My thoughts: My shopping desires mirror the tee-shirt for sale here in Varanasi: "no rickshaw, no boat, no hash, no silk, no hassle." For that matter, I also don't want the amusing tee-shirt, your postcards, or to be brought to any shop or factory. Yes, I think fair trade is very important, but I can never be sure that your silk or wall-hangings are made the way you say they are. I'm up for a conversation, but not if its only purpose is to serve as a bridge before trying to sell me something. Yes, I remember you, we spoke yesterday, and no sorry, I still don't want any silk (sorry Mom(s) and new sisters, just kidding, or am I?). Please, after I tell you I am Canadian, but decline your merchandise, don't tell me that you think I am an American as a way to get under my skin, it doesn't work, or maybe it does... just a bit. All this hassle really puts a damper on things. Yes I know I'm a tall fellah, and yes, I guess you could say my dad is tall too. Shhhh, don't yell out down the street that you've got big sizes and can have ever bigger ones made if need be. It's super awkward. I can see the big shirts right there, and don't want them anyway. I brought clothing with me, that's what's in my bag, sorry. Oh man, I wish we weren't in this store, here comes the complementary Masala tea that we will pay for 1000 times over if we buy something here. They are wasting their time on me. I guarantee that I will not buy a thing, no no no. Why did I buy that? Did I overpay? Look at the stitching it's barely holding itself together. I wish I knew how to bargin, where's the exit. Don't look so upset, me buying anything here was a long shot anyway. Everyone is just trying to rip me off and I'm tired (and sick, no details on this though). I hope none of the sales people in India are reading this. Steph, we're outta here!
The people selling stuff to tourists in India: Here comes another one. Will they just ignore me? Will they humour me when I ask their name, where they are from, and if they'd like to see my shop, buy my postcards, try on my funky hippy pants, or take a ride on my autorickshaw. Chances are they'll just stroll on by, answering my questions in part, but fail to stop and converse for the follow-up section. The follow-up section is the best part! That's the part where I segway from pretending to be interested in knowing anything about them to selling them something they don't need. I don't mean to be rude, but I've seen a lot of tourists walk up and down this street today, like everyday, and they're always just rushing on by. They get to parade all over my fine city with their super fancy camera pointing and clicking in a million directions. They don't have a care in the world. Gap year? backpacking? here for a couple-weeks? Sounds lovely. I've got merchandise to move, but most importantly mouths to feed and rent to pay. If they've got a camera like that, hiking space boots, and plane tickets all over Asia, surely they can come to my shop and spend a few Rupees on something they don't really need. They just need a bit of convincing and reminding about what I've got... they're in relax mode, not a care in the world. I'll just have to stand out here on the street and spend the whole day reminding them what's inside and how great it is until they come in and look. I might even follow them up and down the lanes a bit, in case their memory is even shorter than I suspected. My shirts are good quality I tell them, but they're not. My scarves are real silk, well a percentage is. Of course it's real saffron, well it's not, but with enough insisting I'll show you the other better looking fake stuff. If my segway works and I convince them they're interested we'll have a finical fight. I'll start at a high price I think they should pay, because I am sure they're rich. They'll start at a low price they think they should pay, because they know what I'm selling is not worth a fraction of what I'm saying it is. I'll pretend their offer is too low, they'll pretend mine is too high. In the end we'll reach some sort of compromise. If I sense a bit of an ego in my opponent I'll let them think they drove me down to the lowest price, no one ever has. In the end I'm certain of 3 things: (1) they paid too much by Indian standards (2) they paid too little by Western standards, and (3) if they are bouncing around the world for leisure whether they can afford it or not, they can stand to part with some money in my shop.
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So? What'd you buy me? :P
ReplyDeleteHaha, I definitely don't miss this part of travelling...glad to see it's the same everywhere. :/
If it makes you feel better, I have a friend from Delhi who says that even he gets harassed the same way...although he knows enough to laugh at them when they offer ridiculously high prices.
ReplyDeletebtw, I've also always thought you were a tall fellah.