained the battery. Seeing as we are near the school I decided to head down there and drop it off to charge. After Maggie and Anna came up to the apartment to cook us lunch, (I was the only one home), I had a shower since power had returned and went down to grab my laptop.
Here is where it gets interesting. I get back to the pad, put my newly made four-sided key in the screen door, (two doors), jiggle it with no luck. I take it out and try a different angle, jiggle some more and it breaks off in the lock. Ah! Now, keep in mind I have no idea where Jed or Dan are, when they might return, I don’t have Carlos’ number, and I’m hauling around my overstuffed laptop case. I figure I better head back to the school to let Maggie and Anna in on my latest gaffe. Nope. They are gone. Mr. Cool that I am, I’m trying to make a plan without another stupid move. I decide that since I have my laptop I’ll head down to the internet cafe and email Jed on the chance he gets the email before I see him. More traipsing. When I pull my laptop out at the cafe and hit the power nothing happens. Ah! So of course I think the worst; something happened to it in the office and that is why they left right after I picked it up. I pack back up and head to the school figuring it to be one of the places the returning Jed or Dan might look for me. At this point things aren’t best described as fun for me and the school has all these kids smiling and saying ‘Hello, how are you?’ and ‘What is your name?’ with perfect diction and pride. Sort of tough to stay down with all that joy around you. I pull the broken key head out of my pocket and make noises and gestures indicating, well, indicating k-chuhth, (broken key sound). I likely made a sad face to tie it all together and they got it! They pointed me in the direction of a locksmith and then because they are ten year olds they follow me. The locksmith was right across the street with a cart in front of the grocery store I had twice been in. I show him the broken key head and point in the direction of the apartment and he pulls out a few wires, some pliers and begins locking up his cart. Not only did he walk to the apartment with me, up the six flights and pick the broken key out he then returned to his cart and was able to successfully create a new working key from the broken one. Chinese pride and craftsmanship! All for Y25 or ~$3.50ish. While he was making the new key I was watching over my shoulder for Jed or Dan to pass and was so happy when I saw the unmistakable lumbering gait of the 6’4″ Jed. It turned out he didn’t have a key so it really was all working out perfect. We went up to see if the key worked. Yay! I checked out my laptop and it was fine but just hadn’t taken a charge in the office. Whew!
We returned to the locksmith to have a pair made for Jed and tipped him Y5 on top of the Y5 he charged us. I’ll be certain to expense this experience but what an emotional couple of hours. You know, because I’m not emotional enough.
Jed and I decided to again hit the internet cafe and then the Bright Brick but no plans are ever that concrete. We got to the cafe I usually visit to find it full. Chinese kids spend hours playing computer games against each other. We decided to head to the one Jed frequents when we looked down a wide dirty alley to our left and spotted two pool tables. They are just sitting there in what looks like the lowest overhead pool halls ever. Since we had already picked up some pijiu we figured pool would be in order. There really isn’t much a couple of Americans can do without drawing a crowd and soon we had one. Since neither of us are that great it was pretty fun to have them suggest or shots. A pool table that sits outside doesn’t have the best roll though. At least that is what I’m saying. I won, then Jed won and then I lost to a local Shanxi Fats.
After finding our way to the Bright Brick, (we have to find something closer), and chilling for a couple of hours we begin our trek back with the goal of scoring some more of that wonton soup. No luck on the soup but we were able to find our way back which still brings some joy every time. We hit restaurant that had sort of a buffet on the sidewalk or where one would be if that street had them. Since we were going to walk with it it was served in a plastic bag. Tofu noodles out of a plastic bag after a few pijiu will really test your kuaizi, (kwhy-zuh – chopsticks), skills. Jed wolfed his down and we went back for another baggie.
Look how much I can ramble when I am not on the cafe’s crappy machines. Perhaps today will be less exciting or at least less trying. I’m in China!
Hope you are all well and I look forward to hearing from you!