Lucy our ever present helper and translator took us on our
first walk around campus so that we could get phone cards. We stood behind her as she rattled
off long utterances and negotiated on our behalf. The first three stores were
‘no.’ They could not sell us phone cards, but the fourth one said 'yes.' It is good
that there seems to be at least two or three cell phone stores on every corner so we did not have to walk far to try our luck.
Bob’s phone is now fully functioning on China Mobile and is WeChatting like a
pro both in text and in paying for our purchases. My IPhone, on the other hand, is not willing to cooperate with Chinese cell service. A kind young man, not an employee, spent a long time trying to trouble shot it with no success. Further research on the computer confirmed that the phone is not compatible with Chinese frequencies. This was good news for
Lukas who is now the proud owner of fully functioning phone. His Android hand-me-down phone that he used on Wi-Fi works like a charm on the network. He is now the
designated payee for our goods and services since he has the WeChat wallet on
his phone.
A phone is an essential here in China even more so than in the US. I do not need to bring a wallet when we leave the apartment. All we need is a fully charged phone. Less to carry :-)
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