Strange Happenings

So, last night on the way back from campus to the dorms, I was riding the bus. It’s about an hour commute each way because the campus is literally out in the middle of the desert and our dorms is in the city. Think of me living in the Upper West Side or more like the Bronx and my campus out in Long Island. So, naturally, I take naps. But this time, it was different. I knocked out and the next thing I knew I felt some guy’s shoulder against my face. I was sleeping on some guys shoulder! The whole time I was thinking if he had noticed. Of course he did. I could feel his shoulder on my face. I’m not sure how long I was sleeping on him, but I straightened my head and ten minutes later, I fell asleep again and yet again, I fell asleep on his shoulder. I don’t know how or why. We were 5 minutes away from the dorms when I woke up and the guy asks me, “So, did you sleep?” I was thinking if he had noticed at all that I fell asleep on him. I wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic or whatnot. He told me how he can’t fall asleep on buses, and here I go and say, “I can fall asleep anywhere.” He probably thought, yeah, I believe you because you just fell asleep on a stranger’s shoulder. But he was nice about it. He didn’t mention anything. But it was indeed awkward.

This evening, I got a phone-call from a guy who said he was the fridge guy and told me if I had the money. I asked him how much it was to rent the fridge. He said 350 pounds. I said, yes, I have it. He said he was downstairs and waiting. I went downstairs only to realize I don’t even know this fridge guy’s name so how would I know who it is when there are about a dozen or so men that hang out at the lobby. So I awkwardly approach this man near the entrance and ask, “Fridge?” He says yes. So I hand over the money and ask for a receipt. He has no idea what I’m talking about. Then, he starts laughing. I didn’t understand. He asked me, “You have the fridge, right?” I’m confused, and say, “Yes.” He says, “Okay, so then I’ll pick up the fridge at the end of the semester.” And that was that. All I thought was, I hope my roommate believes me when I tell her how much I paid to rent the fridge. Its all verbal contracts here for fridges apparently.

Later I went out to buy a power strip for the fridge. I enter this small electronics store a block or so away. I go in and ask him for a power strip. He replies, “20 pounds.” I ask him how much for a smaller one, and he replies, “22 pounds.” I was confused. I thought why not take the bigger one for the cheaper price. He said, “No. This made in China and this made in Toor-ki…this better.” So the Chinese products that are shipped here are worse in quality than the Chinese products delivered to America. It reminded me of the same thing my cousin told me about the Chinese products that are shipped to Pakistan. Oh China!