2 pieces or 4?

Sometimes it is hard being a resident in a foreign land. For anyone anywhere, it can be difficult finding all the right places to shop for food, clothing, and other desirables. Everyone wants fair treatment right? We want good quality at reasonable prices. We want convenience. It is just the consumer's way. As a foreigner, though, sometimes such idealism is too much.

It has been my experience, and I am sure many others' experience, that, when we go shopping, we are targeted because we are the rich Americans. First of all, I love this because the native residents just assume everyone who looks Caucasian is American. What about the light skinned guy from one of the easter European countries or Uzbekistan? Will they be rich Americans? Of course not. So when we are seen, prices are automatically inflated. How much is that? For you? I give you good deal. 200 RMB. Very good deal. It is always fun to have a Chinese friend with you who bought before whatever it is you are buying now. "What? 200 RMB? It is only worth 10 RMB! 太贵了！" Everything is always, 太贵了, meaning too expensive - at least in the Chinese people's mind. Of course, when we foreigners calculate the exchange rate, we go, "Not bad." And so we pay it. So maybe when I deal with being charged too much, it is for good reason too. The Chinese people know the foreigners will pay it. I am suffering from the mistakes of the previous foreigners who bought from the venders. What I tell people, especially those who live here, we must think about it in terms of price level. Of course, we will pay anything that is the same price in America because it doesn't seem like it isn't a deal. But, why do people buy shirts or cups of coffee that would equal the cost of breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 2 weeks? Anyway, a lot of these decisions are based on information, and let's face it. As a foreigner, we are hard-pressed to have all the information we need to triumph over the savvy entrepreneur.

This last week I purchased 2 things that really got me upset about this lack of information and about being a foreigner in China. First, I joined the gym. Cost me a pretty penny, but I thought that it was a pretty amazing place so I decided it was worth it. My mom scared me by telling that I will probably gain weight over the next few years because I now have a desk job. Working out at the gym has become a necessity - not only to stay in shape, but to keep my heart healthy. It occurred to my that sitting at a desk won't help me exercise my heart. Walking everywhere might keep me thing, but I need aerobics. I joined and paid the fees. I am now called a VIP member. And I get 2 free sessions with a personal trainer. You see, I paid the price they showed me on their fee schedule, but I never thought about asking a Chinese person what they paid. For all I know I paid 3 times as much to be called a VIP with no other benefits than 2 sessions (already used one) with a personal trainer who has no boundaries. It is hard to work out when the guy is screaming at you in broken english, "Keep going. You lose fat. 5 more time" and he keeps pulling at the skin on your stomach and screaming 5 more times even though now you are up to 35 reps on the bench press. I would have been happy with regular member.

The 2nd thing I purchased was a nice Italian BMT from Subway. The subway opened in time for October holiday. I am pretty happy about that. Sometimes I get this craving for a nice thick sandwich with meat, cheese, and mayonnaise that it often unquenchable in China. Anyway, the guy asked me, 2 pieces or 4? I looked at the menu, and this time I thought I had all the information. 4 RMB or 8 RMB. Obviously, 4 RMB was the 2 pieces and 8 RMB was the 4 pieces. I said 2 pieces. Fooled again! I went to pay and the prices was significantly higher than what I expected. The man looked at me and said, it is 4 RMB for each piece. Then why the heck offer an amount different from the prices posted! Again, I didn't have all the information.

I suppose that even knowing some of the language has helped stem the frustration of this information asymmetry but still it is frustrating. I wonder what I will experience next. 20 RMB for a hair cut. "That will be 600 million RMB." What? I am not paying that. "But you must." Why? The sign said 20 RMB for a hair cut. "Well, sir, we counted how many hairs you got cut. The sign is singular. A hair. 20 RMB for A hair. Not hairs."

2 pieces or 4?