The Love

It's Valentines day. And yes, even though my lovely boyfriend plied me with presents, and sparked warm feelings in the depth of my soul, I still think it's a cheese whiz holiday. However, in the spirit of love, and warm fuzzy thoughts, I thought I'd leave the gloom and doom of previous posts behind and focus on some of the things I love about my city and Asia in general.

I love fried dumplings. In Chinese called "Go t-eh" these little nuggets of deliciousness can cure anything from mild depression, hangovers, to a hardcore case of the Mondays. A mystery meat mix encased in pastry glory, fried in grease till crispy brown. They create a little heaven in your mouth. Be careful as you bite into these little delights, as when the meat cooks, it creates a juicy soup in the dumpling, so the inexperienced eater can squirt others (or self) with this boiling liquid if not careful. I like to bite a corner, suck all the soup out and then devour its perfect little shell. Now that's true love.


Ingenuity- seeing people make the best of the life they've been given. All over Asia I see so many hardworking people who simply make due, work hard, and try to be cheerful while doing it. The Chinese especially can make a career out of anything, and will change and evolve as the market and needs of the city does. In spring perhaps a salesman of umbrellas, in winter the local dvd man, in summer running a canteen. It's amazing what you can do when there's absolutely no red tape.

I love green tea ice-cream- I missed this so much back home and reveled in its exquisiteness whenever I happened upon it by chance in a random sushi restaurant. Couldn't find it for ages in China, but now that I know where I can find a lovely little 6 quai (1 dollar) tub... my life is looking up.

Cheap fruit- my mom knows how much I can devour in one sitting, and dreads the effects on her grocery bill whenever I come home. Here, 12 oranges for a dollar.. sweetness.

Buying local- knowing your neighborhood. The tiny stationary shop where the saleslady will steer you towards some new notebooks that just came into shock. The corner DVD man, who remembers your tastes and shows you all the newest films. The fruit-stall couple, who always knock a couple quai off of your oranges. You just don't get that lovely connected feeling when shopping at Walmart.

I could say more, but I'm off for a little holiday to Beijing.

For the lighter side of things, check out my blog about China for children-
http://www.fuzzywuzzybearinchina.blogspot.com/


Happy new year (today in China) and good luck in the year of the tiger!

Love

The three D's

Shanghai is a shoppers paradise- if you can barter. Designer bags, dresses, shoes, coats, all at a fraction of the price. The Shanghaiese LOVE to barter. Everything is negotiable (I’ve even argued with pharmacists to have the price lowered on medication). To shop in Shanghai, there are three important feelings to demonstrate- Disgust, Disinterest and Disdain. It’s important to never appear like you want to buy the item you’re after. It’s best to convey the possibility that you MIGHT make a purchase, but you really aren’t that impressed with what the vendor has to offer. There’s a little dance that you have to do every time you buy something (well, maybe not something like toilet roll). The vendor will give you a price, and you must sneer and act appalled, saying “you’re joking, it’s not worth even half that”, in which you can offer a third of the price given. The vendor will then laugh heartily, call you foolish, and say that he has kids to feed, and can’t afford to sell for that cheaply. Then he’ll come back with a price about ¾ of the original. At which point you can tell he to forget it, as you just saw the same thing down the street for significantly cheaper, have a good life buddy. Cue spinning on your heel, and walking away - the most important step in bartering- 9 times out of 10 the vendor will run after you with a reasonable price. There’s no satisfaction unless you get something for at least half its original price. To be honest, in the beginning this was extremely uncomfortable and awkward for me, but now I quite enjoy a good back and forth with the locals. However, I get the feeling everything is negotiable in Shanghai, and you just assume everyone is trying to take you for a fool. It can be terribly wearing at times. Although I can’t wait to bring back my mad negotiation skills to Canada, think of the deals I’d get at summer garage sales!