Finally, a table lamp....

After enjoying lunch at a Russian restaurant in Harbin today, some friends from a Sunday morning get-together and I took the bus to a very large store of several floors with lots of vendors, looking for a table lamp for my sitting area. All I have right now is a dim ceiling lightbulb - not much for atmosphere or reading! We found a really nice lamp about 2' tall with a porcelain type base for less than 5 bucks! (Any of you ready for a shopping trip?) OK, that's great, but now I have to get back to campus on a very crowded bus. What's going to happen to the lamp shade tucked in a bag, hanging from my hand? When they finish packing the bus it's body touching body - forget the personal space Americans like. So, after a taxi ride to the bus stop I find no empty seats in the waiting buses. I must stand. I finally pick one of the buses and board. As we wait, more keep boarding. Suddenly a young student in a seat nearby gets my attention, rising to give me hers - there are some benefits to being older! This act on her part is the first time so far (and I've been standing on a crowded bus several times) that someone has willingly offered their seat. With gratitude to her, her two other friends, and Someone else, I squeeze past and into the seat, my packages safely on my lap. He goes it again!