July 2011

Last day in China!

Today we were taken by tour bus to a popular shopping mall 6 stories high. We were told how to take the subway back to the hotel, so we could shop as long as we wanted to. The mall was full of everything you could want! Clothes, jewelry, suitcases, purses, scarves, ties, tourist stuff, food, manicures and pedicures. The vendors would beg you to look at their stuff, and even grab your arm to keep you there to look.

And it was bargain for the lowest price. Here’s how it goes. You act like you are not really interested in what you want and ask the price. For example, I wanted a coach purse.
Chinese: How many pieces you want?
Me: How much?
Chinese: what’s your price?
Me: No, what is your price?
Chinese: 380 RMB
Me: Oh no, too high!
Chinese: What is your price?
Me: Give me your lowest price.
Chinese: Ok, OK, you are my first customer, so I givea you a gooda deal. 300 RMB
Me: Come on, that is way to high!
Chinese: What you pay?
Me: Just give me your lowest price,
And so it goes and goes until the price gets down to 100 RMB
Me: 100 is too much. I will give you 20.
Chinese: You hard bargainer, I make no money, give me a little more. How about 60?
Me: (Getting tired) My final price is 35.
Chinese: No, No, come on, come on OK, OK, 50!!!
Me: (Walking off) My final price is 35…..I walk off and they yell “OK”….and they act all unhappy about it. So, the purchase is made, and off to start the process all over again.

Then it’s also fun to ask everyone what they paid for something and then laugh when you got a better deal, or get mad when they got the better deal. Never would I sit and ask someone over and over what they paid for something, but we do it here all day long!

Susan and Annie bought these T-shirts for 50 RMB, and I followed after them and told the vendors I would only pay 40 RMB, and I got it. It’s all in the deal making.

Very tiring work all day! LOL But got lots of treasures. I laughed and told my friends that I would never go to a mall and just start buying tons of stuff like I do here! But hey, it’s cheap.

I also had a last pedicure, and relaxed for a while. And we had some noodles for lunch.

Then we took the sardine express (subway) back to the hotel. It was totally crowded and we were squished in with everyone. I could feel hot bodies surrounding me! No room to sit, just standing room only. And when people get on and off, lots of pushing and shoving. Just when you think no one else will fit on, the doors open and more people just shove right in. Wow!

We ate at KFC, and then met up with some more members of the group who were going back to the night market, so it was back to the subway, and another trip.

The big draw of the market is the food court where they serve scorpions, baby ducks, tarantulas, roaches, seahorses, lizards of all sizes, snails, snakes and stuff I didn’t even know what it was. The bugs are on skewers, and they are still moving before they deep fat fry them. And nope, I didn’t eat them! Susan, Jose and Ariel did.

We walked around the market for a while after that and then headed back to the sardine express, and it was just as crowded. Even at 10 at night it was so crowded! With over 8 million people in Beijing, I guess it’s understandable that there are so many people around.

We are heading home tomorrow. Check out at 11, lunch, then heading to the airport!

taranchula

Night market

Snakes

Lizards

Subway

Night market

snails

baby ducks

Live scorpions and starfish

Final dinner with group

Our group

Opening Ceremonies

Staff Photo

These were recently sent to me. They were photos from the first day of our summer camp.

I have NO idea how to get one of the photos to turn around! Sorry!

Today i met up with Abel, who Bonnie and I met in 2006 when we worked for an oil company called COSL. He took the subway from his house to pick me up, and we took the subway back, and then caught Bus 230 to Yanjiao, which is about a 30 minute ride. We had lunch at KFC, a very popular place in China.

We went to the old office building where we had our offices and taught and asked for Ms. Jia, but she had moved offices. So a man found her number and called her. She came over, driven by a driver, and picked us up and drove us to her office. I hadn't remembered who she was until I saw her, but immediately recognized her. Her son, Rolf, what taken care of us when we were here in 2006, but he is now studying at a university in Canada. She pulled up photos on her computer from when we were there in 2006. Yep, I look older! Ugg!

We visited and had some tea, and they tried to recruit us to come and work for them, but Abel is happy working in Beijing, and I'm waiting for a couple of years. Then, of course, they gave us a gift as we left. I always feel bad never bringing anything, but all the Chinese love to give gifts. It was a nice wallet.

We left and down the road caught a taxi to take us back to the center of Yanjiao, so we could walk around and see where we used to live. We walked thru the market and saw the chickens and dogs for sale for dinner, the many vegetables and fruit markets, and even our old apartment. Really, nothing has changed in 5 years! There was a new big building being built across the street from our old apartment, but that's about the only change I noticed.

Then we took the bus back to the subway station and I said goodbye to Abel. I didn't want him to have to take the subway back and then back to his place. I was able to take it myself, and boy was it crowded! Interesting that not many people stared at me. In Beijing people are more used to foreigners.

I found my way back to the hotel, and everyone was here getting ready to go to dinner, so I was able to go. We had a great dinner with our group and made lots of toasts to how much fun we had together, and how well we all got along, and it's true. We really were a good group! Tons of laughter and support of one another! I'm going to miss everyone and all the fun and excitement we had!

making bread

making soy sauce

walking and shopping street

Grains

fruit stand

corn cakes we bought

fruit and vegetable market

chicken or dog for dinner?

Ms. Jia and I

Abel, Ms. Jia, an assistant, and I

It's getting better than it was a few years ago, but it's so fun to read all the signs here and try and figure out the translations. One of my favorite is a sign next to white bread that says: Aspects of Package. What is that? LOL

It was a great day today! We started out early at 7:30 and stopped at a Jade factory before heading to the Great Wall. Didn't buy a thing there. Very expensive.

The day began rainy, but cleared up and wasn't too hot. Susan, Annie and I scaled the wall together and then took the long way down and back to the group. There were several photo opportunities, where Chinese people would stop and ask us to take a picture with them. Do we look funny or just weird? What can I say about the Wall? This being my 3rd time and it is still awesome!

Then it was onto the wall. There were several different sections we could have climbed, but we picked the one that didn't go straight up, but it still went up, just not as steep, and then on the way down we took another turn and walked along the wall for a long time and back and around to the busses. The

We went to lunch at a clossinee factory, and enjoyed another yummy lunch. Didn't buy anything there either, cause I already have some. And it is the most beautiful "pottery" you see.

Then it was onto to the Ming Tomb. A friend and I from the group had already seen it, so we just ate ice-cream and rested.

And still more fun! It was off to an acrobat show on ice! I've seen the acrobats here, but not on ice-skates, and it was amazing! We couldn't take photos, and in fact there were security guards that would walk around and if they saw anyone taking photos they would yell at them and shine flashlights for laser pointers in their eyes.

Finally it was off to dinner. There wasn't a Lazy Susan on the table! What a surprise! It was a buffet and they had pizza and spaghetti, which I heard tasted like tomato paste over noodles or bread, and the usual Chinese food. There was also Peking Duck, which they serve on a type of tortilla with onions, cucumbers and a sauce.

And at last it was back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

Our bus is a riot. We have so much fun on the bus together. The tour guide didn't want to ride to the hotel with us cause her house was near the restaurant, but she said it wasn't legal to leave us, and the bus took off. We all started yelling at the bus driver to stop and let her off, and that we wouldn't tell, and finally he stopped and she got off. He was probably thinking we were nuts!

Great Wall

Great Wall

Great Wall

Wall

Wall

Susan and I

Susan and I

Susan and Annie