Getting Ripped Off, Chinese Style

Today's flux of emotions went all over the scale. What was supposed to be a nice relaxing shopping day turned out to be rather hectic instead. I should have known this was going to happen. When did I train myself to stop listening to my feelings? That was rather stupid of me.

Today I woke up at 6:50 AM (even though I went to bed just before midnight last night.) I was so mad at all the inconsiderate Chinese people outside for being so noisy and waking me up. Yes, I know I am being silly, but I don't care. I laid in bed, before dragging myself up and over to my computer to finish writing my blog about my vacation (I did write it in bed though, so it doesn't really count as me getting out of bed.) Although truthfully, I didn't start functioning properly until about 8:30. What can I say, I am lazy.

This morning was actually quite productive. I got my Chinese homework done, and worked on my college essay. I also managed a quick chat with my lovely parents, which is always nice. We have a very nice relationship from afar. Not to say that we aren't close when I live at home, just that we also get along when I am 7,000 miles away. But anyway. As I did my homework, I also started to arrange what I was going to do for the rest of the day. Some of my friends were going coat shopping, and I was definitely joining in. Once it was decided that I would meet them at school at 1, I settled down for the rest of the afternoon.

My sister took off at about 10:30 for something, and had to use my bike because she lost the keys for hers. My dad didn't even get out of bed before then, he was so tired. I felt bad for him. All his driving yesterday really tired him out. My mom spent the day lazing around until she had to go to Shanghai (remember, flight attendant.) However, both my mom and my dad made lunch this afternoon, even if half of it was left overs. It was really funny, because some of the dishes they made had meat in it, and my mom pointed to everything and said "No donkey. You eat." They thought that was just hysterical.

After lunch I got dressed in outside clothes and walked out to the bus stop to hitch a ride to school. I got there about 15 minutes before everyone else, and so I bought more minutes for my phone, and waited patiently with my iPod for my friends to get there. When they did, we jumped in a cab, and took off for a market. It wasn't until we were in the cab that we realized we left one person behind. A quick cell phone call assured that he knew where to go, even if he wasn't very happy that we left him. (Sorry Jamie!)

The market was pretty close, only about 5 minutes. It was also obscenely massive. There were small stalls all packed in next to each other selling clothes, and as we walked down the aisles, the store keepers yelled at us to come into their stores and buy their clothes. It was so weird. We wandered around for about 20 minutes before deciding that we actually didn't like that market. So we called Jamie, who still hadn't found us, told him to get in a cab to another market, and got ourselves a cab.

30 minutes later and 40 kuai lighter we arrived at the Hong Qiao Pearl Market (and found Jamie. He was a bit disgruntled with us. Especially because Hannah had called him halfway through our trip and told him we were changing places again. She was kidding, but he didn't think it was very funny.) Hong Qiao Market was even bigger. There are 3 levels of it. The first one is electronic stuff, second is clothes, and third is jewelry.

The beauty of Chinese markets is that you can, and are expected to, haggle and bargain. It is great. Take this, for example. When we first walked in, I saw that a lot of places were selling iPhones. So I walked up to one lady and asked her how much it was (quite innocently, I wasn't planning on buying one.) She told me 1400 yuan ($204) and I said thanks and walked away. She yelled at me to come back, and told me she would sell it for 750 kuai ($109). I was very impressed, but still didn't want to buy it. It ended with me walking away, and her swearing at me (literally.) But seriously, that is how great China is. Anybody want me to send something?

Since all of us were on a mission to buy coats, we headed up to the second level, and started our cruise around all the stores. Again, all the shop keepers yelled at us to buy their clothes, but the worst was walking through the shoe section. The people literally hit us with their shoes to get our attention (like screaming at us wasn't enough.) Cliff did stop and started to haggle for a pair of Vans (he later realized he could have gotten the same pair for 10 kuai cheaper somewhere else and kicked himself about it for the rest of the day.) I stopped close to a shoe place to wait for him, and got pounced on. When I made it obvious that I didn't want to buy shoes, the girl tried to convince me to give her my necklace, as a gift from me to her. I left rather quickly after that.

After looking at coats everywhere, I finally found one at a shop one of my friends was buying her coat from. It is white, pretty thick, and buttons up in the front (a lot like my nice black one actually.) It is pretty warm and only cost me about $30. Excellent. For that price, it was worth it.

On the way back down to go out, we all stopped and bought shoes. I bought a pair of red Pumas for 100 kuai ($15) from the same person who wanted my necklace, and then we headed out. (After a small detour looking at jewelry, of course...) It was only then that we realized we had been shopping for 3 and a half hours. (Jamie had left a while ago, though.) Long time to be on your feet. It was also around this time that I started to get really depressed, and grouchy. I was convinced that buying the jacket was the wrong thing to do, and that my Chinese was just crap. We took the subway home, because it was cheaper, and the whole time, I talked to my friend and brooded. (Funny story. While we were on the subway, Sam, our one gay postgraduate, called Cliff and tried to convince him to go to a gay bar. Cliff spent 10 minutes explaining why that was not going to happen.)

Once we got back to the subway stop close to school, it was a 15 minute walk to get back to school, and therefore a bus stop that my bus stopped at. Everyone else planned where they were going out to dinner, but I was feeling like shit, so I just headed home, saying that I wanted to have dinner with my family, and thinking of the ice cream I could buy on my way home.

As it turned out, my night was quite different. I couldn't find an ice cream on the way home, so I decided that I would run upstairs, drop off my bags, and head for the ice cream place around the corner (this was at about 6 PM.) Once I got to the front door though, I saw that there was a message taped there for me, saying that my sister and my dad were out shopping and wouldn't be back until 7:30. I could eat before though. I seriously felt like kicking myself, because I could have gone out with my friends and it wouldn't have mattered. Ah well.

I did get my ice cream though. I put on my new shoes and power walked to the ice cream place. It is seriously amazing how much an ice cream (with chocolate) can just cheer you right up. I felt so much better. The rest of the night was rather uneventful. I did homework, and when the rest of my family came home, I had dinner. Definitely nothing to write home about.

Looking back on the day, it is making me depressed again to think about it. That is probably the lowest point I have had the entire time I have been here. Maybe I shouldn't go shopping again... Ah well. I guess it is all part of the experience, getting ripped off by Chinese salespeople. Had to happen eventually.