As a young girl I dreamed of one day being one of those girls, the girls with the long legs, sparkling jewels and amazing dresses that appeared on the covers of Cosmopolitan magazine. Here I am all grown up, a strong, kind, and beautiful woman who has a man I love and children who make my life complete. I've never walked down the streets of New York City, never felt the excitement of watching a runway fashion show, and never owned high-fashion, brand-name clothing. Success and happiness is something that I feel walking down the street, breathing life into my lungs and my very soul.
As I stroll along Nanjing Lu I see the fashions displayed in the windows of Prada, Burberry, and Gucci. I am not compelled to enter these doors with their high-priced products. I know that what makes life precious is the little boy sitting in his stroller and the bigger boy pushing it along beside me. Those things that I dreamt of as a child that I hoped to build a life around no longer seem so important.
I still love clothes. I often say to my friends with a laugh," I'm a clothes horse." Back home I have three large closets dedicated to my clothing. Clothing does not have to be expensive to be fun. In fact part of the fun of clothing is finding those articles that suit your moods. When I am stateside I enjoy shopping the thrift stores. When in Shanghai I enjoy scouring the bazaars and markets.
There are wonderful finds to be had with a little bit of research, some footwork, and a day in the sunshine. Shopping at a public market is exciting. There are hundreds if not thousands of people milling around, smiles on their faces looking for that "deal" that tugs at their heartstrings. My nine-year-old searches desperately for Yu-Gi-Oh! cards and GameBoy games, my husband looks for deals on business attire, and I search for knockoff Burberry scarves to send home to my friends.
It doesn't matter what we are looking for, we know we will leave happy while remaining within our budget. We may not know whether we are purchasing true knockoffs, factory seconds, or the real deal which do find their way via unknown channels to these discounted marketplaces. So, if you are one of those girls who want the label but cannot afford the pricetag, you can walk with confidence past the alluring storefronts and head for the bazaars knowing that you will return home with all the labels you're looking for. Don't worry your friends back home won't know unless you tell them and frankly, they won't care.
I did find Burberry scarves nicely packaged in cellophane imprinted with the words "Made in Inner Mongolia." I found this to be curious as the scarves themselves had tags sewn onto them reading, "Made in England." When I asked the retailer for an explanation, wanting to know which is it, she explained in her best choppy English, "The original made in England; the copy made in China." A simple yet succinct answer. It’s probably one of the few sentences she speaks.
After a full day of shopping with my family, experiencing the excitement that reverberates in the air we breathe, we return home satisfied and excited and ready to share our newest treasures; each of us knowing that the true reward is spending time together. In a few days time our treasures will be forgotten but our love and time spent together remains with us always.
