In the courtyard of one of the temples, there was a tiered, pagoda -like urn into which I saw many people pitching coins. Each level of the structure had a few holes for coin entry. My cousin’s girlfriend and I decided to try our hands at this task, which is said to bring good luck upon completion. I got out a newly minted 1 Yuan coin and took aim. But after about 6 attempts, the coin had lost its luster, and I had broken a sweat chasing it around as it ricocheted in every direction imaginable. My cousin’s girlfriend politely suggested that perhaps the coin was too large (even though she had successfully tossed in an identical one moments before…).
Wanting to get this awful process over with, I grudgingly pulled out an American nickel. Minutes ticked away, and I realized that Tom Jefferson wasn’t really working for me, either. I decided to redouble my efforts with Honest Abe, whose visage graced the smallest coin in my wallet. If this wasn’t going to work, nothing was.
Three throws later, I was stooped over, picking my penny off of the ground, when an old lady strolled by. Without stopping, this grandmother took out two 1 Yuan coins and simultaneously pitched them sideways, almost not looking. I heard two metallic *dings* (a sound with which I was all too familiar by now). To my amazement, I had just seen both coins sail with laser precision into the urn. And before I knew it, the old lady had walked out of sight.
My initial thoughts: (1) Wow. (2) This is kind of embarrassing. (3) What a showoff! (4) Someone please draft this woman (or buy me steroids). Inspired by what I just witnessed (or way too embarrassed to quit now), I managed to toss my tiny copper coin into a hole the size of two-liter Coke bottle with just a few more tries. Now I’m just waiting for my $0.01 worth of good fortune…
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