Scams are everywhere. Even in my small town of Beilun, China (600,000)…well small by Chinese standards. Our town is incredibly safe. I have never felt more safe in any other country I’ve traveled. There is very little crime that I see or hear of here and when I do it is usually a bike stolen or shotty construction, that’s it. But nonetheless, we are a growing community with very few foreigners, so when opportunity strikes to take advantage and make a quick yuan (buck) sometimes people do. With that said, I have a story about my dear friend and a scam she encountered on her wayto the grocery today.
After working all day on school work, she decided it was time for a stroll to RT Mart (our local grocery). Sunny day, brisk winter air, and a smile on her face I’m sure, she saw a small group of monks dressed up at a major intersection as she approached. One had a drum, playing the beat while the others hung around. She crossed the street and one of them approached her and spoke a little English. They grabbed her hand and began to read her palm (or at least she thinks…at this point communication was all in Mandarin). Then they showed her some little pamphlets, did some hand gestures towards her back and left her totally confused as to what they were getting at. So she politely smiled and began to plan her departure from this weird show to the grocery. Suddenly, one of the “monks” pulled up the back of her sweater and stuck two pieces of paper on her back. The papers were covered with a super sticky tar-like substance, so when she pulled and started to feel them, they were stuck. She immediately called a Chinese friend to ask what was going on and get advice onwhat to do. Her friend told her this was a scam and to walk away because they would be asking for money soon. Sure enough, the so-called monks were now showing my friend the hand signal for the number 6, “liu”. They wanted her to pay 6 yuan (about 1 USD) for the “help” they just gave her. She refused and walked away. After following her for a short distance, they gave up and headed back to the intersection as my friend went on to the grocery in shock and disbelief. What just happened and why her, oh why her?
After a quick trip into the grocery with the sticky papers still on her back, she came to the café to share her story and get a little help removing the odd papers. She explained it all and after another friend and I scrubbed most of the sticky stuff off of her back (seriously the stuff was like tar), we asked another Chinese friend about the papers and overall experience. We were told that this was a scam for the people who were dressed as monks to make some money. They read your fortune and tell you they can bring good health to you by placing the sticky papers on your kidneys and then once they do (with or without your permission) they charge you money. Strange but true. I have never seen or heard of this before, so was in disbelief that it just occurred less than a mile away.
My friend has a tremendous sense of humor so told us this in the midst of laughter. I can’t help but imagine this going down in the U.S. I see an arrest and charges somewhere in that scenario. Such an odd violation of personal space. Luckily my friend only suffered from a bruised ego and a sticky back, but to me it kind of signifies the end of something I held so dearly in my town. I don’t know what to call it…Trust? Genuineness? Respect? Of course this is the exception, not the rule. There are so many helpful, caring, and generous people here who just want to assist you, talk to you, and be friendly to a foreigner. But I guess now I must admit, that like anywhere else, there are people out there with the wrong intentions who are willing to take advantage of any opportunity to make some quick money…even in Beilun.
So next time I am walking to the grocery, I will guard my back…tuck my shirt into my pants…whatever it takes to avoid a sticky back and a sequel to this blog post J Thank you unnamed friend, for allowing me to share your story...
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