For Thanksgiving, Dr. Kim had an early Thanksgiving dinner at his home and a few MAIS students gathered. Nice to see people and eat some good food. Traditional Thanksgiving food, too.
So much to be thankful for this year. Being so far away from everything familiar, as corny as it is going to sound, has given me a lot to be thankful for. I have my family, I have my friends. I have a roof over my head, I have clothes to wear, I have food to eat. I have this wonderful experience where I’m seeing new sights, meeting new people, learning new things and well ... growing up.
I have the memories and experiences of my past for me to learn from and to smile about. I have a future that I am uncertain about because who knows what will happen, but excited about the possibilities nonetheless. I hope that even when I’m old I will still remember to be thankful for what I have: the past to recall and the future to have.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The Chinese Shopping Experience
Qipu Rd. ... sounds like Cheapu Rd.??
I just realized that this weekend off was mostly spent scouring the Chinese shopping area of Qipu Rd. This place is pretty cool and it is the type of place you hear about. The knockoff market, the cheap clothing. It’s all true. However, China has 1.3 billion people and I think I rubbed elbows with half of them this weekend. It is super crowded there.
I went with Lisa on Saturday and with Sina and Darleen on Sunday. The key, it turns out, is to have a game plan. You cannot go there with the idea that you’ll just be “shopping.” You need to know what you want to/need to buy. Otherwise you’ll become so overwhelmed with the place that you might just end up buying nothing. Many of the things are basically the same things over and over, so once you see something you like, start bargaining for the price you want. If you don’t get the price you want, you can try another place. But know what you already want. By the third vendor, you’ll get an idea of what the market price is. Or what the market price is for you. Just deal with it. There is a break even price after all and you have to remember that these shop owners/workers still need to eat. So you try for the best and aim for the native Chinese price. Not the foreigner price.Do not be like me, “This is okay, but I might see something I like later.” Once you do that, you will just keep saying it over and over.
Another rule, don’t really bargain hard unless you actually plan on buying it. This is different from just asking them to quote you a price and doing a mini-bargain. A mini-bargain can kind of help you gauge where the shop owner stands. But once you start doing the full dance with the shop owner over the price, and the owner goes down to the lowest price they can do, you better be serious in buying it. Otherwise, it might result in the shop owner getting pissed at you and telling the other shop owners nearby to not sell you anything because you are just there to “play around” with them. Which is kind of what happened to me, Sina and Darleen at one store.
At Qipu Rd.?
Wallet 35RMB
Boots 40RMB (were super on sale, btw)
Jacket 90RMB
Blanket throw 20RMB
Total 185RMB = ~$28
I also bought another pair of boots and a pair of semi-dress shoes, but not at Qipu Rd. This was at a shoe store that’s here in the Xuhui District near the Shanghai Stadium, right where the bus dropped us off. The prices were not bad either because they were about the same price as Qipu Rd. if we were to really bargain them down. But of course the better quality stuff was more expensive, as expected. But some stuff was okay.
Boots 85RMB
semi-dress shoes 58RMB
Total 143RMB = ~$21
Grand total of my first super local Chinese shopping experience? 328RMB = ~$48. Not too bad in US dollars. Or I can buy 328 baozi (buns, of the eating variety).
I just realized that this weekend off was mostly spent scouring the Chinese shopping area of Qipu Rd. This place is pretty cool and it is the type of place you hear about. The knockoff market, the cheap clothing. It’s all true. However, China has 1.3 billion people and I think I rubbed elbows with half of them this weekend. It is super crowded there.
I went with Lisa on Saturday and with Sina and Darleen on Sunday. The key, it turns out, is to have a game plan. You cannot go there with the idea that you’ll just be “shopping.” You need to know what you want to/need to buy. Otherwise you’ll become so overwhelmed with the place that you might just end up buying nothing. Many of the things are basically the same things over and over, so once you see something you like, start bargaining for the price you want. If you don’t get the price you want, you can try another place. But know what you already want. By the third vendor, you’ll get an idea of what the market price is. Or what the market price is for you. Just deal with it. There is a break even price after all and you have to remember that these shop owners/workers still need to eat. So you try for the best and aim for the native Chinese price. Not the foreigner price.Do not be like me, “This is okay, but I might see something I like later.” Once you do that, you will just keep saying it over and over.
