Well, our grocery shopping style is a bit different here than in north America... Basically everything is laid out on tables and you get the fun of looking through it all! Unlike the clean organized and categorized stores many would be used to, the Chinese mostly shop at markets outdoors or supermarkets indoors. All the grocery products aren't packaged first, so when it comes to buying meat we get the privilege of picking any part of the animal we desire. Including those we consider inedible that the Chinese view as "special!" Well, my personal opinion is they can have all the "special" parts of the animal they want, no need to leave any for me. ;) Once you pick the part of meat you want, they take out a sharp strange shaped knife and slice it off the large piece hanging on a hook. When shopping for veggies you have to go from one vendor to the next to compare price and quality, then when you find what you are looking for it is Chinese custom to bargain down the price. (This applies with anything and everything you buy at markets) If the vendor's original price is 20 rmb and you think you should only pay 15rmb then you will start by offering 10rmb. Of course they will laugh and begin to tell you how good their product is, in such case that you bring it up a bit to 12rmb! Then they will make you an offer in the neighborhood of 18rmb, then you bring it up to 14rmb, then usually they will say 16rmb, and you make your last offer ending at 15rmb, and if they don't accept begin to walk away. They will almost certainly call you back and agree in which you got it for the price you felt it was worth. ;) Sometimes the bargaining process can go on for a while depending on the item or vendor! To the Chinese, when shopping it is even considered traditional to bargain on prices, and often expected! If you don't, they will consider it strange and just assume it's because you are a foreigner and don't understand Chinese ways. So this aspect always makes every shopping trip interesting... And actually a little fun once you get used to it! Usually when going into supermarkets it is less common to bargain, but once in a blue moon they still do. Now Chinese markets can be quite noisy and bustling for a few reasons... Number one, They all talk to each other while weighing the food, or while you pick things out. The Chinese relate for like a family in which they talk to everyone about everything. What you do for a living, where you live, where you work, how much you pay each month for your apartment etc if you rent, your education, where you go to school, how old you are, why do you wear that kind of clothing, are you an ethnic group, where are you from, are you the only child, etc!!! The Chinese quite enjoy asking many questions, and all of these are ones we are asked frequently. The second reason the markets are usually quite noisy is because of loud speakers and microphones with recordings playing about the vendor's produce and food! So if you can't hear the person next to you talking it's okay... Just speak louder ;D Thus the Chinese markets loud and bustling atmosphere. But that is exactly the part we enjoy most... Watching everyone. On the right we see an old husband and wife hunched over on a three wheeled rickshaw driving ever so slowly but smiling at everyone they pass by. On the left we see a mother pulling her child on a little trolley she puts their groceries in. And in front of us we see many people all busting around, talking to each other, buying food, bargaining with quite expression, and different life stories on each of their faces. Oh the joy we get when an old grandma has trouble with her bag and we can help her carry it to her rickshaw. Or when a child drops something and with a smile we pick it back up and give it to them. Or when the vendor makes a mistake when giving us our change and we run back to make it right, the shock on their face and the touching experience is always encouraging and a great ministry opportunity! This last time we went to the market we encountered an interesting experience..... We were trying to buy eggs from this old man that had them all laid out on his rickshaw, it seemed he had a few kinds so we inquired about it, ad he said some are better tasting and more healthy than others so we decided to buy those. The next morning as we began making fried eggs for everyone, we cracked on of these new special eggs. Lo and behold, a clump fell out and landed in the bowl. Ewwwww, it was half yoke half chick! And the smell was revolting! I immediately grabbed the rest of the flat and chucked it in the garbage while trying not to breathe. That was definitely an educational experience!! This is just one of the many interesting experiences we have had while being here, and I am sure there will be plenty more! I hope this has given you just a small peek into our shopping patterns here in China :) They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I need not write more ;) Enjoy the pictures that we took of our local market here!
|
AuthorHi, I'm Christina one of the Weaver children, and I will be posting updates on our lives and adventures here in China! Archives
October 2018
Categories |