Shopping in China

Every now and then, a girl has to splurge. So when I was shopping in Beijing at the Silk Market, I spotted a place that makes custom suits and dresses in 24 hours.

Up to that point, I had been grabbed, pulled, pushed and cajoled by the aggressive shopkeepers at this famous market, where one is supposed to bargain. But there is a real art to bargaining, and we Americans are mere amateurs. Therefore, I hired a "tour guide" -- a student friend named Judy -- to take me around. The trouble is, I like to stop and look, and as soon as you stop -- forget it, they've got you. I was not planning to buy pashminas, but I have three... pink, blue and white!

But when I saw the dresses, I had to have one. For this, they would not bargain, and Judy assured me it was the best tailor in Beijing. So, they measured me over my jeans, and then said they'd be at my hotel at midnight for a fitting! (It's a 24-hour operation, of course.) I was getting a bit skeptical at that point... but they appeared, we did the fitting in hallway, and they disappeared, saying it would be delivered at 4 p.m. the next day.

Sure enough, a little package arrived for me -- my folded up silk dress. It's very short, powder blue brocade and a perfect fit, even on my Western body. Some things they do very well in China!