Mekhirat Gwai-lo (The Gwai lo price)

Gwai-Loh: Chinese for "white devil".
Note: this is actually an extremely derogatory term for a white person, and you probably won't hear Chinese using it in polite company. Should you happen to understand Chinese. In any given Chinatown (in Toronto; we have over seven), I am often charged the "gwai-lo price" for things like bubble tea, hello kitty wallets, maoist coins, etc...because I am not a local. Now, having had the "tourist experience" practically everywhere I've travelled, this is not new. Rather strange in my own city, but not new.
With that background in mind...

My father and I went down Chanita Street (where my auntie lives) to buy an alarm clock and a power bar. And it would have been under 100 shekel (about 30 $ CAN) if my father hadn't opened his big gwai-lo mouth and given us away. The box with the alarm clock was marked 85 shekel, but the guy helping us told us it would be 80 shekel. Then he plugged it in to make sure it worked, and lo and behold, the radio came on. Hurray and all that. We found a power bar, and after explaining that 9V batteries cost only a dollar in Toronto, not 5 dollars, and being told by the guy with an audible shrug (go figure on that one) that were "weren't in Toronto any more", we went to the front cash to pay. The man at the cash told us 113, 10 more shekel than it should have been. Dad reminded the man who helped us that he had said the clock would be 80, but both men from the store insisted upon 85. Fine, whatever, we'll help out the israeli economy slash fund their crack habit, we paid, and we left.

Jess's theory: You see, if the guy helping us had plugged in the radio and it was broken, then it would have only been 80 shekel. But since it worked, it was 85.

And that is the gwai lo price, baby.

We're off to Hadar now to get ripped off on two pairs of sandals for me and mom, so wish us luck with that.

Gung hai fat choy,
J