Throughout my entire childhood I have always considered bargaining to be one of the most entertaining activities one could take up when in a foreign country. Unlike the U.S., my family’s native country, Colombia, has markets where you can negotiate the prices for a wide variety of products. However, Colombia isn’t the only country with these amazing markets; Beijing, China is home to the famous Pearl Market. I’ve had the pleasant opportunity to visit this market multiple times during my stay in Beijing, and I enjoy every time more than the last! I can attribute my increasingly satisfying visits to the knowledge I constantly accumulate in the classroom.
The China Summer Language Program is catered to us students that have allotted an entire two months in China to learn Mandarin Chinese; our textbook lesson topics cover situations that we will encounter during our time in China—bargaining and buying products at the Pearl and Silk Market, visiting historical sites in Beijing and Xian, amongst many others. In fact, the day after we learned more about bargaining in class, I, along with some classmates, went to Pearl Market to utilize our new skills. At the end of that day, I can strongly assert that we made every good deals as well as came on top over the market vendors who attempted to overcharge us at every opportunity.
Although I’ve had several successful visits to the Pearl Market, I still intend on visiting the Silk Market as well as paying a visit or two to the Pearl Market before I return to the U.S. for the sole reason of purchasing products for my family and my closest friends; I want them to see what the fruits of bargaining entail.