小偷

Let's see...who reads this blog.
-Friends (Buda, Houston, China, etc)
-Co-workers
-Family (Nuclear, Extended)
-Additional Family (Camp, Pseudo, Adopted)
-Teachers from Days Past
-Fellow Students
-Random Acquaintances of My Mother

Did I miss anyone? Let me know if you'd like to submit an additional category.

Anyway, hello to all of you!

Today, I got pick-pocketed. True story. This happened as a group of six of were on our way back from the movies (Vin Diesel...mmm...still sexy in Chinese). We had just gotten off the public bus and were walking on a side street off the main road that runs by campus, probably about 100 meters from the campus gate. Douning (another conspicuous waiguo CET student) and I were walking up ahead and chatting, and I had my purse slung from one shoulder down to the opposite hip and mostly behind me, as I frequently do. In crowds or on buses I am typically careful to move it in front of me where I can keep a better eye on it, but since we were on relatively familiar and uncrowded turf, this seemed unnecessary. Unfortunately, in addition to slinging my purse behind me, I apparently also forgot to zip it closed (a habit in America but I do try to keep it zipped around here), and thus presented the thief his opportunity. I didn't even feel it, but this guy, maybe 30 years old or so, just reached into my purse and grabbed my wallet as he walked past us, smooth as silk.

Now you're thinking, man, that must suck. You're gonna have to replace your wallet and whatever cash, credit cards, IDs, and Boy Scout certifications it may have contained huh. Well actually, my friends/etc, no! This story has a much happier ending.

See, I didn't notice, but Fuxiao, one of the girls who was walking behind us, DID notice and yelled "哎！哎！ 拿出来！！ " at the thief, roughly, "Hey! HEY! Give it back!!" The guy, now awkwardly caught between Douning and me and our four friends bringing up the rear, looked pretty surprised that a) he had been caught and b) a Chinese person was sticking up for the presumed tourist, but either way he pulled out my wallet and gave it back to Fuxiao before running off. Honestly, I don't know why he didn't just run first, as the two boys we were with don't really look very intimidating and he probably could have lost us in the dark, but apparently handing over the wallet looked like the best option available. I think it was a combination of the surprise and the very sharp and angry tone of Fuxiao's demand. I mean, she's small, but also at least 67% terrifying. In the end then, Fuxiao is my hero and the goods were recovered with no more harm done than giving all of us a bit of a fright. Also interestingly, much like in America, my wallet is almost completely devoid of valuable things. I had about 30 kuai (read, four dollars), no credit cards, an American bank card (which is only useful at Chinese ATMS and thus useless without the PIN), umm...said Boy Scout certifications..a Rice library copy card with $3.60ish on it..aaaand that's about it in there. The biggest lost would have been my driver's license, which I have since taken out of purse because it really serves no purpose in China.

Either way, in the future, I'm sure I will be absolutely anal about closing and monitoring my bag, as how often is a get-off-scott-free card just handed to you like that? Thank you, my lucky stars and Fuxiao.


Elicited an audible response of surprise from four guys in a car who slowed down to catcall me and a couple friends in English by replying to them in Chinese,
China-Cat