Life in Shanghai

Hey Jewelry Lovers, 

I was just looking through some of my old blogs and realized I haven't been writing much at all lately.
We've moved to Shanghai (from Guangzhou) just over a month now. Shanghai is Great and I am Loving things here. Of course it takes some time to find your way around a new city this big, busy and crazy, but it's feeling like home now!

I have found a couple of jewelry markets. The first market I went to was amazingly disappointing! I was told it was a great wholesale market and I could stock up on everything and prepare to make some awesome malas. But, when I arrived at the market and started having a look around- it was not what I expected. It was a touristy market. The prices were Outrageous and the quality was Awful! I relearned my lesson, if the people at the market speak English....Stay Away or you'll be charged a small fortune! 

After a lot of research, asking questions I found another market. With my fingers crossed I headed to the market. It was So Much better! Smaller, but better. I found some simple beads I really liked- white pearl shell, coral and turquoise. So, I asked for a hundred of them. And they started counting beads! "No, No, No!" I say. "100 strands." Their faces went blank and they told me that might take a few days to a week to get that many beads! 

I did get the beads and was very happy to find market like that. I'm just used to larger wholesale. And all in all Great Shopping Trip!