iShop
Guess where we are, Papa, Cici's text message said about mid-day yesterday. Eating without me again? I asked. No, we are at the outlet mall again, she replied. Have fun, I said.
Then about 7:00 last night I sent another text because the girls were not at home and neither of them answered their cell phone. A short time later Cici responded with a text. So busy shopping, she said. We are shopping at the Coach store for people in China. Poor Papa, I replied. Home alone. I think we will come home before you go to sleep, she responded.
So I read and finished a book I had been working on this week. And I waited. Finally, about 9:00 I heard the garage door opening. The girls came in with their hands full of shopping bags. The girls felt bad, or guilty, or something, because they had left me alone all evening. I will cook something for you to eat, Ping said, and went to work chopping vegetables immediately. Poor Papa, Cici said as she began to work on my shoulders with her hands and fists.
I love my new iPhone so much, Cici said as she worked on my shoulders. I am glad you like it, I said. It was a big surprise Christmas gift for her because we had talked about getting one for her as a graduation gift. I gave the iPhone to her after I bought it on Wednesday because Verizon moved her phone number from her Droid to the iPhone. She was shocked into silence when she took it out of her stocking. I thought it was perfume or something like that, she told me later. I never dreamed that the box held an iPhone.
Let me tell you how I used the iPhone while we shopped, Cici said. It made shopping for people in China so much easier. Mama would find purses and wallets in the Coach store that she thought someone in China might like. I took pictures of them with my iPhone and immediately sent them to China using QQ. The person in China, family member or friend, would look at their options and tell us which item to buy for them. We bought so many things this way, and it was a great time to do it. The prices were 50% off, plus an additional 30 percent off, plus an additional 10% off. It was amazing.
I bet Coach had no idea, and probably still has no idea, how the iPhone helped boast their sales to people in other countries. I doubt that Apple envisioned that use of the iPhone, but it sure works well for that purpose.
So what about you? I asked Cici. Did you find anything for you? Yes, she said excitedly, let me show you. She ran to get a red sweater and held it up for me to see. Do you like it? It was $60 but I bought it for $12, she said. Next she showed me a full length black dress that she loved. That is perfect for holiday parties or graduation or evening events, I told her. I know, Papa, and look at this. I also found a red one. It was a different style, but also a full length dress, and again I told her it was perfect. They look really good when I put them on, she said. Yes, Ping added, and she can wear the same shoes and purse with them.
Then we sat down to eat, but the girls were still excited about shopping. You are such an expensive girl, I teased Cici. She smiled. There will be payback, Papa, she promised. I understood what she was saying but Ping missed it. You should take care of Papa in the future because of everything he does for you, Ping told Cici. I will, Cici replied, and I already told him I will do that. You should also give Papa a hug, Ping said. I will do that, Cici said. She got up and put her arms around my neck and hugged me tight. Thank you Papa, she said.
It was worth waiting a few hours for the girls to get home.
Then about 7:00 last night I sent another text because the girls were not at home and neither of them answered their cell phone. A short time later Cici responded with a text. So busy shopping, she said. We are shopping at the Coach store for people in China. Poor Papa, I replied. Home alone. I think we will come home before you go to sleep, she responded.
So I read and finished a book I had been working on this week. And I waited. Finally, about 9:00 I heard the garage door opening. The girls came in with their hands full of shopping bags. The girls felt bad, or guilty, or something, because they had left me alone all evening. I will cook something for you to eat, Ping said, and went to work chopping vegetables immediately. Poor Papa, Cici said as she began to work on my shoulders with her hands and fists.
I love my new iPhone so much, Cici said as she worked on my shoulders. I am glad you like it, I said. It was a big surprise Christmas gift for her because we had talked about getting one for her as a graduation gift. I gave the iPhone to her after I bought it on Wednesday because Verizon moved her phone number from her Droid to the iPhone. She was shocked into silence when she took it out of her stocking. I thought it was perfume or something like that, she told me later. I never dreamed that the box held an iPhone.
Let me tell you how I used the iPhone while we shopped, Cici said. It made shopping for people in China so much easier. Mama would find purses and wallets in the Coach store that she thought someone in China might like. I took pictures of them with my iPhone and immediately sent them to China using QQ. The person in China, family member or friend, would look at their options and tell us which item to buy for them. We bought so many things this way, and it was a great time to do it. The prices were 50% off, plus an additional 30 percent off, plus an additional 10% off. It was amazing.
I bet Coach had no idea, and probably still has no idea, how the iPhone helped boast their sales to people in other countries. I doubt that Apple envisioned that use of the iPhone, but it sure works well for that purpose.
So what about you? I asked Cici. Did you find anything for you? Yes, she said excitedly, let me show you. She ran to get a red sweater and held it up for me to see. Do you like it? It was $60 but I bought it for $12, she said. Next she showed me a full length black dress that she loved. That is perfect for holiday parties or graduation or evening events, I told her. I know, Papa, and look at this. I also found a red one. It was a different style, but also a full length dress, and again I told her it was perfect. They look really good when I put them on, she said. Yes, Ping added, and she can wear the same shoes and purse with them.
Then we sat down to eat, but the girls were still excited about shopping. You are such an expensive girl, I teased Cici. She smiled. There will be payback, Papa, she promised. I understood what she was saying but Ping missed it. You should take care of Papa in the future because of everything he does for you, Ping told Cici. I will, Cici replied, and I already told him I will do that. You should also give Papa a hug, Ping said. I will do that, Cici said. She got up and put her arms around my neck and hugged me tight. Thank you Papa, she said.
It was worth waiting a few hours for the girls to get home.
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