Bling Bling in Ching Ching

So here's the skinny on the money here.
You don't need any.
Well, at least you don't need a lot. Or monopoly money will work. Whatever.
Case in point, let me run over a few of my mandatory expense transactions I've already had here in China:
1) 120 minute massage from wee local 'respectable/professional' girl: 50 RMB...about 7 bucks.
2) Bottle of good red wine (goes well with the first): 26 RMB...about 3 dollars.
3) Manual Labor of 2 cleaning guys to scrub my kitchen and bathroom floor, toilet, walls, dust, etc...for 1 hour: 24 RMB....another 3 bucks.
4) 10 frames of fun-filled, kingpin, bowling action: 6 RMB...about 80 cents.
5) The purchase of 80+ DVD movies from a respectable non bootleg, non illegal movie dealer off the non black market: ~500 RMB...about $65 (or about 80 cents each).
*One finds out later that the language the movie is in is not guaranteed to be English. For example, I had no idea Tom Crusie spoke such perfect Chinese in the Last Saumuri.
6) Last nights dinner of noodles, seaweed, quail eggss and personal spicy hell: 3 RMB..about 45 cents.
7) Haircut from a barber who doesnt speak a lick of English: 5 RMB...70 cents. Up side is that you can't beat the price. Bad side is you can't really blame the guy for the outcome...I thought i motioned for him to only CUT a little- not LEAVE a little. Must have been the 1st crackers hair he's ever cut. Oh well. Giant foreheads are cool, I hear.

So upon realization of this giant bargin bin they call China, I am urging you all to bounce over to your couch, frisk it like you mean it, take the change you find, and send it my way. I promise to put it to good use (aka the 2 items I've seen with a Made In America sticker on them. One is a bowling ball and the other is a moonpie...which doesnt count because I brought the latter with me).

Now I don't want to give you am inaccurate idea of this place because sure as sugar nuts one can drop money fast like if you arent aware. Some restuarants charge US prices for food that would make a Denny's look 5 star-esque. But buy some tasty street food from the guy outside with a runny nose and a wet sleeve and you too can stretch your wallet to last for awhile.

So come and visit! We can drop some money on very legal items in the market. Adidas clothes with 4 stripes (not 3) and a real Yao Ming Jersey for 2 bucks. Threads may be falling out after the 1st quarter, but no worries...its real.

Gotta go and yammer to some kids in English.
Its a good day when they keep pointing to your hair and laughing isn't it?

T. Willy