An Unexpected Encounter at the Electronics Store (Or: Why I Should Not Explain My Hobbies to Strangers)
I needed a USB cable.
This should have been simple. Go to store. Point at cable. Pay. Leave. Total interaction time: 90 seconds.
It took 47 minutes.
10:15 - The Shopping List
The frequency counter requires continuous logging for the Tuesday measurements (despite knowing Dima’s prediction was fabricated, I am still doing this—pattern-seeking has become compulsion).
What I need:
- USB cable (2 meters, device to laptop)
- Small notebook for manual logging (backup system)
- Possibly spare batteries (unclear if device uses them, manual unhelpful)
I go to Elektronika Plus on Furmanov Street. Small shop, decent selection, owner knows inventory.
10:30 - The Transaction Begins
I enter. Arman (the owner, approximately 35 years old, has sold me cables before) is behind counter.
Arman: “Good morning! What do you need?”
Me: “USB cable, 2 meters, Type-B.”
Arman: “For printer?”
Me: “No. Frequency counter.”
I should have said “yes” and left. But I am technically accurate to a fault.
Arman: “Frequency counter? For work?”
Me: “No. Personal project.”
Arman: “What kind of project?”
This is where I made my mistake.
10:32 - The Explanation (Too Detailed)
I explained. In detail. Too much detail.
I told him about:
- The refrigerator frequency measurements (21 days, 0.3 Hz Tuesday anomaly)
- The new frequency counter (47€, Chinese manual, customs detention)
- The 24-hour stability test currently running
- The upcoming Tuesday measurements at 14:30-14:45
- Why I needed 2-meter cable specifically (desk to outlet distance)
Arman listened. Did not interrupt. This should have been warning sign.
When I finished, he was quiet for approximately 8 seconds.
Arman: “You are measuring your refrigerator frequency to see if Tuesdays are different.”
Me: “Yes. Statistically significant correlation in preliminary data.”
Arman: “And you bought equipment from China to do this.”
Me: “Correct.”
Arman: “And customs thought you were suspicious.”
Me: “They wrote ‘weird hobby equipment’ on the inspection form.”
Arman: (smiling) “This is the best thing I have heard all week.”
I was not sure if this was compliment or mockery. Possibly both.
10:38 - The Unexpected Connection
Arman: “I know someone like you.”
Me: “Someone who measures refrigerators?”
Arman: “No. Someone who measures weird things nobody else cares about.”
He pulls out his phone. Shows me photo. Man approximately 40-45 years old, standing next to equipment I do not recognize. Looks like meteorological station but too small.
Arman: “My uncle. Ruslan Karimovich. He measures air pressure patterns.”
Me: “This is normal. Meteorologists do this.”
Arman: “He is not meteorologist. He is retired postal worker. He thinks air pressure affects how long it takes mail to arrive.”
Me: “…”
Arman: “He has 8 years of data. Barometric pressure, delivery times, lunar phases, day of week. Everything.”
Me: “Has he found correlations?”
Arman: “He says yes. Postal service says he is crazy and should stop sending them reports.”
This is… familiar.
Arman: “He lives in Almaty. I could give him your contact if you want. He does not have many people to talk to about this.”
10:45 - The Social Dilemma
I now face decision:
Option A: Accept contact information, possibly meet another person who measures unnecessary things, expand social circle by one (1) person.
Option B: Politely decline, maintain current social equilibrium, avoid potential awkwardness.
I am not good at meeting new people. My last successful “making friends” attempt was 1993 (Mikhail, university laboratory partner).
But.
If there is someone in Almaty who has 8 years of barometric pressure data correlated with postal delivery times, and the postal service has officially told him to stop… this person and I might understand each other.
Me: “…Yes. You can give him my email.”
Arman: (surprised) “Really? I thought you would say no. You seem—” (pauses) “—like you prefer being alone.”
Me: “I do prefer being alone. But I prefer being understood more.”
11:00 - Transaction Complete
I bought:
- 1x USB cable (2 meters, Type-B) - 1,200 tenge
- 1x Small notebook - 400 tenge
- 1x Unexpected social connection - unknown value
Arman: “I will tell Ruslan to email you. Be warned: he writes very long emails. He has a lot to say about atmospheric pressure.”
Me: “I write blog posts about Soviet multimeters. I am not one to judge.”
Arman: “You have a blog?”
I left before explaining further.
11:20 - Reflection
Walking home with USB cable, I am thinking about probability.
What are the chances that:
- I go to small electronics store
- Explain my unusual hobby in too much detail
- Store owner has uncle with similar methodology obsession
- Uncle lives in same city (population 2 million)
- I agree to contact
Either this is remarkable coincidence, or there are more people like me than I realize, and we simply do not encounter each other because we are all at home measuring things.
Current status:
- ✓ USB cable acquired
- ✓ 24-hour frequency test still running (stable so far)
- ✓ Possibly new acquaintance who understands obsessive data collection
- ? Uncertain if I will regret this decision
- ? Waiting for email from retired postal worker about barometric pressure
Social interaction capacity: Exhausted (47 minutes was maximum)
Probability Ruslan emails me: 70%
Probability I actually respond: 85% (higher than expected—I am curious about 8-year dataset)
Time until I can return to measuring things in silence: 6 minutes
Equipment status: Cable installed, logging functional
Social status: Moderately terrified but cautiously optimistic
Note to self: Next time, just say “printer cable”