You
Can Bargain A Bit
In
the country district where 1 grew up, money was scarce droughts
and bushfires frequent. As a result, we lived off the land, buying
nothing but clothing, and the criterion for buying that ~, as: "Will
I be charged with indecent exposure without it?" Ornaments
for the home were simply dismissed as wanton extravagance.
Small
wonder i have become a sucker for sales. A certified (or certifiable)
compulsive buyer. That little four-letter word SALE acts on me like
a syringe on a dope addict. Let something be marked down to half
price and instinctively I know it's what I've always needed. I remember
once buying a stuffed emu and 20 yards of a positively revolting
gold brocade, simply because it was fire damaged and "reduced".
This little lot has followed me half way around the world, and now
lies in my garage, a musty warning against folly. And still I will
not learn!
The
only reason I don't own a fork lift of a Bengal tiger is that, so
far, I've never seen one on "special" at a sale!
Imagine
me, therefore, in Bali - which has the soft sell to end all the
sale signs. The oft-repeated phrase, enticingly whispered, purred
even, in your ear "You can bargain a bit!"
Added
to that, the things that you can bargain for are indeed truly what
I have wanted all my life - oil paintings and woodcarvings; basket
ware and batik. Mind you, not all of them are good. Those done hurriedly
to meet the tourist demand are very resistible. But there are still
many exquisite batiks, fabulous paintings and fantastic woodcarvings
if you know where to seek. Given my case history, it was only to
be expected that these latter were the ones I sought out - items
of perfection, with prices to match!
Strangely
enough though, 1 did not immediately get into the swing of bargaining
in Bali. Confronted by superb craftsmanship, offered at seemingly
ridiculously cheap prices, I would in confusion appalled at even
suggesting a lower figure - yet mindful of the guidebook advice:
"Pay more than half the price asked, and you're being ripped
off'.
Thanks
to this hang-up, I returned from my first visit to Bali virtually
unscathed, with nothing more to show than one solitary woodcarving.
True, the purchase of this had been quite a saga .....
For
starters, 1 had hired a taxi for a half-day's tour, but decided
to stop off for a few minutes in the woodcarving village of Mas.
The
driver, who probably got commission for each tourist delivered -
escorted me into one gallery, assuring me that they definitely had
the best value.
Now,
a woodcarving was the one thing 1 hoped to buy in Bali, so 1 looked
long and hard at their display and only one piece did 1 remotely
fancy - two heron birds fishing a lily pond. Elegant, yes.... but
wasn't it rather insipid? And this was marked at the quite exorbitant
price of $65.
(i
had hoped to get something for $5 - but how to tell them?)
Self-consciously
I mumbled that the price was too high. Soothingly, the owner assured
me.... "You can bargain a bit". Shamefacedly, remembering
the guidebook, 1 hung my head and muttered: "I can only afford
$5."
The
owner, choosing to ignore this as sheer nonsense, continued: "Carving
very good, long time to make.... but for new visitor I give special
morning price $60."
During this short exchange, he had seated me at a low carved (what
would you expect - a butter box) table, placed the heron birds in
front of me, and offered iced cordial and pink rice cakes. A full
half hour later, his price had crept down to $42, while mine had
crawled cautiously up to $30.
And
while i thought uneasily of my taxi merrily ticking away in the
yard, my host looked to be so enjoying himself, I wondered if
During
this short exchange, he had seated me at a low carved (what would
you expect - a butter box) table, placed the heron birds in front
of me, and offered iced cordial and pink rice cakes. A full half
hour later, his price had crept down to $42, while mine had crawled
cautiously up to $30.
And
while i thought uneasily of my taxi merrily ticking away in the
yard, my host looked to be so enjoying himself, I wondered if
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