Green beans and a can opener

Oh man do I have a funny story. Well I find it funny at least and hope that you all can share in my humor. So awhile back I bought a can opener. They didnt have any at the store on base so I bought it out in town thinking a can opener is a can opener right? Wrong. The first time I went to use the can opener was after Justin had left and I had no clue how the darn thing worked. I did however, know that it worked because Justin had opened a can of corn or something for dinner one night. This can opener is different than the one I was used to using at home. So Im screwing around with this can opener, and even have my mom on the phone at 4am her time trying to help me with this thing (I had called her for other reasons than the can opener but while we were on the phone the situation came up). Anyways so after becoming completely frustrated with the stupid thing, I gave up and decided to open the can with a knife (which Justin and my mom both yelled at me for). So the next time I talked to Justin I explained to him my situation and after minutes of laughing and making fun of me he decided to try and explain to me over the phone how to use it, but by then I was pissed that he made fun of me so didnt really feel like listening. I told him I didnt want to hear it, that I wasnt going to try, I wouldnt learn how to use it over the phone, he was just going to have to show me and I just wouldnt open a can until he got back.

So tonight Im making dinner, grilled chicken and rice, and decided I needed something else to go with it. A vegetable. Too bad all of my vegetables are in cans in the pantry. I grabbed a can of green beans and thought to myself ok Kristen, youre smarter than the can opener. Was I? No. I twisted and turned and tried it every which way and just couldnt get it to open the can! I was determined though, I wanted those green beans and was going to do anything to have them. So what did I do? I resorted to the hallway of my apartment complex, can opener, green beans and all. I figured someones got to be coming to or leaving their apartment right now and maybe if I "bump" into them they will help me. So I step foot into the hallway and what do I hear? Silence. Not a single person was in the complex. So I roamed my floor for a little bit thinking come on someones got to be coming or going soon. I hung out mostly by the elevator, watching for any sign that someone might be using it. I even went down to the first floor where all the mail boxes are hoping that someone might be down their checking the mail. Well after a good 15 minutes I returned home and decided to try the can opener again. No such luck with the thing, so I resorted back to the hallway. I kept my eyes glued on that elevator and before I knew it, it started to move. Someone was coming up! I hoped and prayed that the elevator was going to stop on the 2nd floor so that I didnt have to jump in the other elevator and chase the person with my can opener screaming open my can!!! Haha not that I would do that, but anyways, the elevator stopped on the second floor and I was in luck! A man stepped out. The second he did he saw me and I said "Sumimasen" (excuse me) and showed him my can. He put down his things and started talking to me in Japanese and I, having no idea what he was saying, showed him the can again. He took the can from me, and the opener, and began opening the can! Just like that! What do ya know, the one way that I didnt try to use can opener was the way that it worked! I was so thankful, but also so embarassed! I thanked him for opening my can and walked back to my apartment. He probably thought stupid American girl doesnt even know how to use a can opener. Haha oh well, hopefully I dont see him on my floor again, he will probably remember me as the idiot with the green beans. Ha!!