Jill and I bought this container down at a local market.
We bargained for it.
And we bargained hard.
It is amazing how my personality changes when I’m “forced” to bargain.
I honestly don’t like bargaining but, if I don’t, I’ll pay about 3x what the real price is for the item.
I’d rather they just tell me what it should cost and we go on our merry way.
However, it is also a nice way to interact with people if you don’t try to underbid them or they don’t try to overbid you.
As neither Jill nor I speak Mandarin, you might be wondering how we bargain.
Everyone that works at the market has a calculator and pretty much has this English saying down perfectly, “Special just for you!”
The other is “Okay, best price!”
Other than that, you don’t really have to say much as you input a price on the calculator and they shake their head, “No!” and then put down their price.
As you get closer and closer to agreement, it becomes sort of silly and goofy because I have found myself arguing over a few cents.
It is almost as if the “real” amount of the money doesn’t matter because my ego, and endorphins, get going and it becomes a game.
Well, we bought this container.
I think it cost 20RMB (about 3 bucks) which is a fair price for quality containers here.
What cracked us up about it, though, was the name on the cover.
By the way, I have no idea how plastic can have “gentleness.”
If you do, please feel free to let me know in the comments.