Public Libraries Can Save You Money

The Consumerist has a short article entitled 7 Ways Your Public Library Can Help You During a Bad Economy. There are lots of good suggestions in the comments, too (as well as the occasionally complaint).

Back from China

Actually I've been back from China for a while. About a week and a half now. It takes some time to catch up and get back into the swing of things.

The following photos are from Yangshuo, China. Yangshuo is near Guilin, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China for its gorgeous scenery.




China is an interesting place to visit. In terms of finances it is far more expensive just getting there and back than it is to spend 11 days traveling all over the place. In fact, well over 3 times as expensive.

I greatly enjoyed my first foray into bargaining. Most of the time, my friend and her husband (who is Chinese) did the bargaining for us. However, on the last day of our trip, my boyfriend and I purchased some gifts without their assistance. Using the "walk away" method, we were able to get items for one-forth or less the original price named - good prices for foreigners. The walk away method essentially involves expressing interest in something, looking at a few different options, and then saying you aren't really sure and will keep looking. Then, you walk away while the vendor calls out lower and lower prices until you get to a deal you just can't pass up.