Guilin: Day 19, Part 2 – Out and About

March 13, 2015 by Let's CUT the Crap! 45 Comments

Next stop South Sea Pearl Museum

Upon arrival, we were whisked through a five-minute presentation about the colour of pearls. Glassy-eyed, the husbands trailed behind. A runway fashion show followed with five formally dressed beauties displaying pearl earrings, rings, bracelets, and necklaces. Afterwards, we were whisked through double-doors into the salesroom with a flourish. The room was divided into three sections: good, medium, and best. One of the ladies in our group bought river pearls for 1,500 Yuan (about $250.00 USD.

Quick Facts:

• Fresh water pearls are an irregular shape (not round)
• Sea water pearls always round, only white, black and gold
• Lots of iron in the water = black colour
• Lots of copper in the water = purple, pink
• Chinese females don’t wear gold pearls as they don’t look good against their skin colour
• North Americans wear pink, white and black

The store glittered with enough brilliance to blind a stone statue. Hordes of sales staff—all young females—materialized out of nowhere. A sales assistant seemed to be available for every person through the door. The French group had arrived ahead of us and were already engaged in energetic persuasion. I wasn’t interested in pearls and wandered about, but returned to the front of the room where the husbands waited. An bar stool, facing the sales floor, presented an empty seat. I climbed on, a latte and wine bar at my elbow. Free? Not a chance. A convenient price list (in English) hung in full view. I’m grateful I wasn’t thirsty and didn’t bother checking out the prices.

Health Care:

• A combination of Chinese and Western medicine
• Western Medicine is faster
• Chinese medicine has no side effects (so it’s thought)
• You never want to drink the ‘healthy’ soup (I heard it’s worse than what ails you)

Lunch:

• Corn soup (the most delicious from all others since arrival in China)
• Chili and soy sauces
• Rice with corn, pieces of carrot and egg
• Celery and chestnuts, stir fried
• Sweet and sour chicken with chunks of tomato wedges
• Hot beef with green peppers and onions in a skillet (awesome)
• Spring rolls
• Bamboo chicken ( deep fried, on stick, spicy and delish)
• Eggplant with tomato wedges and green peppers
• Soft cooked (egg?) noodles with slivered red peppers and green (?) leaf and stalk vegetable
• Watermelon slices
• Tea

© 2015 All Rights Reserved Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles

Today the plates are the largest we’ve had for any meal; bigger than a saucer and larger than a bread-and-butter-plate. Lots of oil used as in most all dishes and restaurants in China, but most delicious lunch I’ve had since arriving in China. Again, I’m stuffed, having scooped only one spoonful of each of the offerings.

After lunch, and for the first time, a liquor  was offered at 14 Yuan a shot glass (approximately $2.30 USD), but there were no takers. As well, a bit later, ice-cream and cappuccino were offered. Carolyn thought it was free so she ordered one of each. It turns out it wasn’t free. She turned it down and no-one else was interested either.

Jokes

When your wife catches you with another woman, you are completely finished.

If your wife likes to shop a lot, you are finished completely.

~ * ~

On March 20^th:  No posting (on March Break)

Next up on March 27^th:  Guilin, Day 19, Part 3 – Elephant Trunk Park

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© 2015 All Rights Reserved Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles