hostel inhabitants, the importance of bargaining in China - for everything!

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1st post
monday
2 june 2008

Last night I met another roommate. When I arrived another of the beds was made up, but no one had been there. She came back today. Her English name is A** and she's a Beijinger. I gave her a weird look because, why would a native of the city be staying in a hostel? and she told me her story.

I believe she married a British man. Who works for a goverment agency related to the British embassy. After they married, he told her that there were three countries that he could be posted to, and that she could choose. Singapore, Phillipines or Saudi Arabia. She said she chose Saudi because, looking at a map, it was close to Egypt, and Egypt had always been the country she'd dreamed of visiting.

But she said she was really stupid and had she known.... When they arrived in the airport she was given a burka to wear outdoors. Although they lived in an embassy compound area with many other foreigners, the women were very bored. They could not go out much, so often just had tea at each other's houses. Every day.

She brought up religion and was talking about the Muslims and how, yes, they have a different religion and she respects that, but that any talk of religion is totally banned in Saudi. That they will stone you to death, and that they shot and killed for French citizens last year for discussing religion in a negative light.

You know, I'm going to google that. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/69589F9B-00F2-40D1-9C38-FB371F89D250.htm

At any rate, A is having issues with her visa. It wasn't clear if she's having trouble getting a visa for England or Saudi... or why she is staying in a hostel when her parents live in the city, but it was interesting talking with her last night.

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In other news, I find it tremendously entertaining to see what prices the girls here quote people when they walk in off the street. It is customary to bargain for prices in China, but no one thinks about it regarding hostels. I wouldn't have thought it was possible or necessary either, until I've been sitting her listening to them.

The hostel computers are in the room that serves as both the living room and the reception area, and since I spend time in her typing away and reading my books and watching DVDs, I get to hear a lot.

I booked online with hostelbookers. At the time, the rate per night for this hostel was $5.67 USD, for 30 nights for a total of about $170 USD, which is about 1200 RMB, which is what my rent was last year in Beijing. And I get free internet and no utility bills. I figure this hostel is a pretty fair deal.

Although, I just hostelbookers for this same hostel right now, and the rate has gone up to $7.20 a night, or about 55 RMB a night.

But I'm paying 40 kuai per night. Last night two Americans came in to ask about accomodations for one night. They quoted them 200 kuai for a night. And the Americans took it! I've heard them quote 250 a night, and the people paid it!

Now, it couuuuld be that they were requesting double rooms, as opposed to dorm rooms, like I'm in. Not sure. But I still think it's funny.

You expect to bargain for stuff in markets. But, for instance, last year when I left my cell phone in a cab and had to buy a new one. I buy the cheapest phone available, which at the time was like 300 kuai. But then you also have to buy the SIM card and pick out your phone number. So I walk into a phone store, ask the guy for zui pianyi de, the cheapest, phone. He quotes me the same phone I just lost, for the same price, 300 kuai.

So he gets me the phone and passes me off to the girl who sets me up with the SIM card and has me sign the paperwork, etc. She's quoting me the total price, breaking it down between phone price, SIM card price, and something else.

It took me a few minutes to catch on, as my Chinese wasn't very good, and it totally caught me offguard, but she was quoting me 700 kuai for the phone! As she was telling me the total price for all, I was thinking WOW that's high! And then I looked at the paper, saw she'd more than DOUBLED the price of the phone, and called her shit out on it.

Actually, I was pissed. And I told her the guy over there quoted me 250 for the phone . She blinked, looked at me, and said, xiiiiing. Which means, okay. And readjusted her figures so I was paying 250 for the phone instead of the 700!

That was my lesson learned about bargaining for EVERYTHING in China. Kitschy souveneirs - expected. But also phones and hostels, and probably a hulluva lot more.

Obviously some things have set prices, no negotiation, like at supermarkets, etc. But wow.

Okay, time to do laundry and go get food and go to the supermarket.

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