Sunday, May 4, 2008
Beijing
This is the second of three markets I’ve been told are “must sees.” Don’t let the name fool you; there’s a lot more than just pearls in here. The basement holds Beijing’s largest fish market, with four floors of everything from shoes to shirts to watches to cameras to…well…pearls above it. The theory is that the fourth floor holds the highest quality of pearls, but from what I could tell, there’s both good and bad on both three and four.
Of course, the posters showing President Clinton in one of the fourth floor stores certainly leads one to believe there’s something to be said for the upper levels.
And yes, it’s also under construction, as most of Beijing appears to be right now.
The “salesmanship” in the stalls that lines narrow aisles on every floor is beyond belief. Just walking along, you’re pummeled with “Hey lady, look at these pearls,” “Miss, miss, you want jade?” and “Look here, bracelets, bracelets, you need bracelets.” At first, it’s overwhelming, but about two minutes into the experience, you learn to turn down the inner din.
I found a couple of gifts I think will go over well (sorry…no details or Mother’s Day will be shot). Half the experience comes in the negotiating. Nothing–and I mean nothing–goes for the going rate. Before walking into the building, I asked Holly what was a responsible percentage to start with. At her advice, I began at about 50% of the asking price, and rarely ended above 65%.
This entire dance is performed on a keypad. The moment you ask “How much?” a calculator materializes, numbers are punched, and the process begins. They type a number. You type a number. They type another number. You type another number. And all the while, each party rolls their eyes, cajoles, laughs, jests, and says “Oh, no no no no no, too high/low!”
The key, I finally figured out, is to walk up to the stall (ignoring the necklaces being thrust in your line of sight), pick up a couple of things you really don’t want, ask “How much?” then walk away after they offer an inflated price. Once the vendor thinks they’ve lost you, a second glance toward what you really want produces positive results.
Honestly, I’m not sure what’s more fun–finding something really cool at a great price, or the tennis match it takes to get there. I am soooo very much my father’s daughter (love you, Dad!). He’d be having a blast here.
