Shopping!

I'm almost finished with my China blogging, for those of you who are waiting breathlessly for family and wedding pictures - they're coming! But before I end my asian saga, I wanted to just say a little something about the spending opportunities we encountered. China is a country of independent business owners. Some of them own a stall in a market, some of them have a room in a building, some of them have a blanket on the sidewalk and a few lucky ones own a whole store. The seller/owners expected you to haggle with them. They always asked for at least twice what their product was worth and our job as buyers was to get them to half-off or below. This usually involved acting only mildly interested and walking away until the sellers called after us, "Okay, okay, okay!" Whereupon they would accept our "bottom price." Although exciting at first, the haggling got old fast. I was never really sure if I was getting a good deal or if I was being played for an American fool. Also, we discovered that most of the stuff was plastic, cheap and (gasp) made in China! Still, there were treasures to be found. The intricate oriental paper-cut work was cool and worth every yuan. Food was usually a good bargain and since we ate most of it there, it didn't add any weight to our luggage going home. I bought inexpensive washable polyester scarves that I'm sure I'll put to good use and one expensive silk scarf that I'm now afraid to wear for fear of ruining it... Several of us bought pearls at a pearl factory and rumor has it that some of the necklaces are already falling apart. (I still have mine!) I found some summer skirts and tops for bargain prices, but now that I'm back in Alaska, I'll have to wait until next summer to wear them. Of course, we all bought gifts for family and friends back home and, as I've already hinted on this blog, I know some of my gifts have been received with little enthusiasm. (Remember folks - it's the thought that counts!) I do love the fan I bought from the fan painter in the pictures above. It brings back a good memory when I look at it. I guess that's the bottom line when it comes to souvenirs - it's a way to capture memories of the adventures. Just like at home, the best part of shopping was the hunt - combing through stacks of stuff, looking for the "one" that was calling your name. We had a blast shopping in China - hunting and collecting a lot of fun memories.