Indian-style bargaining21
In another store in Korea, I saw something I liked and asked the elderly lady at the counter how much it cost.The lady said, “$13.” I had bought a few things already from her, so I said, “No, $10!” and gave her $10.
She said, “No, you have to give me three more.” Since I was bargaining, I told the lady I had no more money.
I thought that all my money was in my left pocket and that only some papers were in my right pocket. To show the lady that I had no more money, I pulled all the papers out of my right pocket. O God, so much money came out!
The shopkeeper said, “You have money.”
What was I going to do? I smiled at her very soulfully and offered her the other three dollars, but she didn’t take it. She gave me the item for $10.
When I said I had no money, I was not telling a lie. I was just bargaining in my Indian manner. But after she saw all my money, I smiled at her and she became so nice!
LS 194. 26 September 1988↩
