Yao bu yao?
I was told to go away in Chinese tonight.
I had stopped by a London Drug to pick up some snack food to keep in the room (some granola bars, noodle bowls, and canned salmon, along with an electric kettle for boiling water), and was held up by a woman in front of me who did not seem to have enough money for her purchase. She was shouting in Chinese back to her husband, "Yi kuai yi mao qian!" — $1.10.
This dialog went on for a bit, and the checker had no idea what was going on, so feeling a little generous, I asked her "Duoshao qian?" (how much is it?), and then offered a $2 coin and asked "Yao bu yao?" (want it?) Initially she seemed humiliated by my offer, but insisted on trying to work with the cashier, and it turned out she was trying to get him to take a US $100 bill.
The shop indeed accepts American money, but has a policy against accepting anything over a $20.
The woman finally got frustrated and scowled at me and put her candy back on the shelf. As she was doing so, however, I got a good look at her $100 bill, and it was like no $100 I'd ever seen. The design looked right, but the print was sort of blue instead of black — the other colors were all wrong too.
Soon she ran off, and the checker, being painfully Canadian and polite, felt the need to apologize to someone, and I was the only one left.
"I wish I could have helped that lady, but we can't accept US money over a 20."
"Don't worry," I said. "I'm from the US, and that 100 looked awfully strange — I don't think it was real."
"Really?" he asked. "I would have had no idea."
"Yeah," I answered. Too bad London Drug doesn't give Chinese counterfeiter foiler medals, or I would have gotten one, I think.
* * *
Less exciting, but still equally strange, the store had a special on a brown reindeer candy dispenser that poops out chocolate when you mash his back. I nearly bought one, thinking I should send it to someone back home, but ultimately I felt ridiculous at the thought of having to list "pooping reindeer chocolate" on a parcel customs form, and just put it back.
* * *
I'm looking forward to my Thursday and Friday off. I'm getting up early tomorrow (I think), going to the bank to finish setting up my Canadian account, and then going apartment hunting.
Maybe I'll have a home soon.
I'm also thinking about going ahead and getting a cellphone up here, since my Dallas phone is expensive to use, and I've had to rely on it a lot as I deal with movers and apartment hunters and all that, but I'm sad that I can't find a phone with the right provider which has bluetooth wireless, which is the whole reason I'd switched to my current provider and phone in the first place.
I had drinks after work today with a couple of my new coworkers. It was good to be able to do something kind of social. The new has already worn off of exploring around on my own. I'd still like to find a swimsuit so I can swim in the hotel pool, but there's not many swimsuits for sale in Canada in October. Go figure. Maybe the snowboard store has one.
I'm rambling now. Must be time for bed.
I had stopped by a London Drug to pick up some snack food to keep in the room (some granola bars, noodle bowls, and canned salmon, along with an electric kettle for boiling water), and was held up by a woman in front of me who did not seem to have enough money for her purchase. She was shouting in Chinese back to her husband, "Yi kuai yi mao qian!" — $1.10.
This dialog went on for a bit, and the checker had no idea what was going on, so feeling a little generous, I asked her "Duoshao qian?" (how much is it?), and then offered a $2 coin and asked "Yao bu yao?" (want it?) Initially she seemed humiliated by my offer, but insisted on trying to work with the cashier, and it turned out she was trying to get him to take a US $100 bill.
The shop indeed accepts American money, but has a policy against accepting anything over a $20.
The woman finally got frustrated and scowled at me and put her candy back on the shelf. As she was doing so, however, I got a good look at her $100 bill, and it was like no $100 I'd ever seen. The design looked right, but the print was sort of blue instead of black — the other colors were all wrong too.
Soon she ran off, and the checker, being painfully Canadian and polite, felt the need to apologize to someone, and I was the only one left.
"I wish I could have helped that lady, but we can't accept US money over a 20."
"Don't worry," I said. "I'm from the US, and that 100 looked awfully strange — I don't think it was real."
"Really?" he asked. "I would have had no idea."
"Yeah," I answered. Too bad London Drug doesn't give Chinese counterfeiter foiler medals, or I would have gotten one, I think.
* * *
Less exciting, but still equally strange, the store had a special on a brown reindeer candy dispenser that poops out chocolate when you mash his back. I nearly bought one, thinking I should send it to someone back home, but ultimately I felt ridiculous at the thought of having to list "pooping reindeer chocolate" on a parcel customs form, and just put it back.
* * *
I'm looking forward to my Thursday and Friday off. I'm getting up early tomorrow (I think), going to the bank to finish setting up my Canadian account, and then going apartment hunting.
Maybe I'll have a home soon.
I'm also thinking about going ahead and getting a cellphone up here, since my Dallas phone is expensive to use, and I've had to rely on it a lot as I deal with movers and apartment hunters and all that, but I'm sad that I can't find a phone with the right provider which has bluetooth wireless, which is the whole reason I'd switched to my current provider and phone in the first place.
I had drinks after work today with a couple of my new coworkers. It was good to be able to do something kind of social. The new has already worn off of exploring around on my own. I'd still like to find a swimsuit so I can swim in the hotel pool, but there's not many swimsuits for sale in Canada in October. Go figure. Maybe the snowboard store has one.
I'm rambling now. Must be time for bed.