Made In China?

We have been searching for a reasonably priced garbage can for the kitchen since we arrived. I'm fine with roughing it for a few months until our shipment comes and hanging a Hefty sac on a hook, but Paul is too refined for this.

So we took the default route of looking in every store we know, only to find an average quality can for the equivalent of $90; Luanda is the most expensive city to live in for a reason.

Anyway, yesterday as we were driving south to visit our family friends' home that the are building in Benfica (Benfica means good stay), we noted that there were garbage cans for sale on one of the market roads (main roads where young entrepreneurs are selling one or two goods they bought wholesale - see the post on "Inventory of Stuff for Sale on the Road Home Today).

So on the way back we asked Emiquilson to pull over to ask about the cans. He had already coached us on the fact that they would go for the high price because we are "estrangeiros," so this was more just a reconnaissance trip. We would send Emiquilson back for one later if we liked it.

We pull over on the opposite side of where the cans are are for sale, and we proceed to point at our wholesale area of choice - trash bins. A pack of young guys come over to see what we want.... Paul requests a specific can in the diverse lineup. They return with the can of choice, and a second model, and our dialog begins... Paul leads in his Portugnole (half Portuguese, half Spanish)...asking how much? is it good quality? and then asks "is it made in China?"

Paul, eyeing the flimsy plastic can: "How much?"
Salesman extraordinaire "$70"
P:"70!? That's expensive!"
SE (with a support crew of 3 backing him: "it's good quality." - it is clearly not good quality....FYI...
P: " but $70... That's too much! I want the Angolan price..." Emiquilson snickers a little...Then, in English, imitating Cartman from South Park so that I'm the next one cracking up... "You're bustin' my balls here"... Back to Portungnole "I can't go that high"
SE "but it's worth it.."
Then the kicker......
P: "Is it made in China? I only want a garbage can that is made in Angola..." (of which there are none)
SE: "No, this isn't made in China... Look! " Salesman Extraordinaire flips the can to show the bottom, traces his finger across the "Made in" stamp, which is reading upside down, and which finishes with....China.

At this point, Emiquilson and I who have both been relatively non-participant but still enjoying Paul exploring his negotiation skills, start laughing.... In fact, cracking up, as is Paul. And we obviously are all seeing the irony and humour in the upside-down Made in China sign, that this sly salesman is trying to swing on us as Angolan (beyond the fact that the can itself had Chinese on the front of it probably saying "thank-you for not littering")

Whether the guy selling the stuff could read English or read at all was not as disappointing as the fact that once we left, Emiquilson confirmed that everything for sale comes from China...there is a strong Chinese presence here, and while it may be good in some ways, it is likely paralyzing the ability for a local economy to take off... But this is only one of many factors.

Anyway, we say it's too much and maybe next time, and the three of us continue home cracking up in our best Portuguese with Emiquilson at how funny the whole scene was.

And the quest for the Angolan garbage can continues....