Tintin in Tibet
Tintin in Tibet Bags for Sale in Mcleod GanjMcleod Ganj streets are full of souvenirs and colorful ones at that. What I drool most at are the earrings of all size and shapes (that is one piece of jewellery I use almost on a daily basis) but then I am content with just taking pictures.
What invariably happens is that I ask the price and they quote some high figure and then I run away. I am extremely bad at bargaining. Sometimes the ladies at stall call my retreating back, "What will you pay?" I still keep running away.
For this bag, I didn't even ask the price and anyway apart from a holiday where is the scope to use this in the daily routine? In fact this time after coming back from the trek I called brat 2 (my younger nephew) from McLeod ganj and asked if he wanted something? He immediately said, "get me a T-shirt," and I did. Otherwise as soon as I enter the house he still asks me, "What have you got for me?"
When I asked the shop owner how much for a T-shirt that I liked he said 175 rupees. I paid, then he returned 25 rupees and said, "We say 175 but we give for 150." I got that discount even without asking for it. I am that bad at barging and the shopkeeper was that kind. But it happens only in the mountains.
PS. Brat 1 (my elder nephew) is right now at Prashar Lake and he went alone!
What invariably happens is that I ask the price and they quote some high figure and then I run away. I am extremely bad at bargaining. Sometimes the ladies at stall call my retreating back, "What will you pay?" I still keep running away.
For this bag, I didn't even ask the price and anyway apart from a holiday where is the scope to use this in the daily routine? In fact this time after coming back from the trek I called brat 2 (my younger nephew) from McLeod ganj and asked if he wanted something? He immediately said, "get me a T-shirt," and I did. Otherwise as soon as I enter the house he still asks me, "What have you got for me?"
When I asked the shop owner how much for a T-shirt that I liked he said 175 rupees. I paid, then he returned 25 rupees and said, "We say 175 but we give for 150." I got that discount even without asking for it. I am that bad at barging and the shopkeeper was that kind. But it happens only in the mountains.
PS. Brat 1 (my elder nephew) is right now at Prashar Lake and he went alone!
Labels: himachal pradesh, McLeod Ganj, Nokia 6275, shopping
posted by Mridula at 12:04 AM
6 Comments:
In late eighties, in Darjeeling we bargained a muffler from Rs 100 to Rs 25 and wa happy abt our bargaining power.
Next day at the same place it was selling at Rs 20 :)
I usually buy a thing or two because it means a lot years later. Plus these people make money only from tourists in a tourist season, so whatever! I do bargain,I remember buying bunch of t-shirts for Rs 150, that was 3 yrs back, and I still wear them. :)
Love your honesty!
Manish, that is why I do not generally buy because I can never say 25 for something that is quoted as 100.
Priyank, good that you can do that. I too end up picking up something for my nephews but that is all usually.
Anonymous, thank you for the comment.
I didn't bargain with a small boy in Vietnam and was ready to pay what he asked for. He looked at me with a shocked expression in his face and told me: "But Mam, you ARE supposed to bargain. You are not going anywhere in life like that. You'll loose all your money?"
Fida I am in the same boat! I wonder when would you start blogging again?
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