On the afternoon of the weekend, Xiao Zhao and Xiao Mei and I went to Pyongyang Railway Station Square for a walk. We once went to the department store next to the square to explore the mysterious shopping trip of North Korea.
When our party passed the gate of the railway station, we saw a beautiful Korean girl coming towards us from a distance and greeting us. I'm still thinking I don't know each other. Xiao Zhao, who was sitting next to me, saw it and quickly went over to respond enthusiastically to each other.
Xiao Zhao led the Korean girl and introduced me and my little sister to each other. It turns out that the Korean girl in front of her is Xiao Zhao's classmate Xiao Pu. Now her job is the envy of many people as a tour guide. She is mainly responsible for receiving tour groups from China.
"hello! Welcome to work in North Korea. I heard Xiao Zhao talk about you. " Xiao Pu greeted me in fluent Chinese when he saw me. I responded to her: "Hello! You speak Chinese very well. " Xiao Piao said shyly, there is still a long way to go.
Today, she came to the railway station to help the China tourists in the group go through the formalities, and met us here. She had a few words with Xiao Zhao and then left us in a hurry. When he left, he said to me, "Go to the shopping mall in front of you and have a good look." Have fun. "After that, I walked into Pyongyang Railway Station.
Looking at the back of Xiao Pu's departure, Xiao Zhao told me about her tour guide classmates. There is envy in the words. It seems that our little daughter Xiao Zhao still has a soft spot for tour guides.
She also told me at ordinary times. At first, she wanted to be a tour guide, but unfortunately, she didn't get it. I had to choose my current company and become my current translator, but I was lucky to know me.
In the past, more and more people went to shopping centers. On weekends, everyone will choose to come to the railway station square, where there are subway stations everywhere and there are many shops around, which is convenient for travel.
At this time, we passed a roadside shop full of food and drinks, and several people stood in front of the door waiting in line to buy things. After seeing it, Miss Sister curiously walked over and took a look. Little Zhao Gang wanted to tell his little sister to run away, so I pulled her and motioned for her not to make a hullabaloo about, so that we could accompany her to see more here.
My little sister has always dreamed that she can be a shop assistant. She can own such a shop like the shop assistant inside, and she can open on time every day. At this time, seeing such a roadside shop, Miss Jie will inevitably have special feelings.
Xiao Zhao and I walked behind my sister. The shops here sell all kinds of drinks and snacks, and local people come to spend them in an endless stream. We stayed here for a while, and we can see many people buying the goods they need. The business of roadside shops looks good at this time.
We also bought some local snacks here, and I let them choose their favorite ice cream. Xiao Zhao also brought me one specially. When he came to North Korea, he had never tasted the local ice cream. Seeing Xiao Zhao and her sisters eating with relish, I believe it will be delicious.
I followed them to taste the ice cream printed with Korean characters. It tastes sweet, but there seems to be nothing else. It is also a good enjoyment to watch Xiao Zhao eat and drink cold drinks with them in summer.
When we almost finished eating all the ice cream in our hands, we finally came to the department store here in Pyongyang. Xiao Zhao specially stopped my sister and me at the door, let us finish our ice cream, and then put the garbage into the trash can next to us.
Xiao Zhao went to the shopping center first. She went in and asked if outsiders could go in today. My sister and I are waiting outside for her to come back.
After a while, I saw Xiao Zhao coming out of it. Seeing her cheerful expression, I know there must be a performance today, and I can go shopping with them.
Sure enough, Xiao Zhao found us and said to us, "Come on, we can all go in today." He took us into the Pyongyang department store in front.
The department store is divided into two floors. The first floor is full of all kinds of furniture and fashionable sofas. Let's take a walk on the first floor and visit Pyongyang's household goods.
The furniture here looks very classy and exquisite in workmanship. The colors and styles of each sofa are very fashionable and have a strong sense of fashion.
When I explained the price to Xiao Zhao, I was puzzled for a while when I saw the price marked on each dress. The prices of all kinds of furniture displayed here basically need thousands of RMB, or even more advanced. I really don't understand. The salary of local people is only a few hundred yuan a month. Can you afford such a price?
Further inside is the area where all kinds of electrical appliances are placed. Television sets, refrigerators and various household appliances are very complete here. Compared with the domestic style, it is a bit monotonous here, unlike the diversified choices in China.
"Xiao Zhao, the trademark price here needs thousands of RMB. Can the locals here afford it? "
"Your salary as an interpreter is more than 600 RMB per month! It should be a good career here. You see, there must be thousands of TVs, refrigerators and various household appliances. According to this calculation, how long will it take to afford it here? "
"It's so expensive, someone will buy it!" I asked Xiao Zhao inexplicably, and wanted to ask her: This is just a sample display. Do few people buy it home?
Xiao Zhao smiled and said to me, "The furniture and all kinds of household appliances sold here are usually bought here by local newlyweds when they get married. At other times, few people usually buy it. Now my salary is not much, so I can't afford it.
When I get married, I will definitely let my father come here to buy furniture. "After listening to Xiao Zhao, I told her that if I were still here, I would definitely give her a dowry.
The commodity prices here are generally more expensive than those in China. Some electrical appliances on display are printed with Chinese characters, which should be imported from China. The price sold here is obviously higher than that in China.
