Bargaining at Tianya Market and Dinner at Dalian Seafood

So we arrived at Tianya Market which is basically a large building with about 6 floors of random knick-knacks. My favorite experience during the market trip was buying hair clips from a vendor on the 6th floor. When we walked into the shop, one of the saleswomen started speaking to me in Mandarin. At this point, I was exhausted after wandering through the Forbidden City and the first 5 floors of the market, so I just looked blankly at her. Vinny told the woman in Mandarin that I didn't speak any Chinese because I was Vietnamese. The look on her face was priceless. Her jaw dropped, her eyes were all wide and she just started speaking to the other salesgirl and gesturing towards us. It was pretty funny.

For one hour while I happily browsed through the vast selection of hair clips, Vinny spoke with the two salesgirls. It was great because he could practice his Mandarin. They giggled and laughed and told him that they expected me to speak Mandarin not him. Basically every conversation that Vinny has with the people we meet in China goes like this:

Chinese man/woman: Says something in Mandarin to me

Vinny (in Mandarin): She doesn't speak Chinese, she's Vietnamese.

Chinese man/woman: Oh really? (then to me) Are you Chinese?

Me: (Just gives a baffled look)

Vinny: No she's Vietnamese.

Chinese man/woman: Oh she looks Chinese. Her face, her eyes, her hair.

Vinny: That's what everybody says.

Chinese man/woman: She is very pretty.

Me: (Still baffled and then ask in English) Vinny, what are they saying?

After the market, Vinny and I decided were starving so we decided to venture out of the market (they were also closing at 5:30 pm). I've never left a market at the same time as everybody else and it was a little like leaving a sporting event right after the game ended. It was like a mad rush to exit the builidng. We ended up at Dalian Seafood which was across the street from the market and at Dalian Seafood was where I first encountered my first squatter toilet. It was the cleanest squatter toilet I've ever had to use, even cleaner than some Western toilets that I've encountered in the US or Asia. Vinny and I were pleasantly surprised.

Dalian Seafood had all their seafood on display on the first floor and you could just point at various seafoods (sea urchins, squid, shrimp, etc.) that you wanted (they were still alive). Vinny and I weren't feeling too adventurous and we were starving so we opted to just choose from the regular menu. But it was fun to see all the different seafood on display. After a long day, we headed back to our hotel to relax and to make sure our toes and fingers didn't develop hypothermia. So if we ever go back to Tianya market, we have two new friends :)