(Tuesday, February 7, 2012)
Street food is great. Picture this. A little stand with a
grill and a tent over it in case of rain. A table covered in skewers of
assorted meats and vegetables. Everything from cauliflower to squid to chicken
hearts. And then of course a bunch of things which I can only chance a guess
about what they could possibly be. Choose the skewers you want, and they grill
them for you. La jiao? (Hot pepper?) Yes please. A delicious (not to mention
cheap) way to eat on the run.
Lots of things here can be bought on the street. I decided
to buy some apples from a street vendor a few days ago…I probably paid way too
much. I bargained a little, but not very well. It did make me feel better,
though, when I saw apples in the grocery store for twice as much. Speaking of
bargaining, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I know that if I don’t
bargain, I’m probably getting ripped off (especially as a laowai). Yet at the
same time, I’m a little hesitant to be as aggressive as I “should” be. These
people are poor and often uneducated. They struggle to make a living, working
long days. If I haggle with them so that I can save 2RMB that I don’t really
need, what kind of a statement am I making? That my wants are more important
than their most basic needs? Frugality meets morality. What does it mean to be
responsible with my money while still being generous and loving the poor and
needy? For example, tonight I bought a sweet Beijing Olympics mug (actually an
answer to prayer – I really needed a mug) and paid 12RMB ($2) for it. If I had
tried harder, I probably could have gotten it for 9. But 3RMB means three bowls
of rice. And for all I know, the man I met on the street has a wife and child.
That’s dinner.
Lord, teach me to have compassion.
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