Buddha overload

China really is one oversized Chinatown. I can picture you saying no sh*t you are in China. But really, it's just one unimaginably big Chinatown with nicer buildings and much much cheaper prices. Endless shops of artifacts and fake goods and DVDs and vendors promising you best-price knowing fully well that you are still the sucker and regardless of how low you beat them on the price they will STILL make a profit. I bought myself a really nice Burberry full length jacket for 20USD, we started off at 100USD and worked down 10$ at a time, I was exhausted by the end of it. When I got home I tried the jacket on and it was missing a button but atleast Burberry was spelt right. Then Avi comes in and says Oh you could have totally got that for 10. Geez thx.

I somehow feel guilty bargaining. I see the tiny stores and the cramped conditions and feel sad. I rather give them the money that I think is fair and walk away. But the feeling that you've been had is not a nice one. We are getting cheated in most places as we don't know the language and can't read. Everything is pretty much always in Chinese except for the price and I can't tell when children are admitted for free or what the price is for them, so I pay full price and then some. We've been taken for a ride everytime we need to open our purses.


Yet, we are enjoying our stay. We've gone to mostly kid-friendly places like the zoo and aquarium. We've been so spoilt in the US, everything is so convenient. Here there are no ramps and places have only escalators so coming down them with a stroller is scary. We get pushed and prodded and not knowing where we are headed adds to the confusion. Plus Tara takes off like a rocket when loose. She just runs without a care in the world and I'm terrified I'll lose her. She is so full of energy it's crazy. She will not sit still while I read a map or try to figure out a phrase in Chinese. This picture below is what it's like all the time.


Nisha my angel who sits in the stroller and doesn't cry even when hungry continues to draw a crowd. (Get this, people not only think I am the maid but think my Mom is the mother to the two girls. EXCUSE ME?!?). Poor thing has contracted a horrible cold/cough, we are guessing it's because she is touched by 2938475 hands per outing. She also turns 6 months today, time flies when you are having fun.