Well we're well settled into our routine which involves food, sun, reading, sudoku and socializing. Hard to believe we have been here for ten days. Many people we have met are getting ready to leave as they are here for a two week (or in some cases a fortnight) stay. We also encountered the omnipresent beach vendors. In fact, unlike past years, we have bought a couple of items from a vendor. Dealing with a beach vendor is not simple and there are unwritten rules that should be obeyed.
-Once you enter into a negotiation (bargaining) you are expected to buy the item.
-You cannot offer a rediculously low price to enter the negotiation.
-The bargaining process continues until a mutually acceptable price is reached.
-Each party cannot hold firm after just one or two offers.
-Each party is expected to feign outrage at the price offered/countered.
-As good a negotiator you think you are the beach vendor is better.
-The beach vendor will always come out ahead by at least 400% but the goods will still be inexpensive.
-All this done in good humour.
So Sanjay comes down the beach with a pile of shirts. I am looking for a long sleeved shirt because a medication I'm taking has caused a sun sensitivity. I ask Sanjay for long sleeved shirts but he shows me only short sleeved shirts. "Sanjay", I say, "I must have it long sleeved". He drops his pile of shirts on my sunbed, commands me to look after them and run down the beach. He soon returns with another pile of shirts; long sleeved. He spreads open quite a nice long sleeve white shirt. "Good price, cheap", he says. "How much," I ask. "Cheap," he says. "How cheap?" I ask. "How many shirts?, he asks. "Just one," I say. With a flourish he spreads out another long sleeved shirt. Quite a nice dark coral color. "How much for the two?", I ask. "Cheap price," he says. By now dear reader you may have noticed that neither party wants to make the first offer. That is because it gives away the general area of the final price. Usually double the buyer's offer or half the vendor's. So the dance continues back and forth. Sanjay soon realizes that I am not a virgin buyer. I have experience and it shows. Finally he says seven fifty. (Rs 750. 40 rupees to the dollar). So the deal is made. 375 or 400 rupees will get the two shirts. But the charade must continue. "SEVEN FIFTY!!! Sanjay I only want two shirts. I'll give you uh uh two fifty." Sanjay grabs his throat, tongue protruding he staggers back. He's showing me I have violated the rule about reasonable offer. "Six seventy five. "Sanjay, I'll give you three hundred." "Six hundred," he says and pushes the shirts at me. I put my hands behind my back. He drops them on the sunbed. We look at each other. "Sanjay, I'll give you my final offer of three fifty." Sanjay thinks for a second. "Five hundred", he says. "No," say I. "My final offer is three fifty." "Okay, take the shirts for four seventy five," says Sanjay. I stick to three fifty. Sanjay realies we are close to my final price. "Okay give me your final final last best offer." says Sanjay. "Sanjay," I say, "This is my final, final last offer. Four hundred." Sanjay looks at me. "Four Fifty", he tries. "Saaanjaay," I say. "Okay, okay." He hands me the shirts and I give him the four hundred. He folds it up touches the two shirts with the money, and then touches each of the bundle of shirts with the money, transferring the good fortune to the rest of the shirts. We shake hands. We are both happy with the transaction. Sanjay definitely paid less than a 100 rupees for the shirts but is deserving of the high profit. He works hard, walks the beach in the blazing hot sun and has to avoid the police because he doesn't have a license. Plus the season is short.
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