Flat Tire.

I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. Last night, after work, I discovered I had a flat rear tire on my electric bike. Since it was after nine pm, the chances of finding a repair man were small. So, I took a bus that gets me halfway to home and caught a taxi - a cab ride from the school to my home is expensive (43 rmb). At the bus stop, I was accosted by many of these taxi drivers who have motorcycles converted into little mini cabs. Fifteen rmb got me the rest of the way home.

So this morning I had to go to school early to get the tire repaired. Now, what the thing I like about China (and what I consider to be a Capitalist spirit as well as China;'s saving grace) is that you can find someone on the street or at a street corner who can readily provide you a needed service. Bicycle repairmen will set up on a street corner where they know that people will be needing their services. And their services are, as Australians would say, cheap as chips. I was able to find this repairman who has occupied a street corner near my school for as long as I have been here. He fixed the flat and replaced the tire in about fifteen minutes. He also was able to let me use my Chinese. Unlike many Chinese speakers who refuse to try to understand what your saying by trying to guess what the speaker is getting at, the repairman used his common sense and we were able to have a conversation. He asked me many questions about myself that I was able to answer.

Taxi Drivers in Wuxi are also good at talking to foreigners. I would employ them in a Mandarin School very easily. They know the tricks and have the patience to cull some understanding from even the most limited of Mandarin speakers.