Some of you have already seen most of this story, but I think it's worth posting on here. This experience is actually pretty indicative of our daily struggle with the language barrier...Enjoy!
There is a Carrefour (similar to Walmart) that's about a 15 min walk from our hotel. During our first week here, we went there after class to get a router for our room. We found our way to the electronics section of the store. Somehow, we found two long ethernet cords on a shelf but could not seem to find a router. I had previously emailed the graduate assistant that is here with us and he responded with directions to Carrefour and chinese symbols we may need to get the router (including the symbols for router). I got out my computer to show the clerk the symbols and she seemed to interpret this as me asking if the ethernet cords would work with a router. She kept nodding and pushing us towards the checkout. She literally was trying to scan the items over and over, I'm surprised she didn't just grab my wallet and start taking the money out of it. So much aggression. For whatever reason, they could not understand that we wanted both items. One guy finally pointed us towards the routers and we picked out the cheapest one. The lady then proceeded to put our ethernet wires back on the shelf...........We had to grab them and it took a lot of convincing for them to let us check out with both items. We tried to ask them for grocery bags after we finally paid, but they were not happy about this and told us to get one downstairs.
My friend and I grabbed two large water bottles because they were cheaper there than at the store next to our hotel (probably by about $0.05, but still...). We went to checkout and my roommate walked through the checkout holding the items we had already purchased and she set off the sensor. The clerk then started to search the three items we bought even though we showed her the receipt. She opened the router and took everything out of the box, then almost started to open one of the transparent plastic cases holding the ethernet cord. As if we could have hidden something inside the box and resealed it ourselves. She almost began to go through Kat's backpack as we all stared in disbelief. Finally, she let us go through. We asked her for a bag for our things and she wanted us to pay .20 yuan. Our friend got two coins out of his pocket to give her and made the fatal mistake of having an empty smaller water bottle in his hand (one of the ones they give us at the hotel). She then started to try and scan the water bottle and we were trying to explain that he had already purchased it. She was insistent and brought over her supervisor because she thought he was stealing the water! Finally, the manager understood and let us go without charging him for the water. All in all, one of the more ridiculous experiences I have ever had. The language barrier is turning out to be a constant struggle. Even the kids that can speak some Chinese on this trip are not fluent enough to communicate seamlessly with the locals. We seem to run into trouble no matter where we go!
I have been back to Carrefour twice since then. I bought an umbrella the second time, which ultimately led to me having to go back the third time. They forgot to take off the umbrella's security tag....typical. Let's just say, I'm willing to take the 15 minute cab ride to Walmart- where everything seems to be simpler.
Closing note: My friend, Chad, that I mentioned before, is 6'4 and caucasian. When he goes to Carrefour, people whip out their cell phones and starting taking pictures of him and ask if he plays professional basketball...Let's just say he hates Carrefour more than I do.
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