garry8
sorry for no information yesterday (not sure who i should blame for that, but lets say rachel until she reads this).
rachel had a short OT (voice and hands) session yesterday morning and the rest of the day free as the rehab doctor had his day off (he is off today as well). we went into the large shopping mall after lunch with Melissa (georges wife). we are talking 5-6 floors of stalls packed with short wheel based sales assasins, thousands of vendors all wanting a piece of the westerners wallet. we were warned not ot get lost, within 15 minutes rachel and melissa were not insight, i spent the next hour walking the 5th floor looking for them (that is a lot of miles). all was not lost because i had the money and the directions back to the hospital (they had each other).. in the end i found them and they were calm enough (obviously rachel had bought something).
The buying is all done by haggling and having just come off the back of trading chickpeas with indian traders for the past 3 months i was ready for them. some quotes of interest:
This is the very best quality, all genuine.
You are very handsome man, do you want to buy a video. every shop could have sold you pirated videos, clothes store, shoe stores the lot
Mister, Mister, this is very good for you (a four foot six man trying to hock me viagra)
Hey you Mrs beautiful lady. Good quality just because you are my friend.
After a period of time and some great haggling (most of them forgot that you don’t bullshit a bullshitter). one shop i was in trying to buy a wallet and the girl kept grabbing my arm every time i walked away as the negotiations broke down, so i gently pinched her back on the tummy and i am not sure who got the biggest shock (the girl who left the ground or me seeing how high she jumped). the wallet is now in my possesion and she has my money) i left the girls at the jewellery section (obviously not in my best interest to encourage any buying here) and went to a restuarant to recharge my batteries (there waS NO HAGGLING ALLOWED WITH THE BEER PRICE). finally we found our way out of the mahem and looked for a taxi, rachel was very tired by now having been on her feet all afternoon (as well as withstanding the shoving, pulling, pinching of the assasins), but was still managing to get around which was good.
today we were going to go to 7 wonders of the world miniland (full day excursion) but rach is a bit tired after yesterdays experience so we will keep a lower profile today and go there next weekend (i may have to go back to the mall to buy the golf clubs i looked at).
garry
5 comments January 14th, 2007
