Enough of reviews and movie plot of the film Avatar, many have already done that. What i would like to write it down here is the situation of Avatar in Shanghai.
Going to Shanghai cinema is not a very pleasant thing compare to where i come from. Mainly because the ticket price is ridiculously expensive. For before noon session, the cheapest you can get is normally RMB35 a ticket (about RM17). And price gradually increases from there toward the evening. Because evening is the so called golden period, which means people have finished work and ready to relax after dinner. For weekend, such golden period starts after lunch time.
So how expensive will that be? RMB80 to RMB100 (RM40 to 50) per ticket in the evening. If you go to cinema at better location (not necessary better hardware, mind you), the price is even at RMB130. Now, i understand in microeconomics textbook, this is a good way to maximize your revenue, but i really hate this practice. I feel being exploited. I really missed Malaysia cinema with ticket price of just RM6-8 (believe me, of all the cinemas i have been to in other countries, Malaysia is still the cheapest).
The opening of Avatar in Shanghai cinema has brought this abominable practice to new height (or new low?). 5 days into screening, the movie has garnered enthusiasm of the whole city literally. And ticket is not cheap, the one that my girlfriend and I went to, ticket sells for RMB100 for 2D, RMB150 for 3D (we saw it on half-price Tuesday = ) ) And yet, people’s enthusiasm is not dampened by the high price. Ticket is still hard to get, people are queuing up for hours to get a ticket. Ticket scalpers are abound.
On one particular cinema, the only IMAX 3D screen in Shanghai, hundreds of people queue up hours before the cinema opens door. The line is in 200-300m length by estimation when my bus passed by this morning. The ticket price? RMB150 when it started screening a few days ago. Online rumour has it that starting next week, IMAX ticket will sell for RMB180. The fact is, scalpers have already started selling the ticket at RMB200. But still, plenty of people are willing to shell out that amount of money to buy the ticket (for the sake of comparison, here is the ticket price for Kuala Lumpur IMAX theater).
Who in the right mind will do such a thing? I mean the movie-goers, scalpers and the cinemas. And yet, they are happening, now. This reminds me a lot of similar incidence happening in China, most notably the real estate. The eager bunch of people drive up the price, the developers are ready to take advantage on the desperation of the people. And having millions of people in China helps too.
On a similar note, last Saturday my girlfriend and I met a new kind of “take-advantage-of-the-desperate scheme” on our way to Nanjing. I don’t have much feeling about it other than it impressed me as this is a whole new thing that i encounter (because i have already accepted the fact that with 1.3 billions people in this country, they will think of anything and everything to make a living, as a result of government is not really doing their job on the employment front). But my girlfriend was infuriated by it.
Because we forgot to take into account that the gate is closed 5 mins before train departs, we miscalculated our time and arrived late. 100m from the gate, we saw the train station worker was locking the gate, we immediately ran and shouted toward the gate. He must have been through some specialized training, because he didn’t see or hear us at all even though we were closing in in less than 25m away while he was about to leave. He left, and we were left outside the gate.
Seeing this whole drama, there were a few people starting to approach us and told us that they can bring us down to the train platform at RMB50 per person (there are just 5 mins left before the train departs). I told them they are insane and I just walked away, but my girlfriend was really furious. Really furious that she tried to argue with them. I could sense she is going to breakdown anytime soon, so i quickly pulled her away (rule in China #113: Never reason with Chinese stranger, because you never won. How could you win when the other party has no reasoning in the first place?).
In the end, we sneaked into the next train bound for Nanjing departing 25 mins later (officially allowed provided you have bought the ticket for the same day same destination). Why the drama if we can get another train 25 mins later you ask? Because in this train, you have to stand all the way to Nanjing.
(In retrospect, i bet those people who promise to bring you down to the platform would ask you to pay them upfront, then bring you down. Chances are the train is departing and you can’t get on the train. They will say: Oops! And they will rush you to get on the next train, telling you it’s OK to do this.)
Gosh, there are plenty of reasons for me living in Shanghai, or China for that matter. But sometimes i really hate this place. Too many people. Too many.




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