Shop Till You... spend all your money
We're running out of time, and day by day I find more that I have to do in HK before we leave. Apparently at the beginning of the week one of the things I thought I had to do was shop one more time. I have only bought about a million things, but somehow I needed more. Maybe I've been buying too much for some people, and not enough for others, but it's not my fault that there are NO presents for guys in ALL OF ASIA! So, today I went to some markets. To shop.
We started early, at the Ladies' Market. I had gone once before, on Halloween, but was there to buy costumes, not presents. Today I was there with a list of mandatory presents, and an idea of what I would and would not buy. Two hours later we were on to the next market, and I had spent some major cash. After a full day (jade market... again) of shopping I had to stop and rest my heavy parcels. I also had to realize how insane I am for having bought so much.
Maybe it's the crazy caucoughany of markets that makes me buy. There is usually one narrow lane that you're walking down, and people are constantly pushing you while walking too fast or not fast enough. There are stalls on either side of you, and people are yelling at you to get your attention. "Hey Rady, Hey Pretty Rady!" "Cheap-a for you, I give you best price". They stereotypes are proven right time and again as people peg us as Westerners and yell at us in broken English. When you actually do see something you like, you have to be careful to approach it the right way. As soon as you touch something or are caught staring, you have to make sure you want it. Because the second someone catches you looking to hard, or you ask to see something, or pick it up, you are in for the long haul. You are now the prey, and the shopkeeper is the hunter. You now have to engage in the delicate bargaining game.
It goes like this. You see something you like, and try not to seem interested. Someone comes to you and starts extolling the item's virtues. You know...is very pretty, come in many color, is cheapa for you. There are several different tactics that will be tried to get you to buy. One is the 'best friend' method. This is where the saleslady tries to be your best friend. She flatters you, saying that you are so slim, or that your face is very nice. Then she tells you that she is very poor and you are helping her live if you buy. Sometimes as you haggle she says that you are taking food from her mouth, while all she wants is for you to have something pretty, and maybe can you be best friends forever? Another way to sell is the 'evil bitch' method. This is when the saleslady acts like you are wasting her time. When you try to bargain she looks at you like you're a total idiot, meanwhile she's making an inventory list and laughing at your outfit. When you finally leave she waves you away, but you see her cackling behind your back as you walk on.
Once you're actually working with the friend/bitch, there is a delicate way to haggle. It all depends on the seller, the market, and the merchandise. You have to learn to a. know what the item you want is worth, b. be able to read your seller, and c. be able to walk away if you're going to pay too much. Most of the time you can read the situation pretty easily. The seller will throw out a slightly rediculous number, and you have to laugh and protest, too much, too high, too expensive. Then you throw out a number below what you're willing to pay, and hopefully you land in the middle. After more than a year of practicing I have become Amazing at this dance. I know which ladies want to be a friend, and I giggle with them and admire their bags. I know who wants to be a hardcore business person, and I respect them while fighting for my price. I haggle and haggle, and know when to give my final offer. I can usually walk away.
You'd think that I'd be glad that I've mastered all these skills... that my time in Asia has been productive in at least one way. But the problem is this: here I am with all this stuff that I did an amazing job buying, spending way less than I would in America... and now I don't know how to get it home. My bags are bulging and I'm not even done. I'm poor and laden with goodies, and I might have to leave some here! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!! This is the hardest part of it this job. Two bags, 70 pounds... the toughest equation of my life. Good luck packing, me.
We started early, at the Ladies' Market. I had gone once before, on Halloween, but was there to buy costumes, not presents. Today I was there with a list of mandatory presents, and an idea of what I would and would not buy. Two hours later we were on to the next market, and I had spent some major cash. After a full day (jade market... again) of shopping I had to stop and rest my heavy parcels. I also had to realize how insane I am for having bought so much.
Maybe it's the crazy caucoughany of markets that makes me buy. There is usually one narrow lane that you're walking down, and people are constantly pushing you while walking too fast or not fast enough. There are stalls on either side of you, and people are yelling at you to get your attention. "Hey Rady, Hey Pretty Rady!" "Cheap-a for you, I give you best price". They stereotypes are proven right time and again as people peg us as Westerners and yell at us in broken English. When you actually do see something you like, you have to be careful to approach it the right way. As soon as you touch something or are caught staring, you have to make sure you want it. Because the second someone catches you looking to hard, or you ask to see something, or pick it up, you are in for the long haul. You are now the prey, and the shopkeeper is the hunter. You now have to engage in the delicate bargaining game.
It goes like this. You see something you like, and try not to seem interested. Someone comes to you and starts extolling the item's virtues. You know...is very pretty, come in many color, is cheapa for you. There are several different tactics that will be tried to get you to buy. One is the 'best friend' method. This is where the saleslady tries to be your best friend. She flatters you, saying that you are so slim, or that your face is very nice. Then she tells you that she is very poor and you are helping her live if you buy. Sometimes as you haggle she says that you are taking food from her mouth, while all she wants is for you to have something pretty, and maybe can you be best friends forever? Another way to sell is the 'evil bitch' method. This is when the saleslady acts like you are wasting her time. When you try to bargain she looks at you like you're a total idiot, meanwhile she's making an inventory list and laughing at your outfit. When you finally leave she waves you away, but you see her cackling behind your back as you walk on.
Once you're actually working with the friend/bitch, there is a delicate way to haggle. It all depends on the seller, the market, and the merchandise. You have to learn to a. know what the item you want is worth, b. be able to read your seller, and c. be able to walk away if you're going to pay too much. Most of the time you can read the situation pretty easily. The seller will throw out a slightly rediculous number, and you have to laugh and protest, too much, too high, too expensive. Then you throw out a number below what you're willing to pay, and hopefully you land in the middle. After more than a year of practicing I have become Amazing at this dance. I know which ladies want to be a friend, and I giggle with them and admire their bags. I know who wants to be a hardcore business person, and I respect them while fighting for my price. I haggle and haggle, and know when to give my final offer. I can usually walk away.
You'd think that I'd be glad that I've mastered all these skills... that my time in Asia has been productive in at least one way. But the problem is this: here I am with all this stuff that I did an amazing job buying, spending way less than I would in America... and now I don't know how to get it home. My bags are bulging and I'm not even done. I'm poor and laden with goodies, and I might have to leave some here! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!! This is the hardest part of it this job. Two bags, 70 pounds... the toughest equation of my life. Good luck packing, me.
posted by Beth at 12:31 AM
1 Comments:
Enjoy this while you can....when you get back to NYC, MAYBE you can afford to buy a piece of pizza!
Post a Comment
<< Home