There was nothing particularly special about breakfast today. It was just your usual, run-of-the-mill, all-American breakfast: marinated pork ribs, duck and chicken loaf with coriander, fried rice with seafood, fried pancakes stuffed with pork, and watermelon juice. You know, pretty much what you'd expect to find on the menu at Cracker Barrel or IHOP.
Shopping. Just the thought of it causes Huey's heart to palpitate and his central nervous system to shut down. Anyone that knows Huey knows that he loathes shopping and buys everything on the Internet. (Truth be known, if his Dad didn't send him home with copious amounts of brand new "draws" and t-shirts every Christmas, Huey would probably even buy his skivvies online.) Robin, on the other hand, LOVES to shop. So when we hopped on the Beijing subway today on our way to the Silk Road Market, who'd have thought Huey would end up the big winner and be ready for more?
For those of you who have never been "market shopping" in Asia... well, you probably paid WAY too much for that faux Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, or Coach bag you're carrying. The object of "market shopping" is not to simply walk in, find what you want, pay for it, and leave. No, the object is to haggle. And haggle we did. (Or at least Huey did.)
When we entered the market, we were immediately accosted by dozens of vendors, shouting "Sir" or "Mister" or "Madam" or "Lady," stepping in our paths or even grabbing at us to get our attention and peddle their handbags and luggage. After the roughly 813th vendor offered us
Dooney & Bourke or Samsonite's "finest," we realized we had entered the market on - you guessed it - the handbag and luggage level. We quickly beelined for the nearest stairway, and the fun ensued. We won't tell you what we bought (or how little we paid for it) because some of you reading this will be on the receiving end of this bargained-for booty. But suffice it to say, Huey haggled like a pro, managed to score both of us some great deals - we won't say who, but someone is getting a ROLECKS for his/her birthday - and enjoyed the Silk Road Market experience so much that he can't wait to do more "market shopping" in Bangkok, and he almost enjoys shopping now. Almost.
Dooney & Bourke or Samsonite's "finest," we realized we had entered the market on - you guessed it - the handbag and luggage level. We quickly beelined for the nearest stairway, and the fun ensued. We won't tell you what we bought (or how little we paid for it) because some of you reading this will be on the receiving end of this bargained-for booty. But suffice it to say, Huey haggled like a pro, managed to score both of us some great deals - we won't say who, but someone is getting a ROLECKS for his/her birthday - and enjoyed the Silk Road Market experience so much that he can't wait to do more "market shopping" in Bangkok, and he almost enjoys shopping now. Almost.That night we went to an incredible flying acrobatics show at Chaoyang Theatre entitled - wait for it... wait for it - "Flying Acrobatics Show." The show featured a lot of the acrobatics demonstrations we have all "oohed" and "aaahed" in Ringling Brothers' Barnum and Bailey Circus, and more recently, in Cirque du Soleil, all in one show on one stage. We both sat on the edge of our seats like a couple five year olds with our jaws in our laps, alternating among "WOW!" "Oh, my GOD!" and "Holy ****!" (OK, we said we were LIKE a couple five year olds!)
We were mesmerized and thrilled by the show, though we're sad to report that Robin's attempts to do a one-armed handstand while balancing an ironing board, Huey, and a hot steam iron on one of her upturned feet did not go quite as smoothly as in the show. She's going to be OK, though, thanks to the quick response of room service, who brought us an ice pack, a stick of butter, and a pitcher of cucumber-celery juice (see VacAsian Day Five).
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