The thumpity-thumpity sound was coming from my washing machine. It wasn’t loose change as China doesn’t use coins anymore. It was money. Big money. My Huawei phone. It went through the washer, literally.
Never again will I throw my jeans into the washer without emptying the pockets.
I tried desperately to open the locked hatch of the front loader. Not a good idea. I felt like one of the Three Stooges as the water splashed on my feet.
But worse than the feeling of soggy socks, was the kicking of myself because I did something stupid. Expensively stupid. Do-I-even-tell-my-friends-why-I’m-not-answering-their-messages stupid. But I didn’t want to purchase a new phone. That would be saying goodbye to a boondoggle Bangkok this summer, if the border opens.
So, I looked up how to fix a wet phone on You Tube. The videos were plentiful as soggy phones are a common side effect of inebriation while boating. The solution was simple. Place your phone in a bag of rice.
Well, after a week, my Huawei phone smelled like rice. Everything seemed to work except one thing. The camera. Photos were a little on the green side.
I brought my phone to the Hua Wei service guy. Since he spoke as much English as I did Chinese, we let our fingers do the talking, with his phone translation app.
“Why the green photos? my fingers asked.
“You boiled your phone.”
The shake of his head didn’t need a translation. Then another Chenglish phrase. “Now mother board has brain injury.”
He dissembled my phone, screws the size of sand grains rolling around his workbench, dodging his overflowing ashtray. Three Liqun cigarettes later, my Huawei was fixed, well sort of. In order to take a photo, I must snap it in WeChat, China’s social tracing app.
I guess my Huawei took a washing…and keeps on watching.
Here are a few photos.
The lucky kitties are still lucky.
Freakishly large blueberries are freaky.
Mystery meat is still uh…. mysterious (Muslim restaurant, Guandu Old Town)
Seaweed Flavored Potato Chips are still seaweedy.
The Veggie man is still vegging.
The potato lady still potato-ing.
The bootleg phone guy is still bootlegging.
That’s good to know. If my motherboard’s brain injury turns into full-blown dementia? I can always pick up a new phone.
Ms. Mac, sorry for your Huawei Phone but your writing is so funny and I like your perspective of observing life. Cheers!