The Olympics: Beijing 2008

[Before I start, let me tell you that this entry is part of a crossover with Who Pissed in your Corn Flakes, which is talking about the 2006 Olympics in Turin.]

Beijing is psyched about the 2008 Olympics. There are olympic posters everywhere. They are training taxi drivers and other service staff in basic English. I got to experience this first hand, and let me say that I'm glad they have another two years to practice. I took a look at some of the olympic facilities which are under construction, and they look pretty damn impressive. I hear that construction is ahead of schedule.

The general attitude is that the 2008 Olympics will be China's chance to show the world that it's modernized and open for business. It will be interesting to see how they are going to handle the tourists, because Beijing transit, traffic, and hotels were already quite packed when I was there. There is no doubt in my mind that they'll find a way to handle it.

What are they going to do about the squat toilets? I will probably devote a whole entry on the state of the plumbing system in China, but they don't have sitting toilets there. They have squat toilets, where you squat over a hole in the floor. Most of the holes in the floor flush, but it's a tricky balancing act, and if you doing a #1 and a #2, then one of them is probably going to miss. Anyway, my point is that the tourists will not be happy about the squat toilets.

China really has a lot banking on these Olympics. The influx of people and publicity will really help shake a lot of the false preconceptions people have about the country. (Like the ones I had before I went there.) The fever about the Olympics is country-wide, as the entire country is working to ensure a spectacular 2008 Olympics that will impress the world. Believe me, it's an amazing (and slightly scary) thing to see so many people commit so much effort into a single task. I believe the 2008 will be a breath-taking spectacle for everyone to see. They've put a lot of thought into things, and they've create 5 lovable mascots that are simply irresistibly cute!

How to haggle like a pro.

The key to getting a good deal in China is never paying the price on the tag. You usually can't haggle in a department store, but that's not where you will get the best price anyway. As a naive tourist, I assumed that local merchants were charging double of the actual price. This is not true, because they are probably charging quadruple the price. My basic rule of thumb is that if you can get something for half the price, then you're only getting a little ripped off. If you can get something for a third the price, then you're doing okay.

Some haggling tips:

• Don't look like a tourist. This is hard if you are actually a tourist.
• Speak their language.... or get someone who knows the language to haggle for you.
• Never let them know that you really want to buy the goods. Pretend it's only a passing interest, or an item that you find mildly amusing, but could do without.
  
• Insult the quality of the goods. Claim that it is junk and hardly worth buying.
• Very late in the haggling process, offer to buy 2 or more if the merchant will give you a lower price. This should not be done early in negotiations, as it will only result in you getting ripped off on several items, instead of just one.
• Squeeze the rock. Keep the pressure on, so the merchant has invested a lot of time in haggling and this may tire him/her out to the point where they just want to finish the sale and move onto another customer. Do not let them switch their attention to another customer.
• With all this time invested in haggling, refuse to make the purchase, then walk away. Make it look geniune. With luck, the merchant will call you back with a final offer.
• If the merchant does not call you back, you can return later and accept his previous offer.
• Always comparision shop. Quote the prices that other merchants have offered you, if it is lower than what the current merchant is offering.

I have to say that many of these techniques were perfected too late in my vacation. It's normal for tourists to get ripped off on their first day. By the second day, you're a bit wisier, but still getting ripped off. On the third and fourth day, you should be able to hold your own. As the saying goes: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

If you do get ripped off, remember that a yuan is only around 20 cents, so you're really not getting ripped off by very much. It's just pocket change in the end.

Photos: Tiananmen Square