Another rule, don’t really bargain hard unless you actually plan on buying it. This is different from just asking them to quote you a price and doing a mini-bargain. A mini-bargain can kind of help you gauge where the shop owner stands. But once you start doing the full dance with the shop owner over the price, and the owner goes down to the lowest price they can do, you better be serious in buying it. Otherwise, it might result in the shop owner getting pissed at you and telling the other shop owners nearby to not sell you anything because you are just there to “play around” with them. Which is kind of what happened to me, Sina and Darleen at one store.
At Qipu Rd.?
Wallet 35RMB
Boots 40RMB (were super on sale, btw)
Jacket 90RMB
Blanket throw 20RMB
Total 185RMB = ~$28
I also bought another pair of boots and a pair of semi-dress shoes, but not at Qipu Rd. This was at a shoe store that’s here in the Xuhui District near the Shanghai Stadium, right where the bus dropped us off. The prices were not bad either because they were about the same price as Qipu Rd. if we were to really bargain them down. But of course the better quality stuff was more expensive, as expected. But some stuff was okay.
Boots 85RMB
semi-dress shoes 58RMB
Total 143RMB = ~$21
Grand total of my first super local Chinese shopping experience? 328RMB = ~$48. Not too bad in US dollars. Or I can buy 328 baozi (buns, of the eating variety).
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
We Will R.O.C. You!
Evidence that my kids are cooler than your kids. I randomly said "we will, we will" in an attempt to get them to calm down when they suddenly shouted, "ROCK YOU!" Where do Chinese 5 year olds learn this stuff?!
I'm molding my minions from an early age. They are going to R.O.C. the P.R.C.!
I'm molding my minions from an early age. They are going to R.O.C. the P.R.C.!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
China Time
Jimmy told me that daylight savings as just occurred back home. I was re-counting what the time difference was when I wondered whether China had daylight savings time. This being the country that has only one time zone ... for the whole country. Meaning, wherever you are in the country of China, whatever time it is in Beijing means that’s the time where you are.
That was when my welfare officer called to inform me of tomorrow’s transport schedule. I decided to ask her whether there was daylight savings in China. This is how the conversation went. Kinda cute, but also kinda funny. Remember, I’m using Chinglish.
Amy: Nancy, does China have daylight savings?
Nancy: what is that?
Amy: It is when ... in the winter ... you change times.
Nancy: You mean your teaching schedule? The school schedule?
Amy: No, I mean ... the time. The time on the clock. You change it. Because it’s winter. And then you change it again when it’s spring.
Nancy: But how can you change time? Time will always keep moving!
Amy: I mean, you just change time ahead or back one hour. In America we have “daylight savings” where two times a year, you change what time it is.
Nancy *half jokingly: Wow, America is so talented [li4 hai4 厉害]. You guys can change time!
Amy: we’re not literally changing time. We’re just changing the time that it says on the clock.
Nancy: ... but why?
Amy: ok. well, the fact that you have no idea what I’m talking about means that China has no “daylight savings.”
Nancy: ok! problem solved!
That was when my welfare officer called to inform me of tomorrow’s transport schedule. I decided to ask her whether there was daylight savings in China. This is how the conversation went. Kinda cute, but also kinda funny. Remember, I’m using Chinglish.
Amy: Nancy, does China have daylight savings?
Nancy: what is that?
Amy: It is when ... in the winter ... you change times.
Nancy: You mean your teaching schedule? The school schedule?
Amy: No, I mean ... the time. The time on the clock. You change it. Because it’s winter. And then you change it again when it’s spring.
Nancy: But how can you change time? Time will always keep moving!
Amy: I mean, you just change time ahead or back one hour. In America we have “daylight savings” where two times a year, you change what time it is.
Nancy *half jokingly: Wow, America is so talented [li4 hai4 厉害]. You guys can change time!
Amy: we’re not literally changing time. We’re just changing the time that it says on the clock.
Nancy: ... but why?
Amy: ok. well, the fact that you have no idea what I’m talking about means that China has no “daylight savings.”
Nancy: ok! problem solved!
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