Karma Chameleon – a test of character disguised as good luck

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010 in: News

One thing I’ve noticed about show business, is that while the shooting itself may be fun, the rest of the time is boring as hell to the “talent.” Especially once we were done with our jobs, we were very ready to get back to Beijing. My “wife” had more parties to attend, and I wanted to hang out with my friend since she was going back home the following day, but I had also promised to go to the Beijing Juggler’s club, since it was my last opportunity to do that as well.

It wasn’t that late, but it took well over an hour for our car to arrive, but instead of Beijing, it took us back to the hotel, in the opposite direction. My costar got tired of waiting in the hotel lobby and had to call a family friend to come pick us up. By the time they dropped us off at Mudanyuan station, it was already close to 7pm. I was already getting frustrated with the casting lady, and then she refused to take a cab, insisting on walking down the street and waiting for the next bus. The bus was more crowded and sweatier than normal, and by the time we arrived back at the sushe I just wanted to get away from her. I said goodbye and she told me to let her know if I was ever back in town. I laughed and kept walking.

Megan was nowhere to be found, so I went to hang out with Madalitso in his room. Not having a phone is really pain in the ass when you’ve come to rely on it to keep in touch with people, to let them know you’ll be late, or you had to step out and you’ll be right back… the little bits of communication that make life easier, that make you feel more connected with the people around you. Losing your phone is like losing your sight, you have to rely on other means to figure out what’s going on. I realized that I relied far too much on my phone, not that I was too grateful for the bit of inner reflection. Megan eventually returned from the store and said there were plans to go have some beers down the street at the chuan’r place I’d often frequented with the guys. It was a motley crew; most of the faces were young and new, unaware of the countless conversations that had taken place at this table, the memories that had been scattered to the wind as the students of UIR finished their programs and moved on to the next phase of their lives.

I was already late for the club so I finished my beer and excused myself, promising Megan I’d see her off in the morning. The cab seemed to know where he was going, but ended up dropping me off on the wrong street, about a fifteen minute walk to Yugong Yishan. About three quarters of the way there, something on the ground caught my eye. It looked like a small clutch.

It was a wallet. Stuffed with cash, and a new cellphone.

I paused for a minute, looking around for whomever dropped it. Something tells me a wallet on the ground doesn’t last too long in the Jing, especially at night. If I put it back on the ground where I found it, someone else would just take it and keep it. Wait, should I just keep it? I just had my phone stolen and lost my ATM card, and now I’m finding a fat wad of cash and a cellphone on the ground… is this good fortune finally smiling upon me? The thought flashed through my head, but was quickly washed away as I remembered how I felt when I realized my phone was stolen, and I don’t wish that on anyone. There was only one option.

I took the wallet to the juggling club and asked one of the Chinese jugglers for help. Just as I finished explaining the situation, as if on cue, the phone rang. I handed it to her and I could hear how frantic they were over their recent loss. She gave them directions to the club and they met us outside. It was a couple on a scooter; she must have dropped it when they jumped the curb. The man shook my hand furiously. Clearly they weren’t expecting to see that wallet again. I told them to be more careful in the future. Walking back to the club, the juggler remarked on how lucky those two were, and told me that even if I had given it to the police, they would have probably taken all the cash at least before returning it. Always look out for number one… it was a lesson I never quite learned…

But if sure feels good to do the right thing.

---