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Monday, October 8, 2012

Stolen Bikes

So, here in China its not exactly uncommon to get your bike stolen.  You could even say its part of the cultural experience.  Despite it being "part of the experience", its one that I really did not want to have.  Last year in Xian, around the New Year I knew 3 or 4 people who got their bikes stolen.  It happens more often around the New Year because people are trying to get money to go home and all that.  But that doesn't mean it can't happen other times of the year...like for instance now.

I rode my bike over to a friend's house a few weeks ago and left it there.  Locked up, but not locked to anything.  I knew it was stupid, but I was busy and if I'm being honest...a little lazy.
So Sunday, I go over to say hi and I notice my bike is gone.  My stupidity caught up with me.
I tell my friend, who feels super bad, but it's my own fault.  I knew I should have moved it, I even checked the other floors in case the person who stole it just moved it to another floor temporarily (which I know from a friend's experience has happened).

I don't find it.  Later I run into my friend's husband and tell him, he's also very sorry, but I explain its my own stupid fault.  Then he tells me he had moved it into the stairwell and did I check there?  I didn't remember, so there's hope.

Later that night my friend calls me and tells me that her brother might have some news to brighten my day.  So, he gets on the phone and tells me that he got the text my bike was stolen.  Anyways, he's walking around later and sees a guy riding a bike that looks just like mine.  What's the coincidence, right?  So he goes up to the guy and says, "Hey where did you get this bike, its my friend's bike, give it back to me" and the guy responds, "No this is my bike".  And again my friend says, "That' my friends' bike, give it back" and again the guy says, "no its mine"  So this goes back and forth a couple times and finally, my friend tells me he just physically takes it from the guy and rides away on it!  So he got my bike back!  I was screaming and hollering through the phone!  Man I was pumped. 

Then he tells me, "Ok so now here's the real story.  It was in the stairwell the whole time and never left the apartment building."  Wow, he got me good.  Either way it was good news, so I'm happy :)

My bike is not stolen.


 Above is a moon cake, the popular dessert for the Moon Festival, which we just celebrated last week.


Above is a picture of butter!  Crazy I know, but its true.

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