It happened this week.
First, I either ate or drank something I shouldn’t have. I do admit to trying anything (well almost – no snake, yet) and I do enjoy just walking onto a new strange restaurant and just trying it out. But on Wednesday, I felt pretty crummy on the inside. Nothing disastrous, but certainly off my game.
And then it was raining.
Noah and the Ark type raining. All day. Nasty, dreary, not going to be able to go outside type of rain. Tack on to that several nights of late phone call meetings back to the states and I was getting a little hotel stir crazy.
So, in general, I was feeling out of whack.
Then Thursday hits.
I took my taxi to work and about mid morning I realized “Where’s my cell phone?” Running through the morning in my head I came to the only possible conclusion. Its in the taxi. Oh No! A few phone calls to the hotel and taxi company and the phone itself turn up nothing.
Its gone. Lost.
And that feeling of being totally alone hit like that ton of bricks being pulled off the truck after being stacked so neatly onto it.
Communicationless. It can’t get any worse.
Our Admin (Joyen) worked feverishly trying to help. But I soon realized I got big problems. By the afternoon, when I called the phone, it was always busy, busy, busy so I know that whoever found it is having a grand time calling all their “buds”.
About this time, our Admin sends me an email that says “There is a saying in Chinese, which means, you would get something more if you lose something.” I know she is trying to help, but it doesn’t seem like it right now. I tell her thanks and give a weak smile. As you can imagine, right now I am lower on the food chain than plankton.
So I send an email to our corp folks to tell them to suspend the service on the phone and I plan to call them later that evening from the hotel.
Since I can’t do anything until 08:00, I literally force myself to leave the hotel and go out for dinner. The exercise walking down the street will help, but I’m really not into it. I stop at a place I hadn’t been to before and of course they don’t have pictures on the menu. The little old lady owner kept saying no to everything I inquired about (not helping my mood, mind you), but I stay focused and working with the younger workers, I manage to get a very good dinner of fried pork with peppers and rice and some green veggie I have no idea what it was, but saw someone else eating it and just pointed. Dinner was good mood lifter and of course all of the funny parts of that helped and the other diners were good natured and I left feeling somewhat more inspired.
I call corp at 08:00 PM (08:00 AM USA) and Holly is terrific. She immediately contacts the carrier, ATT, and suspends service and tells me she has a spare phone (someone had turned in) and while its not a great phone, she can DHL it to me and get me back in communicationland relatively fast and then when I get home I can get a better phone. So, OK. At least we have a plan and I’m not getting hassled about corp rules on losing phones and who has to pay and to what cost center to charge to and all that red tape.
Since I can’t do anything else now, I should at least check my emails and let everyone know I am sans-phone.
As I log on, I have an email from Lin Yan (in Chengdu) telling me that someone found the phone, called her (the 1st Chinese name in the address book) and wants to return it. She gave me his name and phone number! Of allpeople - Lin Yan. I couldn't have been more fortunate.
I had the front desk call him and explain the details and ask when would it be convenient for him to bring it to the hotel. He said “now is fine.” Thirty minutes later he walked in and returned it. I tried to give him some money for his trouble, but he wouldn’t have any part of that. So I tried to at least pay for his taxi – again, no. The reason the phone was busy was him trying to call the numbers to find the owner and since the phone is in English he couldn't read it so he was going down the list one by one. And here I was thinking that someone was having a party with it. Now I really felt like a heel. We shake hands and he leaves.
Anyway, I call corporate back and, unfortunately due to several rules, they have to send a new SIM card, which I should get early next week.
So, in the end, my self imposed pity party was remedied by a Good Samaritan who I will never see again and don’t even know his name and who wanted nothing in return.
Our Admin (Joyen) worked feverishly trying to help. But I soon realized I got big problems. By the afternoon, when I called the phone, it was always busy, busy, busy so I know that whoever found it is having a grand time calling all their “buds”.
About this time, our Admin sends me an email that says “There is a saying in Chinese, which means, you would get something more if you lose something.” I know she is trying to help, but it doesn’t seem like it right now. I tell her thanks and give a weak smile. As you can imagine, right now I am lower on the food chain than plankton.
So I send an email to our corp folks to tell them to suspend the service on the phone and I plan to call them later that evening from the hotel.
Since I can’t do anything until 08:00, I literally force myself to leave the hotel and go out for dinner. The exercise walking down the street will help, but I’m really not into it. I stop at a place I hadn’t been to before and of course they don’t have pictures on the menu. The little old lady owner kept saying no to everything I inquired about (not helping my mood, mind you), but I stay focused and working with the younger workers, I manage to get a very good dinner of fried pork with peppers and rice and some green veggie I have no idea what it was, but saw someone else eating it and just pointed. Dinner was good mood lifter and of course all of the funny parts of that helped and the other diners were good natured and I left feeling somewhat more inspired.
I call corp at 08:00 PM (08:00 AM USA) and Holly is terrific. She immediately contacts the carrier, ATT, and suspends service and tells me she has a spare phone (someone had turned in) and while its not a great phone, she can DHL it to me and get me back in communicationland relatively fast and then when I get home I can get a better phone. So, OK. At least we have a plan and I’m not getting hassled about corp rules on losing phones and who has to pay and to what cost center to charge to and all that red tape.
Since I can’t do anything else now, I should at least check my emails and let everyone know I am sans-phone.
As I log on, I have an email from Lin Yan (in Chengdu) telling me that someone found the phone, called her (the 1st Chinese name in the address book) and wants to return it. She gave me his name and phone number! Of allpeople - Lin Yan. I couldn't have been more fortunate.
I had the front desk call him and explain the details and ask when would it be convenient for him to bring it to the hotel. He said “now is fine.” Thirty minutes later he walked in and returned it. I tried to give him some money for his trouble, but he wouldn’t have any part of that. So I tried to at least pay for his taxi – again, no. The reason the phone was busy was him trying to call the numbers to find the owner and since the phone is in English he couldn't read it so he was going down the list one by one. And here I was thinking that someone was having a party with it. Now I really felt like a heel. We shake hands and he leaves.
Anyway, I call corporate back and, unfortunately due to several rules, they have to send a new SIM card, which I should get early next week.
So, in the end, my self imposed pity party was remedied by a Good Samaritan who I will never see again and don’t even know his name and who wanted nothing in return.
Its now Friday and the Sun is shining again - and not just in the sky.
What was that saying from Joyen?
“You would get something more if you lose something.”
I have to learn how to say that in Chinese.
What was that saying from Joyen?
“You would get something more if you lose something.”
I have to learn how to say that in Chinese.
2 comments:
Mitchell -- great story -- I always love reading them--Hope you are feeling better -- you won't lose your phone if you are like me and just talk on it all the time
lots of love
katy
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
you lost your phone
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