Beijing Part 8: The Pearl Store and Summer Palace

Image Courtesy of Sally Cronin

We left the hotel at 9:00 a.m.

Upon entering the Pearl building, we were bustled into a small room with folding card chairs. Our pearl instruction lady described the different types of pearls: fresh water and salt water and advised the former as best. The many colors pearls come in surprised me: gold, pink, black for example. She presented round and irregular samples as well as the reasons for the various colors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl

Thank you Microsoft

After this quickie presentation, we sprinted behind the pearl instructor lady into a larger, showier room featuring thick royal blue carpet and plushier chairs. Models, dressed in formal wear, appeared on the catwalk to showcase and model pearl necklaces and earrings. I wasn’t enthralled, but still astonished by the flashy show, and I cannot lie, the jewelry was gorgeous. The fashion ladies withdrew and The Group 8 were bid to again follow by a forward flourish. With a dramatic pull on a set of double doors, a whole new world materialized:  a magical place, with lights so bright they blinded at first. Rows and rows of glass cases, shiny as the jewels themselves, glittered up and down the aisles. I swear a saleslady appeared for every customer. I noticed only one male clerk. A tour group left as we arrived. The showroom hummed and bustled like a beehive. New sales staff seemed to emerge out of thin air as needed.

Set up in one corner, I noticed a coffee and wine bar with bar chairs. No, nothing here was free to pacify/massage the customer. A list of hefty prices hung on obvious display. Avoiding sales staff who followed you like a shadow is thirsty work, but I wasn’t buying anything. I’ve never cared about pearls and most jewelry my whole life (except earrings). Why would I buy them at this age and at astronomical prices?

Lorena and Bonnie in our group bought jewelry. The remainder of our non-buying members huddled together and made for the door at the first opportunity. We found an unbelievable treasure while we wandered around till everyone finished shopping. The walls displayed every size of oyster shell you never imagined, with plaqued descriptions underneath. However, we weren’t allowed time to peruse this ‘oyster museum’ and were hustled out to the bus. Why? We had to go. The French group had arrived. Service to one tour bus at a time, please and thank you.

 See the ‘pearled’ cream. One is for day, the other night. Amazon sells this too. I checked.

A clerk pushing Pearl skin cream caught my attention and said, “This will make your skin look 20 years younger.”

“Can I have a written guarantee?” I asked.

“Sure.”

Such a quick response. “What good is it if my face is young and the rest of me is sagging?”

“Madam, you can use it all over your body.”

“Look at me,” another clerk piped in. “I’m 70.”

We all tittered because she could not have been a day over 29. I gave her kudos for her quick comeback, though. I hope she’s worth her weight in gold. I bought the cream, didn’t I? What a sucker!

The Summer Palace

                                           The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity

I enjoyed our tour of the Summer Palace. The park is enormous (over 700 acres, taken up mostly by Kunming Lake); a peaceful place to spend the day. It has a long, remarkable history. This will give you a better outline and will take less time to take in. Enjoy.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/summer.htm    (2.53 min)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ple6S_pjFzU (l.09 min)

                                                                  The Stone Boat

The Men’s and Ladies’ washrooms were again across from each other with a communal sink in between. The ‘facilities’ tiny cubicles with elbow-knocking walls. I don’t take up much room but had a difficult doing the deed. Ouch. Lucky for me, the door I happened upon offered a pedestal toilet. I heard later, the rest were squats. It was dark as well and I could hardly see. You want to watch for puddles on the floor.

                                                     Bridge to a point on the water

Quick Facts on Education:

• Kindergarten is bi-lingual (Chinese and English)
• Government-paid until age 15
• School 7:30 to 4:30 p.m. five days per week
• For better school must pay $6,000 to $12,000 extra per year
• Sometimes extra classes on Saturdays
• Music lessons at school (not outside in music school)
• Beijing has 70 universities
• University cost for 2 semesters  $3,500 / year
• College costs $1,700 / year
• 70-80% Chinese kids go to college in Beijing
• School vacation in winter 21 days (for travel)
• Summer vacation in summer (2 months for travel)
• $40,000 – $50,000 to study in U.S. paid by parents
• http://news.at0086.com/China-Universities/The-university-fees-in-China.html

 

Up Next on March 10: Beijing Part 9: Olympic Park

© 2017 Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles

FYI: This is a re-blog of the best parts of my trip in 2014.

