Observations » beijing

Temple of Heaven II

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:01:53 +0000

When we were at the Temple of Heaven we met some vendors selling wooden models of the temple on the way out. Guy wanted one, I didn’t. Guy, as usual, won. The negotiation started at RMB 80.00, and we ended up getting it for RMB 20.00. The bad thing about not having set prices, is that even when we get something at a really low price, we still don’t know if we’ve been ripped off or not. This time we did. We found out. Thirty feet away, a Chinese family of three was having the same ceremony: a child insisting that he had to have the wooden model of the temple, and two parents who didn’t particularly care for it, but caved in nonetheless. Like we did. They were negotiating in Chinese, the vendor was sulking, saying he’s losing money, they said they can get it elsewhere for less, the usual. They ended up buying it for RMB 35.00. So we learned a couple of things: foreigners are not discriminated against when it comes to prices. A relief actually. And local people get ripped off as well.

But this may also be a good time to share our collective haggling technique.

We simply don’t care for the initial offer made by the vendor. By the time he or she states the initial price, we already know how much it is worth for us. When I say worth for us it really means : how much a comparable product would cost in either Israel or the US minus the following: possibly but not necessarily low quality, no refunds, no returns, the distinct possibility that the product we’re buying will be used a small number of times, sometimes no times at all.

We don’t blink when the following speech comes out of the vendor’s mouth (in a surprisingly reasonable English): “For anybody else I would ask 2500 (they hit on the electronic calculator in front of my eyes 2500, then delete it) or even 2000 (hit then delete again). For you, because you are the first deal of the day / because you’re my friend / because you’re American or Israeli or a foreigner, only for you 1000”. To which I answer “Yi Bai Quai”. The vendor is in shock, following the resuscitation he or she continues: “OK, 700”. We repeat “Yi Bai Quai” (RMB 100). The vendor yells, sniffs, snarls, turns around, states what good quality this product is, and how it is impossible to find it elsewhere at all, etc. etc. To which we say RMB 100, and start to turn around and walk away. He still calls after us quoting a landslide of numbers: 500, 450, 300, 200, 175. We don’t turn around. Only when he or she says OK, we turn around, pay and leave. Half the times it’s still overpriced. But on occasion, we do find a good deal: reasonable quality at a ridiculously low price. The following, we’ve learned to be correct. The right price is when the vendor DOES NOT call after you any more. At which point if you still want it, you should turn around and buy it for the last audible price. It usually means that any lower price will eat the minimum RMB 10-20 profit they make on the item. One time at least, I actually ended up paying the vendor a little more than what we agreed on, because I sensed that he was not making anything at all.

And here’s a secret. One would think that negotiating a price is a Developing Country thing. Not at all. I already went to multiple stores in the US of America and after selecting a product I asked for a discount, and to my surprise, received it with almost no questions asked. Last time I bought a pair of sneakers and an undisclosed shopping mall, and received the “visiting from China” discount of 20% right there. Like my mother used to say: it doesn’t hurt to ask.

As for Guy, he sat for 8 hours straight until the wooden model of the Temple of Heaven was put together perfectly. No instructions included.

Happy Hanukkah חג אורים שמח

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:48:50 +0000

If only Salvador Dali was alive, yesterday was a surrealistic day, I’m positive he could have captured it in one of his amazing paintings…

Yesterday was the first day of Hanukkah. The Jewish Festival of Lights. I am clearly not a self-loathing Jew, and yet, in my mind Hanukkah is one Jewish Holiday not connected to restrictions (no fasting, no sitting at the synagogue for hours at a time, no special ceremonies), but mostly to lighting candles, singing, presents, and plenty of oil and mouth dripping good food.

According to traditional views and interpretations of the Holiday, the Festival of Lights is celebrated for a particular miracle. When the Greek took over the second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem around second century BCE, they looted the place, stopped the religious services, and outlawed Judaism. Ultimately, an altar for Zeus was built inside the Holy of Holies (the most sanctified area within an already holy area within the Temple). A Jewish revolt around 165 BCE was successful in liberating the Temple. The Festival of Hanukkah was instituted in celebration of this miracle. Judah the Maccabee (some translate as “Judah the Hammer”), ordered the Temple cleaned, a new altar erected, and new holy vessels to be made. The Menorah, a special seven branches candelabrum was to be lit again. But there was kosher oil for only one day. The oil actually lasted for eight days, which is the second miracle of the Hanukkah Holiday, and possibly the reason why practically all the food of Hanukkah is drenched in oil…

Traditional doughnuts (sufganiot, 800 calories a pop), and traditional potato cakes (latkes, with the sour cream about the same calories) are served everywhere. Children are playing with dreidels (sevivon), the candelabrum is lit at the window, all create a real Holiday feeling. In many ways, very similar to Christmas.

Back to surrealism. So here is how we spent our Hanukkah. Dorit, my wife, made doughnuts and delivered them to Guy’s class at the Canadian International School of Beijing. Later on we went to a candle lighting party at the Bite A Pitta restaurant in Beijing, where we met many dozens of fellow Israeli residents of Beijing as well as transients and travelers. However, since the party was so crowded, and since Guy is a very picky eater (no jelly doughnuts for Guy, and no potato latkes either), we had to search for a nearby restaurant (SanLiTun area, near the Village in Beijing). We found no other than One Thousand and One Nights, a Middle Eastern restaurant, serving excellent food, closest to our culinary preferences as possible in Beijing. We had Falafel, Hummus, Shish-Kebab, Huge Arab Salad (delicious), and of course French Fries. We also enjoyed a small portion of traditional belly dancing until Guy threatened to leave on account of the loud music.

So there we are, a small Israeli family, living in Beijing, whose children go to the Canadian School, celebrating a traditional Jewish Holiday at an Israeli restaurant, topping it all with a great dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant with belly dancing… Where is that Dali again?

Being in Beijing at the times of the Holidays is actually very different. Christmas is really all around, with the Santas and the Reindeer, even the Gingerbread Houses and the Mistletoe. Soon, we’ll have New Years (January 1 2012) and shortly after that another New Years (Chinese Year of the Dragon).

Some are very particular about what Holiday wishes you wish them. Me, I’m open minded. You can wish me Happy New Year three times a year. As long as it comes with a smile and good intentions (and if there’s some good food involved), the more the merrier…

Recommendation for Foreigners in Beijing: Metro Supermarket

admin — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 04:09:55 +0000

When we were here between 2006-2008, we frequented Carrefour. At the time, it was a reasonable shopping experience, reasonable lines at the cash registers, a good combination of Chinese and Western goods. It was our choice of supermarket. When we came back here in 2011, we naturally started shopping at Carrefour again. Compared to three years ago, it was very disappointing. The variety is reasonably the same, but the prices are much higher (not compared to three years ago, compared to other local stores), and the lines are ridiculous. Spend an hour collecting your groceries, and then another checking out.

I mentioned it to a colleague who said we must try Metro. We did, and we’re hooked. Better variety, lower prices, no lines. I probably should have kept it a secret, but I’ll take my chances. If you live on the Northeastern part of Beijing, and you’re looking for a great grocery shopping experience, if there is such a thing, go to Metro.