How to in China

We needed a phone cord for the computer, so while on our first walk in the new city we found what looked like a storefront that sold technological stuff. We entered through the plastic strips that one normally see on walk-in cooler doors. The store, about the size of the co-op was blaring with multiple fluorescent lights, loud Chinese music from cheap speakers and a multitude of employees. The store sold all things electric, from computer to washers to vacuums to irons and blenders. The merchandising was like costco on steroids. Each department had dozens of items to choose from but only one of each on display. There were no boxes in sight. All the employees were in uniform, black pants white shirt and ties. The women (girls) wore colored ties and their hair in buns. I'm pretty sure not many westerners came into the store because they all stopped and you could tell they were talking among themselves about what to do.
We slowly walked through the store until I spotted what I needed, an asessories display rack. I searched the pegs until I found the phone jack but it was unclear if it had two phone-jack ends. I could not remove it from the peg because it was locked on. By this time we were surrounded by four salesmen, one helped remove the package from the peg so we could look more closely. With sign language I described what I needed, after much discussion with the supervisor we all agreed this is what I want. Then a young women shows up with a sales pad. We all squat down and she writes the order and gives the salesman the carbon copy. We are now ready to proceed to the cashier but before that I must write my name on the sales sheet, so I write C A L, there is much discussion about how to pronounce my name and then the supervisor scratches out what I have written and writes c a l in lower case. All is ready for the cashier. 17 yuan no tax. The cashier an irritated middle aged woman enters the information from the original sales slip onto another sales form and prints a receipt, gives me my change and every one laughs and cheers at our completion. At least ten employees walked us to the door and bid us farewell with waves and laughter.
This is a fun place.
boomboom