el arte de comprar adivinando

Otro artículo que escribí para la clase de BC. Éste es sobre nuestras aventuras tratando de hacer las compras en el Stadium Store, la tiendesita de la universidad. Cada día probando cosas más raras... y tratando de no volverme más tacaña!!



One of my first experiences after arriving in Beijing on January 6th was going to the university grocery store with my Ecuadorian roommate, Ana María. The store is a 5 min walk away from the international student center, where most of the people in my program live. It is relatively small--only about five aisles--but it is tailor-made for student needs, so we found most of the things we needed (basic kitchenware, tea, coffee, yoghurt, fruits, cereal, notebooks, pens, detergent, moisturizer, etc.) The program coordinators had been right in warning us it would not be easy to find deodorant in China; we were happy we had listened to them and brought several extra from home. We also realized that stores never carry cheese. For some reason most of the Chinese, who will not hesitate to eat cat’s ears or seahorses on sticks, don’t like eating cheese.

We found some familiar products--Fitness brand cereal (which Ana María and I eat when we are home in South America,) Oreos, and every conceivable flavor of Ramen noodles--but most products were completely alien to us. I have learned to like kiwi-aloe flavored yoghurt, rice chips, sea-weed flavored crackers, and milk tea; but there are some things, shrimp-flavored chips for example, which I don’t think I will ever enjoy. I am open to trying them though; so every trip to the store is a bit of an adventure.

At the time we could not read any Chinese, so we had to guess what we were buying because most of the products were labeled exclusively in Chinese characters. Ana María, for example, mistakenly purchased peach-flavored milk. But that really didn’t matter. What we were really worried about getting the wrong kind of adaptor or buying detergent with bleach. The University of International Business and Economics is renowned for its language programs and students are really polite and eager to help. Unfortunately, most have very broken English or don’t know how to translate words like “bleach,” or “voltage,” or “shrimp-flavored chips”--but at least they guided us a bit. Ana María got the worst of it; she accidentally burned one of her appliances because we bought the wrong adaptor. My Peruvian appliances run on 220v--just like the Chinese--so I didn’t really have any problems.

Since we didn’t know how to say numbers in Chinese, we communicated with the cashier using a calculator. The prices are extremely low in general. An apple costs less than 2 Yuan (less than US$.30,) a big container of yoghurt costs 6 Yuan (less than US$.85.) Toiletries are a bit more expensive--lip balm costs 14 Yuan (less than US$2,) and moisturizer around 20 (less than US$3.) But since we can get amazing, huge meals in the cafeteria and neighboring restaurant for US$3 or less, we have become ridiculously cheap. We can’t bargain in the school’s grocery store; but we got a chance to practice our bargaining skills when we went to the silk market. Ana María got designer sunglasses that were originally 850 Yuan for 30. The American students did not fare as well. They have not been to tourist marketplaces in their own country and seen foreigners being taken advantage of.

I don’t really miss anything. I am used to living in the US where I cannot find the things I am accustomed to at home. Also, I chose China precisely because I wanted to immerse myself in a culture that is completely different from the ones I have experienced. I wanted to be uncomfortable. China is even more diverse and different than I had expected; I feel like I don’t have enough time to experience it all. I used to get really annoyed with my friends for going to Western restaurants (which are also comparatively expensive,) but I am trying to be more tolerant. Yesterday, some of my friends went to Carrefour (a French supermarket chain) and bought cheese. I have to admit it was nice to eat it after so long. I know I will not become completely acculturated or adjusted because of the language barrier, and because I am alienated living in international dorms and attending classes designed exclusively for international students. Regardless, I am trying my best to experience as much as I can.