Canadian Songwriter, Performer and Audio Professional; living an exciting story in Asia.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
My glorious new phone; the story:
I stepped out of my taxi late last night outside my apartment complex and shut the door. Immediately, the thought crossed my mind, “I didn’t get the receipt”. It’s good practice to always get receipts from taxi’s in China, if not for reasons of business, they can help you in a case of lost-and-found. Just as the thought passed through my mind, I watched the taxi pull away. It wasn’t until I stepped into my apartment on the 16th floor that I realized my phone was not in my pocket, not in my hand, not in my backpack… “Ah, crap!”.
And so the episode began. Lesson learned (again). I spent all day today calling the taxi company; giving up hope; searching for the China Unicom office; getting a new SIM card; and finally scoring a deal on the worlds worst phone…
I’m not thrilled. This evening I’m very comfortably relaxing in one of Kunming’s many western cafe’s and finally taking a run through the inbox which I’ve neglected all day long. That phone is my lifeline around here. I don’t know how I’m gonna get around without that thing!
As a side note, I have a new addition to my Christmas list: A new iPhone.
Taxi ride in Kunming
Last night I left my apartment and grabbed a taxi on the street heading for the club district in Kunming. I laid down across the back seat of the cab as I often do during long taxi rides. All of the sudden, the taxi driver pulls to the side of the road and a girl gets in my cab. Remember, only two minutes prior to this I’d hired the driver, right outside my apartment complex and now he’s making the decision -without prior consent, to share my taxi with a complete stranger!
Normally, this kind of thing wouldn’t bother me, and it didn’t… but I spent the whole taxi ride for the next 20 minutes contemplating what had just happened! Is this normal? Did this really just happen? How much did she pay the driver when she got out of the cab more than half-way to Kundu? What do I say to the driver?!
The scene got a little messy when the driver realized I wasn’t going to pay the full taxi fare… Nothing can be expected here and soon nothing surprises you. It just is what it is.
It’s been one week…
Yeap, it’s a bright, cloudy day here in Kunming. This morning I realized I’ve been here, in Kunming, for an entire week!
Today’s story: “Face-butt” I’ve never seen this before, but last night in the streets of Kunming, we witnessed an argument in the street over a minor fender bender. The dude was chill, until the smaller guy picked a fight with him and he decided it was a good idea to face smash the smaller guy’s face with his own face. Face-punch? Face-butt? I donno what you call that, but I’ve never really thought it was a good idea to smash someone in the face with your face. Usually, I use my fist, or the back of my hand? Something that wouldn’t hurt me as much as it will the other person. Just my thoughts.
Last night I designed an ad for my friends, “Hello Kelly”, and today I’m putting some time into a big brochure project. Maybe I’ll explore the city a bit this afternoon.
Health Exam Day
It’s September and I’m in a taxi, crossing a city in China. This isn’t where I had imagined myself at the age of twenty-two. Man, is this ever crazy! I can’t speak to anyone I meet and I’m charad’ing my way through all the everyday motions; the stuff I would normally do without thinking. From shopping to eating, it all take three times as long. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining! This is what I expected when I decided to move here.
Today, Drew and I went to do my Health Exam for school here in China. It was one of the funniest experiences of my life! Apparently, men have the ability to get pregnant. Part of the exam included getting my belly all gel’d up and giving me an ultra sound (which the nurse found practically impossible while I was laughing through the entire exercise.) Then there was the x-ray, and the removal of my blood… I didn’t enjoy that part.
It’s non-stop excitement, day in and day out. —China out.
