Last night, when I returned from the park and began to pack, it was late. Unfortunately, I realized my suitcase (a duffel type) had torn. Only the side pockets at one end were affected, not the main compartment, but I still needed a new bag. Had I known earlier, I could have purchased one at the mall. Instead, I stitched up what I could and planned to see what could be done today. First, my colleague who was with me suggested taping it. That was a good idea. He obtained some clear packing tape from the front desk, and we secured it so nothing would spill out. Then, we decided to check if the train station had anything available. Since it was 7 am, there wasn’t much else open anyway. I've often found it amusing to see luggage stores in airports – if I'm here, I must have luggage. But perhaps enough people have luggage that breaks during travel to create a market for replacements. Unfortunately, the train station had no stores selling anything besides food.
While my colleague searched for something, a little girl dressed adorably in a shiny Frozen dress approached me to say hello (in Chinese). I responded back. She became very excited, and her family began talking to me. Regrettably, my knowledge of Chinese is limited to four words – hello, thank you, no, and water. That wasn’t much to work with. I did manage to use a translation app to tell her parents that I liked her dress. Someone helped translate that she was 6. Beyond that, she seemed a bit disappointed at the lack of communication. Thankfully, my colleague returned and saved the day.
We had a short conversation, and I offered to take a picture together, which thrilled her. I stayed up late last night packing and woke up ridiculously early to catch breakfast at 6:30 when it opened. Once the train started moving, I fell asleep. When I woke up, I watched the scenery pass by.
We sped through farmland, but I didn’t see expansive monoculture fields with modern irrigation. Instead, the crops looked like neat little patches in various shades of green, yellow, red, and purple, all differing in height. People were squatting in the fields, hand-picking crops, though I did see some tractor-pulled carts.
I enjoyed the view for a while, and then we suddenly entered the city. This time, I hadn’t gotten a meal on the train. I quickly ate a banana I had taken from the hotel, tossed the peel into the provided paper trash bag, and handed the remnants to the lady who collected trash (similar to on an airplane). That was my meal.
My colleague decided we had enough time to go to a specific mall, buy a suitcase, store it by the Temple of Heaven, see the Temple, and still make it to the airport on time. I was skeptical but open to trying. I told him it was fine if I missed the Temple, as long as I made my flight. So, the first stop was the mall.
The taxi driver got a bit lost along the way. He circled around but eventually found his way out with my colleague's assistance. Finally, we arrived at the mall.
This mall was enormous. I hadn’t seen one this large since the Mall of America. Unlike typical malls, this one was more market-like in its layout. All of the men’s clothing was on the first floor. We ascended to the 5th floor and walked through linen stores to reach the luggage section. For the most part, the stores lacked names and prices. Negotiation was expected.
I was very tempted to buy one of the children's ride-on suitcases if I could negotiate the price down, but since I was unsure about the quality and just wanted something inexpensive, I hesitated at the quoted price of 400 yuan (about $50). If my kids had been with me, maybe. But I didn't want to invest that and then have it break on the first trip.
We moved on to another shop, where the shopkeeper wanted us to sit on and ride the rollerboard suitcases to demonstrate their durability. Fine, but I wanted something affordable. She insisted I needed a more expensive model with a metal seal that clipped shut and had a TSA lock. No, I just wanted something cheap.
I was becoming frustrated. The other mall I visited had "normal" mall stores with marked prices, so I expected to walk in, pick the cheapest suitcase in the size I wanted, pay, and leave. But that wasn’t happening here. Finally, we struck a deal at the third store. She offered me a zipper model for 200 yuan ($25). My colleague bargained it down to 150. I got out my credit card (having been told I could use it at the previous store), but she said no. They only accepted
Last night, by the time I returned from the park and began packing, it was already late. Unfortunately, I found that my duffel-style suitcase had ripped while I was packing. It was only the side pockets at the end that were damaged, not the main compartment, but I realized I needed a new bag. If I had been aware earlier, I could have purchased one at the mall. Instead, I did my best to sew up what I could and knew I would have to figure something out today. First, my colleague who was with me suggested taping it up. That was a good idea. He retrieved some clear packing tape from the front desk, and we wrapped it around the damaged areas to secure everything. Then, we thought we would check if the train station had any bags available. Since it was 7 am, nothing else was open anyway. I've always found it amusing to see luggage stores in airports—if I'm here, it's because I have luggage. But perhaps many travelers face broken luggage en route, creating a demand for replacements. Unfortunately, the train station had no shops that sold anything other than food. While my colleague was searching for something, a little girl in a charming shiny Frozen dress approached me to say hello (in Chinese). I responded in kind. She became very excited, which prompted her family to engage with me. Regrettably, my knowledge of Chinese is limited to four words: hello, thank you, no, and water. That left me at a loss for communication. I did manage to use a translation app to tell her parents that I liked her dress, and they conveyed that she was 6. Beyond that, the little girl seemed a bit disappointed by our inability to communicate further. Fortunately, my colleague returned and came to the rescue. We exchanged a few words, and I asked her if she would like to take a picture together. She was thrilled at the idea.
