Jen O’Connor, Teacher

Click, Click, Click. Shopping in China is interesting, to say the least. Everything is a barter system, and you go back and forth with the shopkeep over a calculator (circa 1970), negotiating a price for the items. We went to the Confucius Temple Market on our first adventure in shopping. Many of us are getting used to the currency here, as well as guessing at what is a good price and what we are willing to part with for the item. The first item that I purchased was silk scarf for my mom. Now, before I left I did find out how to tell the difference between silk and rayon without the trusty label. We entered the shop, and the shopkeep immediately started to grab random items and show them to me for my approval for purchase. When I approached the silk she started to show me both on the rack and in little bags. I found a pattern (that I hope that my mom will love), and the bartering began. She showed me her first offer, which, after watching someone else, I learned quickly that I should never accept the first offer. I counter-offered at 10% of what they were asking. They said, “No, no, no!” and took the calculator and clicked out another number. Much lower from the first price offered but still higher than I wanted to pay. I once again countered a new number and as I showed her the calculator she again said, “No, no, no!”

I need not continue; we did meet somewhere in the middle and a compromise was made.  Saddled with gifts for friends and family we made our way to the street and began to wave for a taxi. I am enjoying the game of negotiations and the chase in the finding interesting items that (hopefully) my family will enjoy. Even though we speak different languages and are from different areas of the world, it is incredible how much we can communicate with each other.