Silk

She was getting closer – each step felt like a tenfold increase in her anger and volume.  Our pace was quickening now.  Of course we had to be on the second floor of this maze.  If we could just get to the escalators surely she wouldn't follow us.  Would she?

Those were all the thoughts racing through my head as Rachel and I were chased out of the South Bund Fabric Market.  If you haven’t been to a place like this before it’s an experience like no other.  You can’t give the shop owners an ounce of attention.  Not a word.  Even a look might be enough to set the game in motion.  The calculators come out.  Everything is a “good price for you”.  The pressure intensifies.  You cut the price by 75%, and they whine.  It’s over the top anger or sadness.  They beg you to give them even a little more.  I’m sure in time you could get comfortable with this type of transaction, but give me Amazon and the internet please. 

Rachel had found some nice silk scarfs.  She impressively haggled down from 800-something RMB to well under 300.  The price was eventually set, but the shop owner kept complaining.  She was openly acting like we robbed her, and was disgusted with us.  She then started complaining to a coworker.  You didn't have to know the language to figure out what she was saying.  That was the last straw, and we walked away for good.  Then, the most uncomfortable moment of my time in Shanghai, or ever shopping: she started running after us, screaming “why you joke with me lady?!”  We made a bolt for the exit.  It was our first true bargaining experience in China, and I have no interest in ever repeating it (for the record, I did deal with a very nice shop owner, and had a great shirt made).

On the way back from Moganshan my coworkers took me to a small ancient town called Nanxun (pronounced Nan-Shing).  Little canals cut through the entire town, and artisans were everywhere selling jewelry, hand made goods, candy, etc.  (no bartering, thankfully).  Even for the locals this was a spot they really liked.  Nanxun is famous for silks.  They used to be the silk supplier for the emperor, and were responsible for much of the exports in the early 1900’s.  The Japanese trashed the town around WWII, and most of the work moved to large scale factories outside the city.  They had a great museum that showed the whole silk process – live worms and all.  It was a great ending to a really fun weekend.