![\"\"](\"http:\/\/amber.schlomer.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/IMG_8832.jpg\" "\\"IMG_8832\\"")
<\/a>The shiny new bike before it was defiled. It was a shame too because I really love red!<\/p><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I decided to buy a new bike.\u00a0 After riding the really awesome bike not once, but two times and realizing the potential power one has with this sort of bike, I felt the need to have my own awesome bike!<\/p>\n
One of the veteran teachers came with me and another teacher because we both wanted new bikes.\u00a0 His Chinese skills were exactly what we needed to get a good price.\u00a0 After trying out a few different bikes–some better than others–we both settled on bikes that we wanted.\u00a0 During the bargaining, two other Chinese people came up to our ‘conversation’ with the bike lady and wanted to ride the bike I had chosen.\u00a0 Now, a strategy for bargaining is not looking too interested in the object being purchased.\u00a0 If the seller knows you want it badly enough, he or she will try to get a higher price from you.\u00a0 This was difficult because I really liked this bike.\u00a0 So, the veteran teacher told me to not look interested and to let the other guy ride it.\u00a0 He then asked if they had more than one. \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 A thought popped into my mind that maybe these two people were actually employees of the bike place and were ‘playing’ us by pretending they wanted the same bike so that we would end up paying more.\u00a0 In the end, they were actually just getting in on the bargaining so that they could get the best price also!\u00a0 It was funny to watch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In China, a shiny new bike screams, “steal me!”\u00a0 I should know this lesson well because of the incident from last year which will not be brought up again. \ud83d\ude41\u00a0 So, a way to combat theft in this country is to make something that is beautiful and shiny and new look like it is not beautiful and shiny and\u00a0new.\u00a0\u00a0After we purchased the bikes, the other\u00a0teacher spray painted them and rubbed dirt in the wet spray paint.\u00a0 It was a little sad to watch but also very\u00a0entertaining.\u00a0 We were drawing quite a crowd with this display.\u00a0 Below are photos of the shiny new bike before and after the paint job. Enjoy!<\/p>\n