Cursed by Suitcase Ladies

(Ola)

After our day off on Monday, we arrived at school only to find that no one even glanced at us.The Swiss had come and we were old news. We expected the group of Swiss exchange students to be about our size. However, when we saw the size of the lunch buffet we knew that was not the case. All of a sudden, 20 kids walked in. We were hoping to make some new pals but apart from Pablo and David who were later amazed by our tai chi skills, no one else was feeling friendly

Something we've noticed with both the Swiss and the Chinese is that they will wear the same outfit for several days. When we first noticed this with our tour guides, we assumed they were staying at hotels and didn't want to pack a lot. Upon arriving at Hanggao, we realized that it was not uncommon to wear the same shirt two or three days in a row. Although surprising, it is understandable considering that the kids' daily activities which consist of homework, do not cause them to sweat at all. While traveling, Abby, Nik and I have realized that you don't always have to look super glamorous and it's okay. A majority of students here could care less about their hair or their outfit and they all seem to be content and accepted.

Now, jumping to a whole other topic. Bargaining and Gifts. Ms. Viz had told us "Oh, you'll probably need to ship stuff or buy another suitcase to get everything back home." Young and foolish, I laughed it off and didn't believe it for a second. As I now write this blog post, a proud owner of a brand new hot pink suitcase, I realize how unaware I was of the treasure that I would accumulate. In my defense, I could've made it back home with my original suitcase if it hadn't been for the humongous tea set I received and the 30 silk scarves I bought. I had walked by many a silk scarf and bravely decided to step away from the purchase, feeling that I didn't need them. But when my dad found out that they cost 10 yuan, he exclaimed "$1.60 for a silk scarf! It would be a sin not to buy them! Purchase 30 at once!" So I did. Choosing to forgo the China Postal Service, an unconfirmed institution that charges exorbitant amounts and supposedly once took a year to ship something to Ms. Viz, Nik and I decided to split the cost of a suitcase.

I led the way to a nearby market/bazaar/hodgepodge of stalls in search of a bargain. I picked out a suitcase and was informed it was 260 rmb. I was just about to bargain with the vendor when Abby ran over to tell me she had found another stall with suitcases. Bless her soul. Leaving Nik with strict instructions to not buy the suitcase just yet, I headed over to suitcase lady #2. To my great delight, Lady #2 and Lady #1 were selling the exact same suitcase for the same price. What could be better than to pitch them against each other? Leaving Nik with Lady #1 and Abby with Lady #2, I darted back and forth trying to get the best deal. When it appeared that one wouldn't lower the price, I bluntly informed her that I would go buy the same suitcase from the other lady and so on. All of a sudden, the price would drop by 10 yuan! Finally, after pleading and negotiating in broken Mandarin, I bought the suitcase from Lady #2 for 200 yuan aka $32.33. Originally at 260, I saved $9.70 USD. Both ladies looked extremely disgusted with me and were cursing under their breath so I think I did well!