Wal-Mart Adventure

I’m really excited about this posting. This is one of my first real “blog” entries where I can put experiences, opinions and and drawing conclusions to use. Although it may just come out as garbage...

It’s always interesting to go to foreign “institutions” in China. You know, like the Best Buys, Carrefours and even Dairy Queens. So you can imagine my excitement when Mom and I decided to check out the Wal-Mart. I had a morning to myself (in the middle of these apartment negotiations) so we set off to compare, contrast and see what this Wal-Mart had in store.

I’m not joking that when we first walked into the Wal-Mart (which is a part of the mall and not a stand alone building) the first thing we saw was display of what I’ll call “camping chairs.” You know, the fold out ones perfect for tailgating, camping, etc.. Among the blue and green chairs was a stand alone bright red chair with an oh-to-familiar “G” painted on the seat. I don’t think there are any UGA fans in Nanjing so who knows how long that chair will sit there.

In all honesty, when I think of Wal-Mart back in the states, my memories are of a huge place with usually dirty floors, sales people who clearly love their job, where people of all walks of life come to get a good deal and an corporation that moves into small towns and puts locals stores out of business and then... Ok I’ll stop. But Wal-Mart in Nanjing, and more specifically China, is a mecca of the middle class. While it has it’s bargains and low-cost shopping, shopping in Wal-Mart seems exciting. It’s a place where new technology is available, where Western culture is encapsulated and where one can feel proud of what their money can buy... Capitalism at its finest?

Luckily for me, I have a grocery store just across the street from my apartment complex (or compound as they refer to it in China). So my trips to Wal-Mart will be few and far between. But anytime I make a little trip to one of these places (and IKEA has become like a second home for me... Sorry Dad), I will say that it excites me to see this emerging middle class. China has come a long way.