Haggling 101!

Haggling might be fun when you're a tourist here for only 2 weeks but every time you venture into a market or shop, every day, for over a year or more?  Arrrrrrrrrrrgh!  Having to haggle for almost everything we buy pot plants, clothes you name it, is draining! Every time you go out you know you're gonna be ripped off blind.  Nothing's got a price on it, no no no ... they want to size you up first and figure how much to "set the price".  Walk down any street or through any market you hear ........

"hello Madam, I am here, waiting for you"  "what is your good name?"

"where are you from?" "South Africa right?  "India Sir? I mean your home country" England? Ah New Zealand?  Australia?  Ricky Ponting you know Ricking Ponting? Shane Warne, he's the best cricketer ever"

"come, come, this way, you must start here, at this shop" (which happens to be his shop)

Sometimes I just can't be bothered investing 15 minutes haggling over some trinket I can easily afford and still find so cheap.  But often take a deep breath, take up the challenge and enjoy the game that is haggling .... usually when I'm alone and no-one I know can hear my still pathetic efforts!

Our girls, like all children, are sponges and time and again we are surprised by just how much they have soaked up ie; bargaining!!!

A few days ago, we're killing time at the Udaipur airport, I come out of a bookshop to find Dean watching from afar, Emmaline and Xanthe haggling with the man in the souvenir store!  SOLO!

Dean's laughing his head off and suggests I leave them to it. So we watch together as our angels do a good cop/bad cop routine over these 2 small items... starting price 500rupees.

Emmy's all confident, telling the shop owner his goods aren't worth the asking price and immediately halves it.


Xanthe meanwhile is looking all angelic and pouty when he asks her sister for a better price


Emmy drops by 50roops (one of Daddy's tricks she's picked up along the way without us even realising it)
He says 350, she says 300, he says deal.  


Somehow she knows not to push any further, she understands the value of things, she knows when to stop, she knows to be respectful, not to insult the vendor, she knows he still needs to make a living, to feed and clothe his children .. but she knows she's damnwell not going to be ripped off either (mainly cause she, thank god, understands that cheap trinkets will fall apart by the time she gets home!).

I've never seen 2 girls so chuffed by their success. 

I don't know many 10 year olds capable nor confident enough to haggle a man 5 times her age, nor a 7 year old who knows a middle aged man can't possibly say no to a cute little girl with curls and huge eyes (fluttering all over the place) about to well up if she doesn't get her dangly ganesh thing.

I guess the stall holder of Gem Imporium was pretty impressed too cause he came over and had a chat with us not longer after.

We're so proud of our girls for doing something I know took me 42 years to pluck up the courage to do!!!  And this is a little example of how this crazy thing we're doing (living in India) has some character building and personality changing/moulding moments!!!!