tour guide drama

on the way to the airport our tour guide reminds us today is the day he collects his tips from us. on the bus ride into town he told us the rate was $1/day for the bus driver and $1/day for himself. funny thing ... now he was saying his rate was $4/day and $3/day for the driver. silence.

this has been happening all trip where it starts out everything is paid for, or gratuity is supposed to be low or nothing, then when we get to the airport we're hit with rates 200% higher than anticipated. since this was the eighth time this has happend this trip i decide to speak up.

'i thought it was $1/day for each of you?'
'no. that is rate for local guide. i am international guide who speaks english so i command a higher rate.
'that's fine, but why did you tell us on the bus ride in that you were $1/day?'
'no i did not.'
'i am pretty sure you did, and this caused confusion with ceilia also, who you had this conversation with earlier today at the hotel.'
'there was no issue, i am $4/day.'
'i guess i'm a little confused over the discrepancy ... '
(silence)
'keep your money! i don't want your tip!'
(silence)

eddie wasn't a big fan of mine ... earlier i had asked him to point me in the direction of a stamp shop and when we stumbled upon one he pointed it out saying it was the only one in shanghai. i refused to believe that in a city of 17 million people there was exactly one stamp shop and asked him how he expected me to believe that. it was an interesting conversation and ended with him storming off then coming back to me three minutes later saying "CHRISTINE, YOU ARE VERY DEMANDING! YOU ARE NOT LIKE ASIAN WOMAN!"

i mean, he was right on all counts so i couldn't help but chuckle ... at his accuracy and the fact that i now had the perfect tombstone inscription.

off to beijing

when we get back to shanghai around 5 p.m. our tour guide offers to take us on a river tour of the city to see the spectacular city skyline, but i feel the need for some alone time and shopping. i have a taxi take me to the local market downtown and shop for pearls. it's pretty fun and i make friends with the girl selling them, who shows me how to check for different qualities. she tells me to buy myself the better quality and get the lower quality for my friends, which i thought was funny.

anyway, she knotted the strands for me and let me choose the clasps, so it was another participatory shopping experience, like the time a few days ago when i admired a jewelry maker's necklace and she made me the matching bracelet right there while letting me pick out the stones!

two boys on the trip are total freaks who hate shopping (whatever), but i told them what amazing deals they could get over here and surely there must be upcoming birthday and christmas gifts to purchase for someone back home ... so they gave me a list of moms, sisters, friends and asked me to pick up some stuff for them and they'd pay me back. i love shopping assignments! it just makes me crazy to think there are people trekking all the way to china who don't like shopping so therefore they are missing out on the spectacular discounts to be had ... so i think a new perfect job for me would be as a tour group shopper! everyone would give me names, ages, characteristics of people to shop for and i'd get presents for everyone, while they are out hitting the clubs, which is exactly what they did. it was a total win-win as they got their free time and i had my shopping assignments.

i stayed out a little late after i made friends with this family who ran a shop. i was to get bill some luggage to carry home his newly-purchased goods and i negotiated hard for this samsonite wheelie ... i had to leave the shop twice and come back to get the 200 yuan price ... but only after i agreed to buy the 'omega' watch they were selling. we had such a good time bargaining and speaking each other's broken language i left the store with a bag full of stuff i had no intention of buying ... but it was still cheaper than going to a club ... and i had tons more fun.

tomorrow morning we head to the airport for beijing!

one night in shanghai

so we spend most of the day touring gardens and such again. and, much like the food, everything is starting to look the same.

we visit the 'water villiage' of tingli, which is a little village on the water -- sort of like the naples or venice of china. it's pretty much a tourist trap and we're bombarded by beggars ... either asking for money or our empty water bottles to recycle. at the entrance we saw a security guard and a chinese lady get into a huge screaming match which drew a crowd, including us. the only English phrase used was 'i'll kick your ass' by the male security guard. i think he was embarrased when he realized we knew what he said and giggled. glad to report no punches were thrown and no asses were kicked.

i declined to visit this garden and instead chose to wander around the little village and visit the shops on my own. after three and a half weeks of doing everything with a group i crave and value free time more than anything. plus it's 100 degrees outside with major humidity.

i stop by the shops and try to make deals but the locals are also sooo hot and tired they don't even get up out of their chairs to greet me, which is like totally rare. i understand and let them rest and turn this into more of a 'window shopping' experience.