You Are in the Right Place for Shopping Therapy

Should I actually call it shopping therapy? It's not about withdrawal syndromes or any other kind of psychosomatic symptoms that it relieves. If there's anything that goes wrong with people over here, I'd think it's a high level of boredom but from what I've seen so far perhaps shopping is one of the nation's favourite pastimes. It's so easy! Everywhere you turn there's lots of stuff for sale...

I spent my first week in China in Xi'an, the historical ancient capital of China. During that time I was introduced to the Chinese version of WalMart, when I needed a multiple power socket. Now, I'm not a shopaholic and I certainly didn't want to add to my luggage before the last leg of my journey - destination Lianyungang. Almost every time I intended to get through the shop without getting lost I ended up in frustration and even desperation a couple of times, not being able to ask for my way out in Chinese. Being forced to trot the narrow avenues up and down and all around in search for the exit I had the chance to find a multitude of little private boutiques, all stacked up with various goods as if the world would end tomorrow.

A feeling of dizziness would make me feel anxious to go home and relax every time I'd try to keep up with the flow, whether I could or could not locate the item I needed. Even outside the shop I'd have a whirling sensation from the crowds buzzing around endlessly. I shall put it down to inexperience and I shall report on any improvements in time...

I never liked shopping much, but maybe that's because I never had the 'funds' to do it in style.

But that's just half the solution... What if the secret is finding good quality things... Yes, Please!! If that's not enough, here's another reason that put me off shopping in China.