Shopping: lots to buy but lacking the time? | Beijing | Apr 4, 2006 08:00
End of March, I was in Beijing on a business trip for a couple of days. This was my third trip to Beijing, so I had with me a shopping list with clothes, toys for my wife, children and friends. Shopping in Beijing can be a pretty exhausting experience, cause one tends to loose a lot of time finding the right place and bargaining for the right price. On the "Thats Beijing" website I found a Belgian girl that is assisting foreign tourists and business people during their shopping. She has been living in China for a long time, speaks English, French, Dutch and Chinese and, for a small fee, helps you locating the things you want to buy and does the bargaining for you. She picked me up at the hotel at 10AM. She had arranged a driver which brought us to the Yaxiu Market, the Pearl Market and the Silk Museum. I told her what I was looking for, she brought me to the store, let me pick out what I liked and bargained the price for me ( I paid about 25% less of what I paid last time ). The things we bought we left with the driver so we did not have to carry heavy bags with us while shopping. The fee I paid her was less than the money saved due to her bargaining and the shopping a much more pleasant experience. Ilse's mobile mumber is (+86) 13621068731, would you wish to contact her...