Solo Adventure

While Alex was at school, I decided that I needed to get some things done. I thought I have my iphone with some translation apps, I will go get my Chinese sim card and run to Walmart.  So I hopped in a taxi and off I went.  Interesting fact, my international AT&T sim randomly stopped working and my phone would only kind of work without WIFI.

When I got to China Mobile, I discovered that my translation apps don’t work without internet or cell data.  If you ever want to challenge yourself, go to a country where you don’t speak the language and try to buy a cell phone from someone who doesn’t speak English. The ladies who helped me at China Mobile were wonderful, and worked really hard to try to set me up.  We’ve actually had so many great people help us over the last few weeks, random people have stopped to help us translate, or give directions or even help us order (more on that in a few days).

I’d like everyone who reads this to remember my experience next time you see someone in the US who needs help and doesn’t speak the language.  I am that person pointing at signs and only able to nod or shake my head at questions,  I am that person that moved to a new place without the language, I am the person holding up the line because I need extra help.  Please help that person, they are trying and probably feel embarrassed and awful that they are stuck like this.

Sim card obtained, put in the phone and now I’m ready for Walmart.  Except, I still can’t get my iphone to work (because it’s a 6 and won’t run 4G here). So I can’t figure out where Walmart is, or get the address so I can show a taxi driver.  I decide I’m going to flag down a taxi and tell him Walmart and hope that he knows where it is, I finally manage to catch one, and he proceeds to tell me it’s two blocks down from where I’m standing and to just walk.

Walmart was easy ( I forgot about half the things I went there for because I got flustered by the sim card experience and getting lost getting there), I was going to try to get a haircut in the mall Walmart is in, but I flaked deciding that maybe I needed a functioning translation app before letting someone near my head with scissors.

After leaving Walmart, I realized that I had the address listed on my facebook page that I can’t access due to no internet. I called Mark, slightly panicking that I don’t even know the general direction of home. He manages to text me the address after a few failed attempts, I’m back in a taxi and on my way home.

I learned a few valuable lessons on this trip. One is be prepared- with phrases written down that do not require internet, two is always have an address, and lastly, it’s ok to admit when I’ve taken on a bit too much.