Aug. 12, 2007 - Shopping in the Tourist Markets

Number One Son reports:

I changed some money this morning--a lot of trouble, wish I had just used my ATM card--and then went to the markets. Spent a good bit--but this is my next-to-last weekend over here, figured it was worth it.  I went to the expat church at 4, then got a new camera battery and supper in my neighborhood. I was planning to do a lot more, but I ran out of my money (in local money, that is) and my taxi card was getting dangerously low, so I figured the Lord must not want me on the streets tonight, so I came home and have been packing

I felt bad not staying out late tonight, but first I was low on money, so I went to find a bank, but the bank was closed.  And the hotel told me they didn't offer that service, even though they had an electronic exchage board on the wall!  And I thought, well, at least I can go back to the mall and get some ice cream with my prepaid card I had.  But I found I had left that at home.  And I thought, well, I can at least go down to the [famous site] and get some photos at night.  But then I realized that my taxi card had a reserved deposit on it, and so I couldn't just spend it out.  So I thought--maybe the Lord just doesn't want me out tonight--no other clear reason why I can't seem to be able to spend anything, even though I have access to tons of money.  But that's OK.

I went to some of the fake markets today--had a pretty good time. I got (don't tell her) my little sister a second string of pearls (cultured of course, but still pearls), this one pink.  And I bought myself another sword--a really interesting curved Japanese-style sword made of steel and black ABS plastic.  And a brass abacus keychain for my backpack or something.  Not junk, interesting stuff.  I actually spent about $100 today--but it was worth it--I didn't spend it on junk (besides, it was mine and Honorable Uncle doesn't even know about it). [N.B. Honorable Uncle has a horror of buying junk, defined as anything not made by a worldclass company.]  

I really loved shopping for the pearls--you ought to see the way they sell them here. Nothing fancy. I went to this market that was mostly 4- and 6-feet deep shops with roll-up doors. And found a place where a husband-and-wife team had a shop with folding tables in front of their slot under big umbrellas. They just lay out these huge bunches of pearls on the table--they're all about 10" strings, with the ends of the strings woven together. Three rows of these bunches, size by size, with about 8 different choices in each row--pink, dark (black), white, an off-white golden cream, etc.  Actually the rows are price comparisons--i.e. you have nicer more regular small ones and larger imperfect ones in each row. And then when I picked out the string--they pulled that string out of the weave and laid it in a lined box. Then the lady unstrung them and restrung them individually on a new string with a clasp. Even at wholesale cultured prices, there had to be several hundred dollars of pearls spread across the table. You want to look at them--they hand you the rope. It was really interesting--I think I enjoyed it more than if I had been buying it out of satin-lined cases in a jewelry store. I did take a couple pictures--don't know how they turned out.

I got a second battery for my camera tonight--a drop-in replacement for about $14. You never really know what you're buying, and it's an inordinate amount of fun. Now I need to buy some jade and tea.  That's next weekend, I guess.

Honorable Mother then suggested he ask Honorable Aunt about jade - it's extremely hard to tell what you have got in jade.  Number One Son replied: Well--Honorable Uncles's answer would either be buy it at Cartier's or you can't buy it at all. Sometimes I don't mind getting the inferior grade, though, if that's all I can get--I couldn't afford natural, wild-caught pearls. I was gonna try to get down to [the market] again today and try to buy a cross like the one I broke. But I don't want to show it to Honorable Uncle, as then he'd ask how much I paid for it--and while I don't think I overpaid too badly, at least at US prices, he would--nothing exists for him without a certificate of authenticity. I sort of feel that I'm better off buying what I want with my money and no questions asked. Not like I'm planning to invest in world-class jade. I just want a couple of decent curios

Pray for me--and continue to pray after I get back from this trip. Some days I feel like I've done great and seen a lot this summer, other days I feel I haven't made what I should have of this opportunity. I guess it's somewhere in between--and thinking about it--I guess perhaps my worry is in whether I lived up to my own expectations--the Lord will make what he wants to out of it. I'll just be worrying a lot in this last week or two. I don't want to ruin what time I have left. I mean, I'm worrying tonight about whether I made the right choice turning back and coming home--I know I've made plenty of not-great choices and wasted plenty of time, but on the other hand I've seen and done (and especially experienced) a lot. I keep reminding myself that I'm living on my own for the first time, working a full-time high-pressure job. 

Honorable Mother reminded him that, "I seriously doubt this is your last time in [that country].  We are in business with them now.  We may all be travelling many times there."

Number One Son answered: I hope and pray so. Funny thing is how things change. At one point not too long ago I agonized over the possibility of the Lord sometime calling me to live over here in the Kingdom work. Now that doesn't scare me nearly as much--I would almost welcome it for itself. Not saying I don't miss home--just I've come to love here too. Well, goodnight!