Bargaining

Today mom took me to Gubei section of Shanghai to do some shopping. But before spending we had to eat. We dined on this small street next to a big parking structure, and all of the restaurants were frequented by foreigners, i.e. Westerners. It reminded me of the casualness of Pasadena Old Town. Godmother decided to have some tapas at this Spanish restaurant (that was owned by a Filipino), and the set meal we ordered was both affordable and delicious.

Inside the shopping plaza there were many designer knock-off brands and American mall standards. I was both impressed and embarrassed by some of the very good and very awful knock-offs. My godmother was excellent at bargaining, she got 2 shirts for me that cost originally 75 RMB each to 90 RMB for both. I know, wasn't that something? Well, it turned out, she was just an OK negotiator. I saw one European lady who spoke good Chinese and she bargained down one bathrobe from 300 RMB to 100 RMB. I was both surprised by her language + negotiation skills and how much the stores there could mark up for a profit.

We came back to rest a bit and later went to my godmother's apartment for dinner. She cooked lots so I ate lots, more than I should. She commented on how much weight I'd gained. Well, eating like a pig everyday and getting no exercise whatsoever would make anyone bigger. Time to hit the gym again when I get back next week. 

Wow. Just 3 more days, and I'm back on the La La Land.