We got off to a leisurely start after a dumpling breakfast and a futile search for a lost hat. Arriving at Panjiayuan, the day was quickly becoming oppressively hot. We planned our route through the expansive market with breezes in mind.
To nobody's surprise, the first items that caught Bess' attention were bells. She started ringing every bell in successive stalls, searching out the most tuneful and pleasing.
Then the haggling begins. Being amateurs at this game, we took some tips from guide books, starting with a counter offer as low as 10% of the vendor's opening bid. It's impossible to say how well we did, though we often walked away and when we weren't followed we figured that was as low as they were willing to go.
Then there were more bells.
And a rather appealing dragon, still tethered to keep it from running away,
The most fun was the ocarinas. Evie heard them and got very excited. Once the vendor realized Evie could actually play it, he got even more excited. We ended up with two, in different keys. Bess feels she got a better deal because the vendor knew they were going to someone who would actually play them. He's a music teacher, while his brother makes them.
The next stop was the Silk Market, with five floors of clothing stalls. Mostly brand knock-offs, though one floor is actually devoted to genuine silk products. There we found a replacement hat that Jess helped bargain for (every store clerk has a big desk calculator handy), and some silks for Bess and Evie. At one store Bess said the bargaining patter from the clerk was so entertaining that she thought it was worth the price of the purchase in entertainment value alone.
Tomorrow we're off to Inner Mongolia for a 4 day tour, starting in Hailar. Not knowing where we'll next have WiFi access, it may be a little while before I'm able to post again.
“Friend,” said the pretty lady leaning out of the scarf shop. “What you looking for? I help you find!”
“No thanks,” I said, “We’re just looking right now. We are not planning to buy anything.”
“What you looking for? I help you find anything you want. Silk? Cashmere? What such a beautiful lady want? Is that your daughter? She’s beautiful!”
“No thanks,” I repeated, as she grabbed my elbow and drew me into the shop.
“Here, let me show you! Feel!” She grabbed a large square cashmere scarf and brought it to me. “Burberry style! Or you want different shape?” Modelling the scarf around herself, she brought out a rectangular scarf and thrust it at me.
“You so beautiful, you need beautiful things! So hot now, I sell you cheap, so cheap because no business.”
“But I don’t want a cashmere scarf,” I said, “We’re just looking and we have to meet my husband soon. We don’t have time.”
“Such beautiful friend. You look so young! Young like your daughter. Scarf makes you look even more beautiful! How many you want? You pick, I give you same price. Or you want silk instead? What colour you want? I have many many. Single colour? Patterns? Also Burberry style pattern in silk if you want. Or only one colour?”
“We really don’t want any scarves right now…. urk!”
She expertly folded the large square and wrapped it around me. “See? So beautiful! Just like you! Nice colour too! Or how about this one? Tell me how many you like and I give you good price!” She arranged the first scarf on me and quickly wrapped the rectangular one on top and pushed me infront of the mirror.
” I think I’m way too hot!” I said, struggling to unwrap myself. She picked up one corner and pulled. I felt like a whirling cartoon character as both scarves immediately came off me and jumped into her arms. She threw them on a shelf and grabbed a piece of cardboard and started fanning me. Nearby, my kid was killing herself trying not to laugh out loud.
The saleslady dragged me by the hand to the other end of the small shop, still fanning me. She opened a cupboard door and pulled out a large stack of colour, dropping the fan. “You want pashmina? I have cashmere pashmina. See? Here is many colours, just for you. Purple! Blue! Yellow! Or many Chinese like red!” She somehow caught the involuntary glance I gave the red. She plucked it from her stack and waved it at me, still wrapped in plastic. “Beautiful! Like you! I give you new one, unopened! What else you want? I give you good price!” She grabbed my hand and led me back to the other end of the store, barely avoiding the second clerk, who jumped out of the way.
“Too hot! Business bad! Have to pay two thousand yuan a day! You buy something, help me. You are so beautiful and kind. You help me pay rent so I give you good price. You decide which scarf you want! Same price. I think this one better. Bigger, looks beautiful on you. You want another one? I give better price!”
“But,” I said, “I really wasn’t planning to buy any scarves….”
She pulled out silk scarves and ran them through her hands. “What colour you want? For you, I give you brand new. Still in plastic. You so beautiful, how many more you want? Friend, you so beautiful. You buy more scarves, I give you cheaper!”
This went on for some time. In the end, I walked out with a few scarves. It was worth it in the entertainment value alone. We agreed it was probably better than the kung fu show we saw the other day.
- Bess
"Friend," said the pretty lady leaning out of the scarf shop. "What you looking for? I help you find!"
ReplyDelete"No thanks," I said, "We're just looking right now. We are not planning to buy anything."
"What you looking for? I help you find anything you want. Silk? Cashmere? What such a beautiful lady want? Is that your daughter? She's beautiful!"
"No thanks," I repeated, as she grabbed my elbow and drew me into the shop.
"Here, let me show you! Feel!" She grabbed a large square cashmere scarf and brought it to me. "Burberry style! Or you want different shape?" Modelling the scarf around herself, she brought out a rectangular scarf and thrust it at me.
"You so beautiful, you need beautiful things! So hot now, I sell you cheap, so cheap because no business."
"But I don't want a cashmere scarf," I said, "We're just looking and we have to meet my husband soon. We don't have time."
"Such beautiful friend. You look so young! Young like your daughter. Scarf makes you look even more beautiful! How many you want? You pick, I give you same price. Or you want silk instead? What colour you want? I have many many. Single colour? Patterns? Also Burberry style pattern in silk if you want. Or only one colour?"
"We really don't want any scarves right now.... urk!"
She expertly folded the large square and wrapped it around me. "See? So beautiful! Just like you! Nice colour too! Or how about this one? Tell me how many you like and I give you good price!" She arranged the first scarf on me and quickly wrapped the rectangular one on top and pushed me infront of the mirror.
" I think I'm way too hot!" I said, struggling to unwrap myself. She picked up one corner and pulled. I felt like a whirling cartoon character as both scarves immediately came off me and jumped into her arms. She threw them on a shelf and grabbed a piece of cardboard and started fanning me. Nearby, my kid was killing herself trying not to laugh out loud.
The saleslady dragged me by the hand to the other end of the small shop, still fanning me. She opened a cupboard door and pulled out a large stack of colour, dropping the fan. "You want pashmina? I have cashmere pashmina. See? Here is many colours, just for you. Purple! Blue! Yellow! Or many Chinese like red!" She somehow caught the involuntary glance I gave the red. She plucked it from her stack and waved it at me, still wrapped in plastic. "Beautiful! Like you! I give you new one, unopened! What else you want? I give you good price!" She grabbed my hand and led me back to the other end of the store, barely avoiding the second clerk, who jumped out of the way.
"Too hot! Business bad! Have to pay two thousand yuan a day! You buy something, help me. You are so beautiful and kind. You help me pay rent so I give you good price. You decide which scarf you want! Same price. I think this one better. Bigger, looks beautiful on you. You want another one? I give better price!"
"But," I said, "I really wasn't planning to buy any scarves...."
She pulled out silk scarves and ran them through her hands. "What colour you want? For you, I give you brand new. Still in plastic. You so beautiful, how many more you want? Friend, you so beautiful. You buy more scarves, I give you cheaper!"
This went on for some time. In the end, I walked out with a few scarves. It was worth it in the entertainment value alone. We agreed it was probably better than the kung fu show we saw the other day.