Special price

“Hello lady! Good price! Special price!” These calls echo around me as I stroll down the street, any street, anywhere in China. “Hello watch!” “Hello T-shirt”, are also common; it’s enough to give you an identity crisis.

The informal free market is alive and kicking in China. And Caucasian inflation is rampant. Goods are rarely priced and haggling is expected. The Chinese have a saying, ‘foreigners are easy to fool’, and they try their best to do so. The cheeky vendors initially quote exorbitantly high prices. The most ridiculous quote I received was 180 yuan (£14) for a postcard. Needless to say I laughed in her face and walked away. As Mr T might say, I pity the fool. You can expect prices in shops and the market to be inflated by at least 100 percent. But the sellers know they are pushing their luck and usually come down to a more agreeable price; £1 rather than £15 for a mug, for instance.

Bartering can be an amusing process. I am rubbish at it, but Tom has skills. Given that neither seller nor buyer speak the same language it becomes a battle over who can spout more rubbish. Tom gives them the low-down on Grangehill or discusses the Credit Crunch in exchange for whispers from the sellers of, ‘Okay, normally I give people this price but for you I give you this [shows calculator] but sshhhh [finger on lips] it is our secret.’

When you enter a shop you are routinely followed. This especially happens in book shops, pharmacies and clothes shops. The sales assistant silently glides behind you peering over your shoulder. I have no idea why. They don‘t offer any help and seem affronted when you ask a question as if their cover has been blown. It must therefore be the Chinese version of in-store CCTV. It can be quite fun giving the assistants the run around: taking the most convoluted route between the shop shelves, doubling back, going down dead ends and stopping to ponder the more embarrassing products such as laxative tea and pants. But whatever you do you can’t shake them off.