We went out for a wonderful payday dinner of Western food, but after dinner, Christina began to feel ill, so we decided to grab an immediate cab home. Unfortunately, we came out of the Outback Steakhouse in the ritzy Sun Dong’An shopping area, and the cabbies were quoting really outrageous figures to take us back. One of them suggested 100 RMB to go home, and when I said that was too expensive, he asked me to say a price.
“60 kwai,” I said.
“10,” he responded.
“No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. You say the higher numbers, I say the lower numbers,”
I don’t think he understood my English but my confused look must have conveyed my message, because he amended his statement.
“10 Euro.”
“Honey! He thinks we’re European!” I told Stick. We’re usually mistaken for Brits* when we’re traveling… I like to think it’s the good manners, but it’s probably the bad teeth.
“If I had 10 Euro,” Stick said, “I’d buy that taxi and drive you home myself.”
We decided to take the subway back.
*Stick finds this statement misleading and so I would like to state that neither of us thinks that the UK has given up the pound and adopted the Euro.
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