If you have every been to China, you have probably been accosted by someone trying to sell you something.  Watches, knock off purses, roller skates, laser pointers. USB sticks…. back in the day they would walk up to you with a bag of goodies.  Now, they show you a laminated card- that is if you are on the street near a shopping mall.   If you show interest, they might take you to their shop.  If you are really interested and lucky, they will take you to a secret room, either upstairs, or literally behind a wall- where they either knock to get let in or push on the wall Batman style to reveal yet another room of knock off Coach purses, Rolex watches, etc. The room is usually locked and stuffed with goodies… you have to sort through them to find a style you want, or you just look, say “No Thanks” and hope that they let you out.

A mecca for shopping for fakes- Converse All Stars, watches, purses, backpacks, etc is the Pearl Market in Hongqiao or another location we discovered this weekend… we went with the desire to get a purse and some ‘stuff’- at these places you kinda stroll around until something catches your eye.  This weekend I walked away with some crimson Chucks, some Dr. Dre ‘beats’ headphones, some DVD’s…. you name, they got it.  And you have to haggle for everything.  It’s a process.  They start at about 200% of what they are willing to take as a final price and each person has their own negotiating technique.  Me, I start in English and then when we get to the nitty gritty I switch to Chinese.  I have even take over negotiation for some friends if the mood strikes me- but then it’s more fun to see styles develop.  One co-worker just starts at a price and sticks to it.  Another one went native and yelled at the shop keeper “One Hundred!”  and I about died when he didn’t flinch and just said “OK”.  It also works well if you buy together we bought three pairs of headphones and got the price down.  My co-worker Danielle actually got a keyboard skin thrown in for free.  She says “I want these three- and this one for free” meaning the skin.  The guy was like “OK”.  Maybe I should let her negotiate for me from now on.  The sellers have their own styles too…. usually they try flattery… “Why you bargain so hard?”  “Your Chinese is so good”  “You are so pretty”… this last comment happened in the middle of negotiating for my backpack this weekend and it worked.  I caved and gave her the extra 5 RMB. She had moves I tell ya! At the end of the trip you are usually about $100 USD broker, lugging black plastic bags filled with goodies and wanting a beer….. this weekend was no different.  The co workers I went with and I decided we can only go once a month after pay day.   Good thing.  I need to watch those DVDs before I go back.

 

I think that the Chinese invited the fad of mixing prints.  My first visit here I was taken aback by the propensity of the women to wear stripes, polka dots and flower prints all at once.  That was a little too much for this “no white after labor day” New Englander to handle.  It has gotten a little better- switching out patterns for trends.   On my run Saturday mid day- I encountered a group of middle-aged women- all dressed up for a day in Shanghai. Now, they were wearing a lot of black- but with mixed textures and styles.  One woman had on a leather mini skirt, black stockings and combat boots… and a sparkly sweater.  Oh, and she was about 45 or 50.  Her friends were that much better off- they had on knock off Uggs and skirts too- but some type of textured satin.  And it was raining so they had bags on their heads.  I am sure I didn’t look too much better to them in my running capris, Callaway visor and Amphipod running belt.

The other odd fad here is the younger generation wears very large ‘nerd’ glasses- with out lenses- as an accessory. How we wear scarves or earings.  Both sexes. I found it very amusing as a full-time glasses wearer- who switches into contacts when I go out to the clubs, they put on glasses.  Well, frames actually.  I was tempted to buy a pair from a vendor by the subway this weekend… wear them out to the club with my contacts… but I just couldn’t do it.  Maybe next time.