Chinese Practicality

Why waste money on a dryer when you have clotheslines? Everyone has underwear...no need to hide it.

Why butcher and disguise meat when it can easily be left in its original form?

Turtle Soup

Chicken Feet

Why speak cryptically when it is so much simpler to state exactly whats on your mind?

The Subway Markets

The subway in Shanghai not only brings you around the city but is also the home of an underground village. Several stops around the city will lead you to an endless maze of underground shops. Aisles are packed with jewelry, clothing, silk, beads and antiques ready to be bargained away. These underground malls are so extensive that some even have sit down restaurants and museums. Simulated sky and lampposts light up some halls and shoppers and tourists hear the roar of the nearby subway as they wander through.

The Many Functions of a Chinese Tricycle

A Moving Van

FedEx

A Taxi

A Pet Store

A Bed

A Florist 

A Zoo

The Fast Food

Fast but not necessarily cheap. It is far cheaper to order 3-4 Chinese dishes than a single entree at a KFC, McDonald's or Pizza Hut. This price difference has allowed fast food restaurants to tap into a more luxurious market.


In China, Pizza Hut is considered to be an upscale and trendy place to eat. A meal at Pizza Hut is a definite splurge and can amount to $20-$30. To put this in perspective, these are some of the things you can buy with that amount of money:

- a 2 hour massage

- custom made pants/shirt/dress

- 50 hours at an Internet cafe

- About 7 clothing items from a shopping market (depending on your bargaining skills)

- A train ticket from Beijing to Shanghai 

The interior of the restaurant (yes, restaurant not parlour/joint/drive thru), is both elegant and glitzy. This is a place to take your boss to dinner or where to celebrate an anniversary. Reservations are almost always required especially on holidays like New Years where snaking lines form around whole city blocks. 

The menu is incredibly diverse. Not only does Pizza Hut offer their traditional menu, but also items such as Crispy Shrimp Pizza, Atlantic Salmon Pizza, Baked Seafood in Pumpkin Mousse, Blueberry Milkshake with Coconut Jelly and Kimchi Pork Rice. Pizza Hut also offers an afternoon tea menu with an extensive selection of teas, desserts and snacks.

The Night Vendors

As you stroll out of a club at 3 am and realize that you are starving, its best to avoid buying food from the night vendors that flock the bars waiting for drunk (and ignorant) tourists...

Doesn't look half bad, huh? But wait...what kind of meat is that anyway?

What you think it is: Chicken, Pork, Lamb, Beef

What it could be: Chicken, Pork, Lamb, Beef, Cat, Dog, Rat

What it probably is: Cat, Dog, Rat

STAY AWAY FROM STREET MEAT...and save hours on the toilet seat.

The Lines

They don't exist. Don't bother waiting on line. You will be cut (aggressively). A line in China would be more appropriately defined as a race (with no rules). The pushiest get ahead. The most aggressive win. Get in there. Fight.

Before the Olympics, the Chinese government realized that this "no line" mentality was NOT accepted by western cultures. In efforts to assimilate the idea into Chinese culture, the government promoted advertisements about "how to stand in line". Standing in line "is fun! You get to meet new people!" the ads claimed.

While effective during the Olympics, the concept of "the line" was quickly forgotten. Back to the race.

The Interview

Counter intuitively for Americans, when marketing oneself for a job, DO NOT boast. In the USA, interviews are times when it is acceptable to emphasize one's knowledge and skills and general awesomeness. You are "more than capable" for the job.  Weaknesses? Hmmm...well I guess sometimes I [insert harmless/well prepared weakness].

Not the case in China. The more self-depricating one is, the more impressive he or she is to the interviewer. Degrading oneself shows modesty and humility. While it is important to show that you CAN do the job, do not go crazy on your numerous skills and strengths.

The Bargain

Ok so this is tricky. Especially for blond hair blue eyed Americans (like me). It takes a lot of practice before mastering the art of bargaining. In China, EVERYTHING is negotiable. I repeat, EVERYTHING. Negotiate the price of meat at the food market. Bargain down the price of that toilet brush you bought at the shop mart.  While it helps to speak Chinese, this is not necessary. The shopkeepers will carry a calculator. Negotiation can be done by pointing/nodding/shaking of the head/furiously typing on the calculator.

Here are the steps:

1. Never show interest in anything. When seeing the dress of your dreams, look it up and down and put on a "hmmmm not sure if that's really my type" kind of face. Walk around the store picking up other random items. Before leaving, casually ask the price of the dress. They will ask "How much will you pay?". It is generally wise not to answer this question. Wait for their offer.

2. The shop keeper will inevitably give you a price that is probably eight times the price she paid. "For that?!?" you say, "Look at the hemline! Look at that stain in the corner! Too much." Walk away (slowly).

3. You WILL be called back. "Come back, come back! I'll give you a better price because you are (so pretty/so good at Chinese/perfect for that dress/blonde/thin)" Now its time to offer your price. Don't worry about going too low. It is not unreasonable to offer 80 renminbi for something being sold for 800 renminbi.

4. Negotiation can last anywhere between 5 minutes and an hour. Don't give up. You can usually get what you want. Continue the back and forth. Claim that you aren't even that interested/It's not that pretty anyway/the next door will offer you a better price. Perseverance is key.

The Tailors

Don't feel like dealing with the overcrowded streets and bumper to bumper Shanghai traffic? No need!

Tailoring in China is exceptionally cheap as well as convenient. You have two options. One (for the homebody) simply call up a tailor and tell him what you need (fabric, texture, clothing type). He or she will COME to your home/hotel with a number of samples. Option two would be going to a fabric market and choosing some styles. This is recommended as the markets are huge and carry countless designs. It is also wise to bring some items of clothing for them to replicate. After taking your measurements he will design a sample item which he will bring back for you to try on. After making adjustments he will come with the final item and - ta-da! you just scored a suit that is about 1/10th the price of one made in the USA.

The Blind Massage

How can you compensate for a serious physical ailment? Market it!

In China, blind massages have become enormously widespread. It is popularly believed that due to the loss of one sense, the other four senses are strengthened. Blind masseurs are believed to possess a superior touch unlike that of any other kind of physical therapist. Their heightened intuition makes them able to apply appropriate pressure and truly understand the needs of each client. Another plus of getting a blind massage?  No need to feel self-conscious or worry about exposure!

The Marriage Market

If you happen to be wandering through a park on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, you may notice groups of elderly people holding up signs or attaching them to long clotheslines along walking paths. At first, you may assume that they are advertising some kind of product. Indeed they are. The product being their children. Hundreds of parents and grandparents line up holding signs which market their sons and daughters. Each sign includes (but is not limited to) their child's height/age/weight, education, job position, and income. In China, marriage should occur by the mid twenties. Thirty is really pushing it (especially for a woman) and if you wait too long, well, don't be surprised if you happen to come across a flyer where YOU are the item for sale.