ARRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

My cellphone was stolen today-- Well, I think it was stolen.

Today was my long day. After classes I had an appointment to speak with a coordinator at Sichuan University about my planned research project. I spent an hour making a list of points I wanted to cover at the meeting. I definitely didn't want anything lost in translation. The goal of the meeting was to convince them to make a phone call to the school for deaf children that I hope to visit. I made sure to write down all the important points that needed to be covered in this conversation, then I slowly explained them to the coordinator and her superior. After a long explanation of what exactly I wanted done, they both looked at me and said, "Well, I think we need to make the phone call first so that they let us come."

I just sat there and smiled.

I had an hour to kill after the meeting was finished, so I took off on my bike. I rode through the winding roads on campus, past groups of students playing cards by the road. I rode past the street vendors who had just fired up their barbeques, the smell of smoke and charcoal filled the air. I whizzed by as business men in their matching suits filed out of office buildings and onto the crowded sidewalks.

I manuevered into the clogged bike lane and rode for several blocks. At one point, I pulled over and made a phone call. I put the phone into my jacket pocket and took off again. A few minutes later, something told me to check my pocket. Call it gut feeling, but I just knew something was up. I checked my pockets- nothing. I checked my pack- nothing. I pulled my bike to the side of the road and sat on the sidewalk. I took my backpack and emptied the contents onto the street. No phone.

I came home and told my Chinese roommate what had happened. I'm pretty sure it was stolen, but she seemed to think I just lost it. I don't really know. It could have dropped out of my pocket, but I think I would have noticed it. Anyway, she made a phone call to a friend and worked out some mysterious deal by which I'll get a new cell phone. I'm not quite sure yet how it all works, I miss so much because of the language barrier that I feel I'm at everyone's mercy. Most of what goes on around here is pretty mysterious to me.