What a bargain!

Today, I ventured out on my bicycle (her name is GiGi, by the way) to the Yashow Market. It's another shopping mecca where crowds of tourists and maybe some Beijingers go to do some bargaining and to perfect their skills in patience. I knew about the Yashow Market because of the best travel book I have ever owned -- the Insider's Guide to Beijing. Thanks to a friend from my former life as an employed person, she let me borrow her 2008 version of the book, which I studied and used religiously until we found The Bookworm Beijing (also listed in the guide) and then we bought the updated copy. The Insider's Guides are the best series of travel books for learning about Beijing's everyday. We use the book to point us in the right direction, and it hasn't steered us wrong. We have tried many a restaurant and rarely have been disappointed. (remember that Mexican place we should have avoided, but didn't? Big fat "told you so" from the guidebook).  We have found bicycle shops, banks, bakeries, bars, Beijing duck and so much more from the book alone. And that's just in the "B" section! So, with book in hand, I discovered where I might find a good (cheap!) manicure. As you can see, I got myself that manicure, and I met "Katy" who taught me a few new Mandarin words, like "housewife," thanks, Katy, and "no matter." I will probably go back to her because she was pleasant and she talked to me in Chinese and English.

Then I wondered around the market, letting my nails dry before I hopped back on my bike towards home. I came upon one stall that caught my attention I bargained for this beauty all by myself (sorry, I just can't help it with the alliteration today!)! I asked how much, and then after the vendor told me the price, I perused more bags, you know, acting all cool and uninterested. When I checked out the bag again, I asked for a much lower price and we haggled back and forth from there. In Mandarin! (Don't get too excited - he spoke some English with me, and I used as much Chinese as I possibly could.) I got the price down to half; this is where Z would say I could have gotten it much lower, but that's the price of bargaining. So, here it is. My first purchase: a knockoff nylon bag in bright orange with an embroidered city scene. It came in many colors, but I love the orange-ness of it all for the fall.

*Bag is pictured backwards because I used PhotoBooth to take the picture