Today is our first full day in Beijing. It feels a little weird for a number of reasons.
- We look Chinese, but are American. People expect us to be able to speak Mandarin and already know how how things work in this society. When we don't they become put-off-ish. In this way it's almost preferable to be Caucasian and plead ignorance.
- There's always someone eager to help you yet you don't know whether or not to trust them. I can't have a second of peace to shop on my own without someone shouting at me to try something, asking me if they can help me find something, telling me how a product is good for me, offering a special deal or just following me aound the store like a loyal pet. Personally, I like the American self-service system better: leave me alone to figure things on my own and I'll ask if I have questions. This way I am in control and I buy on my own terms.
- Straightforwardness is hard to find. It hasn't even been 24 hours since I landed in Beijing and I am already very familiar with the the bait-and-switch tactic they frequently employ here. We have to be more careful about this one.
It's not all bad. For lunch we paid 3 USD total and got two large steaming bowls of delicious noodles! =)
Current Location: Beijing, China