Shopping in Beijing

This will be a post for the ladies I guess, I'm not sure whether many men have the stamina to go through with the whole shopping experience in China.

Firstly, there is a market for everything: clothes (of course) in all shapes and colours, shoes, bags, glasses, plants, lights, birds, furniture ... you name it! They come by descriptive names like Dirt Market, Silk Market, Zoo Market, Glasses Market and make every serious shopper's heart beat higher. There are just aisles and aisles of stuff in all shapes, colours and materials. You need some Gucci reading glasses but think that 500 Euro may be a bit steep? No problem, the girl in the shop will fit them and measure you eyesight for about 30, and deliver them to your house if desired.

You need some traditional furniture but speak no Chinese? The friendly old man in Gaobeidian will show you a warehouse full of things and deliver the next day, business card with address will be sufficient. New winter jacket, new shoes or tights? - Anything can be bought in Yashow, the touristy, yet convenient for every whim market on 5 floors. And if you want a custom-made skirt because you love the design of one you own already.... just pick the fabric

But once you have lived in Beijing you start noticing: Those expats with the really nice, good quality real-or-not designer bags, the Chinese girls with the custom-made shoes and the subtle amount of well-known British brands on people that have never been. It's time to take shopping to the next level!

You need to find someone who is in the know: There may be whispers of a lady that makes shoes to your specifications, a lady that sells bags in an office building or DVDs that you buy from a knitting shop, but is it true?

It's always good to be introduced to these merchants and having gone with my shoe-obsessed friend we visited the shoe lady, who also has a seafood restaurant on the other side of her workshop. Three trips later I owned a pair of red pumps that probably would have benefited from a bit of stretching, but there was my lesson: accept that these things may take several trips!

Then, a few weeks ago we visited the bag lady. She has her 'shop' in an office building, nothing gives away her beautiful business. Once the office door opens and closes behind you, you are in bag paradise. Anything you could dream of. Prices almost non-negotiable, but you're so dreamy about your new leather bag, that price is not an object, you feel like you still got a great deal. A trip before Christmas will be arranged.

Another office building at the other end of the city houses a well-known and well-loved girl's brand in a tiny little office, where you may not get every size, but certainly styles of the last two years. And a little cheaper, but still with British price tag.....

So, this lights up the faces of the girls around here. However, at one point or the other you'll notice that not everything that glitters is gold. And in these moments, I take refuge with my favourite beautiful clothing website and already put things on my wish list that will be ordered just before we get back to the UK. Take a look http://www.ascensiononline.com/Default.aspx