Battle of the Bargain
By Amirah Ahmad 莘绮 注
“Come here, girl. Look here,” she says to me as she fingers a shirt. “Very good quality. Hand-made.”
“No, I don’t want it,” I reply.
“Okay, I’ll give you a special price. Just for you,” she whispers back in my ear and taps an outrageous1 number into her Hello Kitty calculator.
I didn’t buy that specific shirt but I have done my fair2 share of shopping in China. From electronics to clothes to accessories3 , I’ve bought it all. Although I’m always wary whenever I leave the market, thinking that I could have gotten the same things for cheaper. Just because of the different texture of my hair, the different shade of my face, and the accent of voice, shopping at a market is ten times more difficult for me than a Chinese local4. I am lied to, I am given higher prices, and I must argue with the vendor for a long time before the price is right. Often times, even that price is still too high.
From the looks of it, bargaining can seem fun. You and the vendor get to know each other as she asks you which country you’ve travelled from to get to China and you ask her which province she originated from. You and her exchange some laughs. It’s all fun and games until you ask what the price is. From that point on it’s a battle between two people who were once friends but now enemies. The battle is a difficult one, but I am always ready for the challenge.
After travelling to several places and visiting a good portion of5 markets, I’ve begun the process of learning how to bargain. However, it is important to realize that bargaining is not a skill you can perfect. It is an exchange of words and gestures and actions that culminate into an art, and just like a piece of artwork it will never be completed6. However, I’ve taken the time to share what I know about bargaining.
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1. outrageous: 令人吃惊的，离谱的。
2. fair: 应得的，应有的。
3. accessories: 饰品，配饰。
4. 就是由于我与其他人不同的发质，不同的脸型，不同的口音，我在中国市场买东西要比中国本地人难上十倍。texture: 质感。
5. a good portion of: 一大部分。
6. 讨价还价是言语、手势和行动交流的一种艺术，并且就像艺术品一样，永远不会完成。culminate：达到顶峰。
