Haggling and Crazy Chinglish T-shirts

Ah! I really have to say, I have the most wonderful speaking teacher! Not only is he patient and creative in her lessons, but she is just too much fun. She always has a great sense of humor. She loves to teach us dirty words. Apparently chicken means prostitute in Chinese, and “question” sounds like the word “kiss” so be careful what you are asking strangers. On top of all this she gives us all the insider information on Nanjing. As soon as she found out that we were all getting ripped off at the tourist’s flea market she decided to take us to this amazing shopping center at the edge of the city. Mind you I hate shopping – DEPSISE it, but I’m in China right?; Time to go outside of our comfort zones.

The whole class took a field trip over there. We almost didn’t take the bus because it was so crowded, but we squeezed in and made our way over in one piece. I made a few friends on the way over too. Something about cramped spaces always forces you to socialize. I got there and saw rows and rows of every kind of clothing I could want to buy. I can appreciate the visuals, but mind you I still wasn’t psyched about shopping.

I walked around a little, palling around with some of my buddies from school. I wasted a little time looking at shoes with some female friends. They realized very quickly that they didn’t have the tiny Asian feet to fit the shoes and moved on, disappointed.

Then I bumped into a little store. They had a few things that looked interesting. So I walked in; no big deal. I asked the price of a sweater I liked.

“280 kuai”.

Okay not terrible, no better than home. I thought about it for a second, and my friend, Miguel, nudged me slyly. He told me to pretend I like I didn’t want it. I didn’t get it, but then, “oh”. A sly grin came over my face. We had to haggle. The thrill of the chase was on.

We tried to bring it down a bit, but she wasn’t budging. “260”, she said, but we weren’t having it. So, we left with an heir of deservingness. We snubbed her, and I felt like such an ass, but oh! It was a great feeling. They intentionally jack up the prices for foreigners because they think we have more money. It’s probably true, but the best way to get a deal is to find something you like and get a Chinese friend to buy it for you later.

Anyway, me and Miguel found another place later. They tried to sell us high at first. Now – realize, it’s not easy bargaining in a language you don’t speak so well, but Miguel is very flamboyant. He throws on his looks with such flare. He knows just the right amount of disappointment and apathy to use in any situation. In his brilliance, he got us down to a price down below what they were going to sell us, with an extra sweatshirt thrown in for good measure. Haggling is so much fun. I now know what it must feel like to gamble. You know you are getting rid of money, but those little thrills make it so worth it.

Well I was there I took a few pictures of all the “Chinglish” (Chinese attempts at English that end up as fashionable babble) writing I could find. I would have bought a few Chinglish t-shirts for myself but they were all for women. I figure people back home will get a few awkward laughs out of these.
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Hey, everybody! My names Liam, and right now I'm living a dream that I didn't think would come true. I am living in China, studying at Nanjing University for a full ten months. Don't ask me why I wanted it so badly, I've just always been drawn to the culture. Europe sounded too comfortable to me, and there are so many chances for growth and adventure in this country. As for me I like finding a good adventure outside of the mainstream, having a challenge, and reading a few books (at once) when I get the free time.

Next ArticleChina and The Track - written 10/8/09