01 Days Since Hit by Bus

[brandonbray]

A quick round of stories...

Las week while I was in Redmond, my car reached the 100,000 mile mark. The car is fourteen years old, and I've driven 60,000 miles over the last 8 years.

Driving again was great, though I had to remember a number of differences between America and China:

• Seatbelts are functional in America and must be worn.
• The other side of a double-yellow lane is not a passing zone in America.
• In America, it is not customary to honk at the car in front of you for not tailgating.
• When pedestrians are in a sidewalk, it is not okay to aim directly for them and gun it.

Basically, driving in the U.S.A. is far less stressful than being a passenger or pedestrian in China. Yesterday, was too "exciting" for my taste. In the morning, as I was getting of the shuttle to work and crossing the street another bus turned the corner. I was halfway through the street and no obstacles when another bus turned the corner and started hurdling towards me. There was no break... it was all gas, and I was in the way. A surge of adrenaline hit, and I fortunately dodged the bus... only to be clipped by another bus later in the day. Here's a new goal for the year: "Do not get hit by another bus."

Earlier this week, my mom was appointed as Deputy Secretary of State of South Dakota. What's cool about this is now everyone in her side of the family has held an elected or appointed office (Sheriff, County Treasurer, Director of Economic Development and International Trade, and now Deputy Secretary of State).

The news does mean she'll have to give up her nifty title, "Receptionist/Pistol Permit Administrator." That has amused me to no end.

Congratulations mom!
There's something disconcerting about carrying around thousands of dollars in cash, especially in a backpack. I needed to brings many thousands back with me so I could exchange it from renminbi and follow through with my commitment to match all of the donations from employees in my division towards disaster relief of the snow storms last month.

At the bank, I felt awkward taking so much cash out of a backpack until a man nearby upstaged me. He took what appeared to be almost $50,000 of U.S. cash out of a plastic grocery bag!!! He didn't strike me as the kind of person that easily comes across so much foreign cash. I remain perplexed.

The bank atmosphere reminded me of old banks from twenty years ago. I did not feel very comfortable there, and was happy to leave. I wonder how often bank robberies occur in China.