| For the senior pearl dealers who have been rattling around China for a decade, price per size/quality is a serious consideration. For a novice like me, spending more and getting less sometimes has a huge payoff. OK, so I stayed in a ratty hotel in a two-bedroom business suite across from KFC. I paid $58 a night (internet price) for an office, but the management had cut the hotel's internet. The employees got me taxis to the new pearl market and I wandered around looking at what the Chinese are doing with pearls to market them. I got three ideas. Next, by going to Ruan's, Tears of Angel and Grace, I got enough "blue" pearls to make two necklaces for my own use. These pearls are: blue with gold, true blue, and blue violet. They are mixed in one interesting necklace. Do blue pearls have a market? Probably not. Was it worth 8 hours? Yes. Will I eventually follow the advice of the senior members? Yes. Not now, however. I'm an economist. Watching the Chinese happily prosper gives me a thrill. Hooray for capitalism and free trade. Obviously my web business is more hobby and less business. When that changes, I'll follow the seniors. Meanwhile, I'll visit most of the pearl "factories" in Zhuji City, one factory at a time and learn a lot. I took a strand of Freshadama this time as a "master" strand. That helped. I got stung by a "guide"; that helped me take the seniors' advice: I'm better off on my own. I'd like to learn the language used everyday in Zhuji, but I'm afraid it is Wu or some non-Mandarin type. If anyone knows, please clue me in. It would be nice to be able to say "thank you" in their dialect/language. Am I still an amateur--- (spit) tourist? Yup. Am I ashamed? Nope. The macro view is too interesting.  |