Guilin: Day 19, Part 2 – Out and About

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

For more related posts, click on China tab at the top of the page

© 2015 All Rights Reserved Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles

Beijing Day 5, Part 1: The Pearl Store and Summer Palace

The bus set off at 9:00 a.m.

Upon entering the Pearl building, we were bustled into a small room with folding card chairs. Our pearl instruction lady described the different types of pearls: fresh water and salt water and advised the former as best, throwing in some color distinctions. She presented round and irregular samples as well as the reasons for the various colors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl

Thank you Microsoft

After this quickie presentation, we sprinted behind the pearl instructor into a larger, showier room with thick royal blue carpet and plushier chairs. Models, dressed in formal wear, appeared on the catwalk to showcase and model pearl necklaces and earrings. I wasn’t enthralled, but still  astonished by the flashy show, and I cannot lie, the jewelry was gorgeous. The fashion ladies withdrew and The Group 8 were bid to follow by a forward flourish. With a dramatic pull on a set of double doors, a whole new world materialized:  a magical place, with lights so bright they blinded at first. Rows and rows of glass cases, shiny as jewels themselves, glittered up and down the aisles. I swear a saleslady appeared for every customer. I noticed only one male clerk. A tour group left as we arrived and shortly afterward the French Group showed up. The showroom hummed and bustled like a beehive. New sales staff seemed to emerge out of thin air as needed.

Set up in one corner, I noticed a coffee and wine bar with bar chairs. No, nothing here was free to pacify / massage the customer. A list of hefty prices hung on obvious display. Avoiding sales staff who followed you like a shadow is thirsty work but I wasn’t buying anything. I’ve never cared about pearls and most jewelry my whole life (except earrings). Why would I buy them at this age?

Lorena and Bonnie bought jewelry. Our few non-buying members huddled together and made for the door at the first opportunity. We found an unbelievable treasure while we wandered around till everyone finished shopping. The walls displayed every size of oyster shell you never imagined with plagued descriptions underneath. However, we weren’t given time to amble around and were hustled out to the bus. Why? We had to go. So fast?

See the ‘pearled’ cream. One is for day, the other night.

A clerk pushing Pearl skin cream caught my attention and said, “This will make your skin look 20 years younger.”

“Can I have a written guarantee?” I asked.

“Sure.”

Such a quick response. “What good is it if my face is young and the rest of me is sagging?”

“Madam, you can use it all over your body.”

“Look at me,” another clerk piped in, “I’m 70.”

We all tittered because she couldn’t have been a day over 29. I gave her kudos for her quick comeback, though. I hope she’s worth her weight in gold.

 

The Summer Palace

The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity

 

I enjoyed our tour of the Summer Palace. The park was enormous (over 700 acres, taken up mostly by Kunming Lake); a peaceful place to spend the day. It has a long, remarkable history. This will give you a better outline and will take less time to take in.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/summer.htm    (2.53 min)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ple6S_pjFzU

The Marble Boat

 

The Men’s and Ladies’ washrooms were again across from each other with a communal sink in between. The facilities tiny cubicles with elbow-knocking walls. I don’t take up much room but had a difficult doing the deed. Ouch. Lucky for me, the door I happened to offer a pedestal toilet. I heard later, the rest were squats. It was dark as well and I could hardly see.

Bridge to a point on the water

 

Quick Facts on Education:

• Kindergarten is bi-lingual (Chinese and English)
• Government-paid until age 15
• School 7:30 to 4:30 p.m. five days per week
• For better school must pay $6,000 to $12,000 extra per year
• Sometimes extra classes on Saturdays
• Music lessons at school (not outside in music school)
• Beijing has 70 universities
• University cost for 2 semesters  $3,500 / year
• College costs $1,700 / year
• 70-80% Chinese kids go to college in Beijing
• School vacation in winter 21 days (for travel)
• Summer vacation in summer (2 months for travel)
• $40,000 – $50,000 to study in U.S. paid by parents
• http://news.at0086.com/China-Universities/The-university-fees-in-China.html

 

Up Next, July 18th, Olympic Park

For all related posts, click on China tab at the top of the page