Beijing in Grey 4

Tonight's dinner - Olio-improvised. 

Photos by Nada

Our last day in Beijing is nothing to talk about as we headed to airport to depart home as early as 5.00am. On the second last day however, was an all day shopping. It may sound weird, but frankly I didn’t quite enjoy the day, I’ll reason out as I write.

I regard myself as a structured shopper. I usually only buy things that I want, I hardly get influenced by promotions or sales.  It is just me, may be also because I am not lavish with money.

Sometimes I feel pity to promoters especially at make-up counters when they do promotions and try to nail me. Many times, though I refuse to try their product, they keep nagging asking me to try on. I do wonder why would they want to do so because I don’t at all look like someone who is pretty much interested or heavy with make ups. It always came to a situation after all the trying, I cold heartedly say “No, I don’t want. Thank You” and walk away.

Such a stingy person I am……, but when we go traveling surely I would want to spend some budget on souvenirs items either for ourselves or for our love ones back home.

This bazaar shopping in Beijing however, upsets me. I hate the way traders mark up goods price ridiculously (I mean extremely ridiculous) and it all depending to bargaining factor. Price could start at 800yuan and ended buying at 80yuan. What kind of selling and buying would that be?   

‘Stupid’ bargaining is one thing, but due to this, I became more skeptical of the products quality and if it is worth buying at all? Is it worth my money? Would the sold 80yuan product is actually worth of 10yuan? I hate things like this.

Furthermore, the traders are cunning and rather arrogant. It’s normal for one to get scolded or even cursed by them if a bargain is not closed. Crazy ah.. I don’t like it. I am not saying all of them but definitely most.

I did bazaar shopping in other Asian places, Medan, Bandung, Jakarta, Bangkok, Saigon, Hong Kong or Pasar Siti Khadijah in KB for the matter – Beijing has the worst traders for me.

At a kiosk, I had the intention to buy for Nada a set SMART GAME that I was interested with. It was definitely an imitation by the plastic quality. Nada has few sets of original ones so I knew how they should be. I bargained a price of 50yuan from the offered price at 400yuan.

The trader in a very stern way said to me “50yuan? Just now I heard you say 60yuan. I can understand English. You think I cannot understand English? You say 60yuan!” She really wanted to intimidate me, like I care.

I looked straight to her eyes in disgust - “No, I said 50yuan…” and walked off.

We hadn’t even pass the next kiosk and she shouted for me : “HEY LADY! HEY LADY! COME BACK, come back, come back, sell your price !”

AHHHHH… BLAH LA KO. Tak hingin aku!

Really pissed me off.

It’s rather frustrating, there were so many choices of cute children’s boots, shoes that caught my eyes, but I just don’t have the heart to buy. Nada didn’t even have a T-shirt!

I told Harris, never mind.. hope to go to Hard Rock Café and grab t-shirts for us later at night. Things however didn’t get the way we planned. No trip to HRC, so really Nada has no T-shirt from Beijing.

Kesian dia, getting cold in Beijing not even for a T-shirt.

Besides a feather art work, I only bought this bag during the bazaar shopping.