Taking the subway on your own may not sound like a big deal to most people, but when you’re in a city the size of Beijing and you don’t speak the language it can be a little daunting. However I had been told that there was a Walmart on the third stop from where we get on so we were determined to find it and check it out. I wanted to buy some school supplies which I could not find in stores near the hotel – things like markers and scotch tape.
So this morning at 9:00,complete with a cell phone and numbers of people we could call if we got lost, we made the 20 minute walk to the subway and headed for Zhi Chun Lu – the subway stop for Walmart. It was easy to find because it is right beside the subway and it is quite big – in fact a super center! It consists of three floors of merchandise so we explored all three. There were many products there that I recognized as well as products intended mainly for Chinese consumers. I found all the supplies I wanted, some things for the apartment and lots of chocolate! They even sell Ferrero Rocher chocolates which are sold in Canada.
After about two hours of looking around the place we checked out and the grand total was $428.60, which is $67.00 Canadian. (The Canadian dollar is worth about six Chinese yuan.)
So we headed back home with our purchases, proud that we did it on our own. Nothing makes you feel more like being home than getting some good buys at Walmart!
Start discussion »
Leave a Reply