Kathy & Paul's Adventures Abroad

Saturday we went looking for a camera with Mike and Chenxia at a place Chenxia called Computer City. We started looking on the fourteenth floor of the eighteen floors of consumer electronics.We bought our camera on the third floor.Chenxia’s haggling skills are a beauty to behold but somewhat confusing. In the heat of negotiations you would swear that they were confirmed enemies. As negotiations are completed and the price is set they look like long lost friends.

One of many computer electronic stores

The Silk Market is a tourist destination. It is in the same area where in former days there would be vendors and merchants selling all kinds of goods along the Silk Road. Today they are all concentrated in a large six storey building and the vendors number in the thousands – a tourist mecca!

Chenxia’s skills were truly highlighted at the Silk Market. We would pick an item we wanted and then Chenxia would take over. We would fade into the background and the vendors didn’t like dealing with her. Her body language, hand gestures, and facial expressions were all part of a focused attack but the vendors too were true professionals. There would be many vollies back and forth and we learned when we were getting close to the end of negotiations – the ultimate strategy – the walk-away was employed. Often the vendor would try an end run, and approach me or Kathy directly. We would just say deal with Chenxia. After buying a sweater a lady vendor said to Kathy “You come back again but don’t bring her” (indicating Chenxia) “She’s a tiger!!”

I began feeling brave when the vendors would call out “Hello” or “Hi” I would call out “Hi, how are you?” At one point I was talking with one lady and we could not understand each other. She was telling me all about her goods and I was just chatting away on a totally different topic. We were both talking and nobody was listening. Another time while Chenxia was deep in negotiations as I stood in the background. Another vendor asked if I wanted any bedding supplies- sheets, pillow cases. I said “No, thank you, I live in my car.” She said “You live in your car?!” I said “yes, my wife got mad and threw me out. In a few days she’ll let me back in. It’s a nice car.” she gave me that are you for real look. At that point I said “I love my car.” Now you should remember that in China family is very important. She replied “You should say I love my wife. She should throw you out!”

Chenxia’s skills when employed got Kathy a sweater for 120 RMB, when the asking price was 600 RMB, and many other similar bargains. After ten hours of shopping we had to go to a birthday party for our friend Dave. The party was at Doris’s place. She is a Newfoundlander , and like all Newfoundlanders away from home she is looking for savory. (Savory is a spice like sage that most Newfoundlanders use in stuffing for turkey.)

A Jewelry Vendor at the Silk Market

The party – well that’s another story for another post!!