Tracks of Distraction

I’ve been living without a watch since January ever since the battery gave out. I never knew what to do to have it fixed, and I was in beggar-mode at that time, so I had to live of with using my cellphone as my clock. It works well, with the added hassle that I had to carry my phone in my pocket all the time. I was finally able to control my expenses, so I find myself browsing for the prices of watches here in Paris. The cheap ones cost around 30 euros on average, and the really expensive ones can reach 3-digit prices. But I never really liked the designs of the watches I saw, so I started to wonder how to fix the watch that I had with me. Thank God for the online yellow pages here in France. I had to use Google Translate to figure out what exactly I was looking for, and after a while I found a list of horlogeries I could try. I found one near the cinema I frequently visit, so I scribbled down the address and set off. My idea of a watch repair shop is a small stall that I used to see in Frisco when I was young. Imagine my surprise when I finally located the place and I saw a real shop for watch-repair. It felt like I was transported in another century, with old clocks ticking by the window display. There is this old man sitting behind a counter, who looked up as soon as I entered the door. He couldn’t speak English, but I managed to tell him that I need to change the battery of my watch. He even praised me for my French, how sweet. As he was fixing my watch, I can’t help but look around and be amazed by the clocks ticking around me. That’s the first time that I realized that I have this certain fascination for old fashioned things. It didn’t take long, he soon handed me my watch after replacing the battery. After paying 7.50 euros, I left the shop with a grin, happy that my watch is working again. I’ll never know if I paid too much for battery-replacement. But hey, his shop was a visual treat for me. And at least, I don’t have to buy another watch.