It’s ok.

When my new, shiny red Tuk Tuk was delivered it was the event of the day. The very helpful receptionist Blue (yup, that’s her name!) was there as was not only the service apartments security/bell boy but also some other random guard that was walking around. Mr. Li (our driver) was there of course, making sure everything was working out for “his” family, i.e. us, as was Mr. Birdie himself.

It is so pretty, my tuk tuk. All shiny and did I say red? There is plenty of room for the kids to sit and still room for bags and stuff. And so easy to drive! Not exactly fast and strong, but enough horse power for our quiet excursions around Shunyi. I got so excited that I forgot that it was early release day for the kids and that I had to pick Marcus up from the gate. No worries though, I just picked him up and we took my new toy out for a test drive.

As I was driving around I tried to figure out the dashboard, all in Chinese of course. The power meter is easy enough to understand; when all the red lights are out I need to charge it. The same with the turn indicators and the light switch, which talks by the way, as does the reverse button…  There is however one light that I just couldn’t figure out what it was and I asked Blue for advice. Her English is questionable but compared too many others she is a linguistic genius. She asked for the manual which I gladly handed over, it’s all in Chinese of course, and she proceeded to study it intensely. I understand that it takes time, there are so many characters and they all look so much alike! She asked the security guard for advice, apparently he knows bikes….

“We have to see bike”, Blue explains and sure, no problem, I have it parked across the street at my friend Sara’s house (since the parking garage didn’t work out – too steep of a hill for my tired bike, I ended up pushing it up instead of driving it, thank God Beijing is flat!).

Security guy puts the key in the key hole, starts the engine and begins to look around the bike, opening the latch to where the battery is, looking into every hole and cranny all the while talking intensely to Blue who keeps on studying the instruction booklet.

They talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk and I manage to catch a word or two, here and there but not the whole conversation obviously (it’s been 15 years!). Eventually the guard walks away and I ask Blue….what?

“It’s ok.”

That’s it. It’s ok. Nothing to worry about, mei wenti. I’ll make sure to think of that when I’m stranded somewhere with the mysterious light blinking.

It’s ok.