Finding Cardstock in Beijing

The goal for today was to replenish our supply of card stock. We need this in order for the students to make name tags that stand in front of their seats in class so that we don’t have trouble identifying our 150+ students that we only meet once a week. It is a wonderful system and works very well. However, one has to find the cardstock. We knew this was a problem and had ferreted out some here in June before we left for the States so that we knew we would not need to bring some back. It is fine to buy in the US and bring back, but it takes up weight and space and is also the wrong size for printing purposes in China which uses A4 metric size paper, (like the rest of the world) rather than 8.5 x 11 inches.  We are preparing for classes which start next week and don’t have quite enough to meet our needs.  It should be simple, right?

We started the journey by going to the 5 story one block huge clearing house for everything computer. We try not to go there. In order to bike, one must go through one of the busiest intersections in Beijing on Fourth Ring Road, and that is always a little bit hair raising. If you are really brave you cut right through the middle of the intersection, catty corner, rather than going from one side to the other to the other. Sometimes we are brave and other times not. Today as I biked through the intersection there was an altercation taking place ahead of me between a motorcycle driver and biker. They were both off their vehicles and ready to throw punches when I biked by. I don’t know how this ended.

The building itself is imposing. We first went to check on the laptop that we dropped off last week. It is the one we bought here in February and the mother board has all ready gone out. If they will consider it under warranty and fix for free, we will take it, otherwise we are just abandoning it with them. Not worth the money. It was not ready yet and we still don’t know if we will take it back or not. We then went to where we have obtained the cardstock previously. We thought we were in the right place, but it was completely closed down. We then began to wander and also question where we could find the paper.  At least we had an example and did not have to fumble around for a word that meant heavyduty paper. Every person who answered our request for paper directed us, or even escorted us back to the same kiosk at which we had started and which was now closed. We finally left the building, which is confusing itself. Even when you find an exit you are unsure because there are KFC’s and McDonald’s at two different corners of this building (it is that big and these institutions are that prevalent), and one can end up looking for our bikes outside for a long long time. We had done this lost/found trek before though so didn’t have to wander through the escalators that did and did not work and several banks of elevators too long.

I then broke my cane getting to my bike. My knee/hip have not been too bad, but I have consistently been carrying my cane and sometimes using the walker depending on how far I have to go. The top of the cane just fell off. I now need to decide if I can glue/jury rig a brace/buy a new one. I can do without until I decide. Rick was carrying the cane down some stairs for me and tripped on it and fell. That was interesting and scared the man who was right behind him, but Rick is fine.

We then went to a large mall to search. Five floors again and no luck at all. We went to the mall because the movie we wanted to see was there. We often go to this theater because it is cheap ($4) and only 4 stops on two different subway lines away. The movie was “Alpha” and quite good….but not in English. In all the movies that we have gone to on many continents all over the world, we have only been stuck a couple times that the movie was not in English.  Usually the movie is spoken in English and subtitled in the local language. Well,  “Alpha” is spoken in Neanderthal and subtitled in Chinese. As far as movies to follow without spoken language, this one was not too bad. Most of it was a boy trying to return to his home traveling with a wolf. Not much philosophical discussions with the wolf. Rick and I could read a few subtitles like “friend” and “go home”, but otherwise it was just watch the scenery and action. It was OK.

I then limped my way home and Rick went on another couple of subway stops more to Walmart. He is just home now an hour later, having got lost a few times. At least this was intentional, and I didn’t just leave him behind. Walmart does have the paper, but it is over five cents a sheet and not worth it, so we will try to keep looking. Not too many choices left, but oh well.

P.S. A friend suggested that I order the cardstock on Baopals which is the English Chinese equivalent of Amazon. I just ordered 500 half sheets for us and our team mates. ....Let's see if they show up.