$10 For a Haircut

Dear China,


I've never felt financially wealthy, but living here has altered my perspective on the value of a dollar. While I could write you a letter about the severe income gap between the rich and poor, or the abject poverty I routinely witness while downtown, today I'm going to focus on something a little different.

First, a little background information: I joined a gym when I first arrived in the city. To my great surprise, one of the girls working at the gym speaks English really well. Due to this, we've become fast friends and enjoyed our first outing last Saturday.

Janet was excited about our big day out, so carefully planned our excursion to include: shopping, eating, and a movie. We met at the infamous GR Shopping Mall (apparently one of the most comprehensive shopping malls in Anhui province) and proceeded on local bus number one into the city center.

Chinese hospitality is far-reaching and much to my dismay, Janet attempted to cover many of the costs. I had to politely, but firmly, decline her offer to pay for lunch (71RMB or $12CAD) and only allowed her to pay for the movie because she receives a discount on tickets.

At home, I would always split the cost of an outing with a friend. Not because I'm worried about how much money my friend earns, but because it's polite. Last Saturday, my desire to pay appeared to emerge for two reasons: to be polite and also due to an awareness of the vast income gap between my friend and I.

The topic of money seemed to surface quite often. From comparing prices of restaurants while deciding on lunch, to discussions over clothing costs, I was faced with the reality of my foreign workers' financial privilege. While looking at a sweater, with an adorable black and white dog on the front wearing a studded collar, my friend peered at the price tag and shook her head. The tag read 169RMB, which is approximately $30. Apparently my concept of a good deal contradicts mainstream thinking.

Our money talks were not solely limited to food and clothing. While walking by a sleek, modern hair salon, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, the following conversation ensued:

"How much do you think they charge for a haircut"? I asked, with genuine interest in using their services.

"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe 50RMB. Too much for haircut. Expensive".

As I ran the calculation in my limited mathematical mind, I thought, I think that works out to about $10. Hah! $10 for a haircut at a decent looking salon. What a deal! My next thought: Crap, I pay about $80 back in Vancouver... what is that, about 450RMB? Holy, aren't I spoliled...

I know what you're thinking; no need to say it aloud. It's all a matter of perspective isn't it? I fear that living in Vancouver for too long has skewed my definition of expensive. I wonder how long I'll have to live here before coming back around...

Dreaming of a haircut, 

A.