We wandered all the way and met some Korean locals who came to see the furniture. In front of them, two beautiful waiters are giving them various explanations. Judging from their manners, they should come to buy furniture.
Xiao Zhao next to him saw that they could spend money here, and he was envious. I have to admit that there will be poor and rich people everywhere. Although North Korea is poor here, there will still be many rich people in Pyongyang.
In private, Xiao Zhao told me quietly that the local people who do border trade in North Korea have many opportunities to make money. Now they can apply to drive private cars, and some people already drive luxury cars. In their spare time, they usually invite a few friends to play golf together. Only these rich people need to report these things to their countries, which will be subject to many restrictions. Compared with before, North Korea is much better at this time.
After a walk on the first floor, we went up the stairs and came to the living area on the second floor. The goods here are very similar to domestic supermarkets, and there are many places similar to domestic models.
On the left is a supermarket, with various daily necessities displayed on the shelves. You can go in by handcart and choose all kinds of goods on the shelf independently. At this time, there are already many people inside, buying the goods they need to take home in front of the shelves.
Our group also pushed the shopping cart and planned to go in and buy some goods. The shelves inside are filled with all kinds of daily necessities, which are placed in their respective areas in different categories.
More than 90% of the goods displayed here are imported from China, and the familiar fonts on the packaging bags will make people far away feel very cordial after seeing them.
It's just that the prices of these commodities here are 20% or more than 30% higher than those in China. It is inevitable to raise prices appropriately when crossing national boundaries. After all, it takes a lot of hurdles to put it on the shelves in the center of Pyongyang.
I am proud to be able to buy goods made in China here in Pyongyang. I feel particularly cordial when I see these Chinese font goods on the shelves. The mood at the moment can be described by a passage in the movie:
No matter where you go in the world, please don't forget that as a China native, there is a great motherland behind you to support you!
As the pride of China people, only when we really go abroad and see the local people can we realize this feeling. What makes us proud is that the goods made in China have spread all over the world and entered foreign corners.
Before passing the milk container, Xiao Zhao picked up the yogurt printed with Korean characters on the counter and motioned me to buy some bottles to try. This is a very famous brand in their local area, and it tastes good. After listening to Xiao Zhao's strong recommendation, I took a few bottles back. By the way, I bought some snacks for my two sisters here and asked Xiao Zhao to choose them in the meantime. She said no, so I asked my little sister to pick a few.
Next, we went to the shoes and clothing section here. The clothes displayed here are quite complete, including adult clothes and children's clothes, including very popular special clothes. It's just that the style is monotonous, but the style of women's wear is fashionable, which attracts many Korean women to try it on and buy it.
The men's wear area is particularly deserted. The style shown here is very simple, only a simple shirt, some two or three colors, or a relatively dark gray-black color. This style looks a bit old-fashioned, and it is estimated that few people in China buy it. It looks like work clothes here, and basically no local Korean men buy it. Maybe for them, the style here is beautiful, and their aesthetics are different.
Xiao Zhao next to me saw me looking at men's clothes and came over. By the way, the habit of local people to buy. Few people here come to buy men's clothes. First, the price is high, and second, men go to work, and the unit will issue work clothes every year, so don't worry about clothes. Basically, you don't have to buy your own clothes. In some units, leaders and management will regularly distribute fabrics, and you can customize your own clothes.
According to Xiao Zhao, this makes sense. No wonder few people care about the clothes put here. I'm afraid only those rich people will buy it.
Finally, we stopped at the area where various styles of shoes were placed. Xiao Zhao and Xiao Mei are happy to see the fashionable sandals on the counter. When I meet a style I like, I will stop and try it on.
Looking at the shoes on display here, I thought they were imported from China. As a result, after looking at several models, I saw that Korean was printed on them and learned that it was a product produced by my own factory. It turns out that they already have their own manufacturers, and they can also produce fashionable shoes with the times.
We walked around here several times. When we saw Xiao Zhao trying on new shoes several times, we quietly asked her, "If you like it, we will buy it."
Xiao Zhao always said to me, "No, the price here is very expensive." Later, I saw that she tried on one, and some of them didn't want to put it back. I paid the waiter directly and told her that we bought this pair of shoes.
When I learned that I bought these shoes, Xiao Zhao also planned to get the money back. Under my repeated insistence, she is willing to accept it, and I can see that Xiao Zhao likes it very much. Although she didn't say it, she must be very happy.
On the way back, Xiao Zhao also told me that the money I just bought shoes must be given to me later. I responded that she was very good and gave you a pair of shoes without giving me money.
We are really a little tired after going out for so long today. On the way back, I asked Xiao Zhao to think about what's delicious around here, and we'll have dinner together in the evening. Later, Xiao Zhao suggested going to a revolving hot pot not far from Pyongyang Railway Station Square.
We all have a lot of things in our hands, some of which are inconvenient to eat in restaurants. Or send things to my apartment first, and then have a rest before going to eat.
In the distant street, I can still see local women walking with things on their heads. I also asked Xiao Zhao, "Will you walk with something on your head?"
"I haven't tried. Many young people have stopped doing this for a long time now. Only those older people still keep their old habits. " Xiao Zhao responded to me.
We sent things to the apartment, took a rest downstairs, and then started to go to the revolving hot pot in Pyongyang.
Tonight I have dinner with two Korean beauties, Xiao Zhao!
To be continued! Continue to update and share more Korean customs!