‘that’s how they do business’
so i’m getting my crapped-out digital camera looked at by the fine people at a canon shop on nanjing xi lu. asked them to look at it, identify the problem and estimate the cost for repairs … before actually making the repairs. no problem.
today, i got a call from my friend johnson, who is acting as translator for this process (hell, he acts as my translator for most processes). they told him that they looked at it. they told him what the problem was. and they told him how much the repairs would cost: RMB 500.
“ok,” i said. “i guess go ahead and tell them to make the repairs.”
“oh, it’s ready,” johnson replied. “you can pick it up now.”
“they repaired it already?”
“yes.”
“but what would they have done if i told them i didn’t want them to repair it?”
“they would break it again.”
“huh?”
“that’s how they do business.”
“oh.”
11.03.2003, 10:32 PM · Observations
finally
photo: shannon shue
(if you care, my camera is currently in the shop right now. this explains the dearth of new photos here recently.)
later this week, i will begin posting my xinjiang travelog. i plan to do this day-by-day, diary style. lots of stories to tell. xinjiang is — um, well — different.
11.03.2003, 12:51 AM · Photos, Xinjiang · Comments (1)
ucla yankee cola
seen on the side of a minibus: “scientific-atlanta of shanghai, ltd”
seen on a student’s shirt: “i need more juicy”
i love this place.
11.03.2003, 12:41 AM · Humor
i’m back
well, i didn’t really go anywhere. just kind of a mental sabbatical. every time i sat down to write something for the blog … i didn’t.
my mid-autumn malaise can partly — partly — be attributed to three things:
11.03.2003, 12:32 AM · Observations · Comments (1)
