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What a Not so Great First Day or: You Don’t Drink Tea With Your Lap July 14, 2006

Posted by AkumAPRIME in : Life , trackback

So the 12 hour plane flight was ok. I got aisle; it was the first time in a long time I haven’t had window. But about 2 hours into the flight, I dropped a boiling hot cup of tea into my lap. I didn’t make any noise, which in retrospect was a bad idea, because no one knew I had been burned. It hurt So bad for about 3 minutes, until ice finally came. I thought I was going to be burned badly. I put some medicine on it (some weird chinese brown stuff) and I’m Fine now, except for the memory.

We saw the Forbidden City, which goes on ForEver. My ankles are red and raw from shoes rubbing. Lots of pics though.

We had a traditional tea ceremony and learned a very simple lesson: ask about prices BEFORE you do ANYthing. Retarded how we got ripped off.

Then I went downstairs to my hostel and tried to plug in my power strip, to power several things. I broke the ground off to make it fit. This has never been a problem in the past. Well today I blew the circuits and we had to spend 15 min finding the right breaker. I was worried for a sec I had Really screwed sth up.

Well, now I hope to just spend the rest of the night with Shahin and a friend of a friend. I hope it’s relaxing and doesn’t involve my own stupidity, thought that is often hard to avoid. We are alive and relatively well. Peace.

Note for later: 14061949

Comments»

1. Sylvia Boyd - July 15, 2006

Well, I see you decided to take your laptop along. I wondered how you were going to live without it for three weeks..or, how long will you be gone? Look forward to more blogsa. Try iced tea…so much safer for a klutz…I know, the Chinese don’t make iced tea.
Love you, Grandma

2. Kurt - July 16, 2006

I like what you said about asking prices first. The Chinese always bargain and they will ask for more than they
really need for a product or service. So always offer less than their first price. O do like they
do here, say ” Give me your last price first” Then say ” Oh, You too exspensive, I buy cheaper”
Nearly every Chinese car shopper says those exact phrases. With all do respect they do pay less.
Do unto others as they do unto us. They may be mooches but they do drive Mercedes.

3. carol haight - July 22, 2006

Hi Evan, I really enjoyed reading the comment from your friend Levin. Perfect grammar is way over rated. She seems like a great person. It is interesting to compare cultural differences w/ regard to negotiating. I think a lot of it is based on psychology or better yet reverse psychology. I don’t think most people like to play games with negotiating and honest is always the best way to go in the long run and treating people how you would like to be treated so a simple question like, “would you pay that much for a cup of tea?” is a good way to test someone in terms of what is a fair and reasonable price to pay… Hope you have fun, Miss you Love, Carol

4. Shah - August 1, 2006

It was HILARIOUS! Evan managed to blow out the power in the entire lobby and the internet cafe, then he took the power cord he did it with, walked up to the clerk at the counter, (clerk had shocked, speachles look on his face,) and handed him the busted outlet and said “Well I guess I don’t need THIS anymore.” Priceless.
Word of advise when travelling with Evan: Don’t bother taking anything that requires to be recharged. The dude will claim and violently defend any and all power outlets in a 50 yard radius. He has more gadgets than James Bond. He did let me charge my cd player once though. Love ya Evan.

5. lavin - August 1, 2006

Thank carol,your boy Evan and his friend Shah are great persons,too.Enjoyed the days!