After about a days worth of research and trying I discovered that it probably 'could' be done. However, in the process I would lose the GPS capabilities of my phone and my access to internet here was just not allowing me to download the right programs that I would need. For instance the VPN that I use blocks most downloads because it sees them as 'potentially harmful' and the Chinese internet will allow downloads but just blocks all the websites I needed to go to in order to get those downloads. At any rate, I reluctantly gave in and decided just to get a brand new cell phone to use really for just making calls here in Beijing.
There is an older lady who lives down the hall from me who 'picked up' Chinese through several years of living in Taiwan. She offered to take me and I gladly agreed. While I am very grateful for her help, the one thing about this lady is that she has some very 'strong' opinions about how things should be done. 'We' decided to go to this place that none of the other people went to try to get my phone. Looking at the phones there was the range from really cool touch phones like many of the U.S. phones to really simple basic phones I remember from say 8 years ago. With some 'guidance' I chose a low scale phone that seemed to be able to take pictures and have a translation dictionary (although for the life of me I can't figure out how to use it). Then the process began.
Chinese talk...back and forth. Back and forth. Fifteen minutes later I'm let in on a little of the translation. Phones are no longer coming with Sim cards (although this lady purchased her phone here two days ago and got a sim card in it), and they don't sell sim cards here...just the phone. O.k. So we went through the process of buying the phone (which is very interesting in and of itself) and I ended up paying 699 RMB for it. That's like $118...not the cheapest, but I needed a phone. Then we walk about 5 blocks down the street to a street 'vendor' who is apparently selling Sim cards. Woah! Now this was a process...back and forth back and forth...choose a number...have no idea what is being said between everyone...back and forth back and forth...ask for an IP card (to call home)...back and forth...somewhere along the line I fork over 130 RMB and then after about 45 minutes I have a sim card and an IP card. After all of that the person helping me translate doesn't really know exactly what the 'deal' is on the sim card. She says, just use it until it stops working and then we'll come back and order more minutes...COME BACK...NOO!!!!!! O.k. anyways...I have a sim card...but now I need to go back to the store where I purchased the cell phone so they can put the sim card in and activate it.
Again, back and forth back and forth. After what seems like forever we are walking back 'home' with a cell phone in pocket...score! I can now communicate with people here in Beijing...and make emergency calls if I get lost via taxi somewhere...score! I don't know how long it will work for...but I'm pretty sure that's the theme in China...you just go with the flow until it stops working...then proceed form there.
After that long process I took the friend out for dinner who helped me out. We walked past a tennis store on the way to dinner so now I know where I can purchase a tennis racquet :-) When we got to the restaurant we ordered beef, something with green beans and anchovies, another dish with spicy vegetables and stuff I didn't recognize, fried rice, plain rice and a huge beer to split. At the end I paid and it was about $10. Food in China sure is cheap.
At the end of the day I left very grateful for the cell phone and my first real restaurant experience...hoping tomorrow will bring good things as well as we meet the rest of the faculty.
Here are the results of the long process :-)
Zaijian,
Gary
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