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I Love To Bargain

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The Barkhor Street, the Tibetan market in Lhasa, was not really a street, because no cars, no bicycles, and no other streets were visible. It was a branch street with shops and carts everywhere.

Necklaces, wristlets, of yak bones, of colored stones, of silver, or of "silver."

Bowls of turtle shells, of yak bones, or of, maybe, human skulls.

Tibetan knives, antique or antique looking, of fine or poor quality, of holy decorated or derogated. :)

...

I love to bargain.

Ehud, the bright 22 year-old Israeli, who had just finished his three-year military service as an officer, who was going to study medicine (which is highly competitive in Israel) was my company. The other two Israelis were walking far ahead of us.

Undoubtedly, the foreign tourists -- the Israelis and the Dutchmen -- were happy to travel with me, as I spoke both English and Mandarin, I paid my own share, I bargained with and for them, and I didn't cheat. (Johannes, my Dutch friend, joked with me that I shouldn't travel with Dutch or Israelis, but with rich American businessmen to make a fortune.)

It was our last joint adventure, as I was leaving for Beijing the next day. Perhaps to express his gratitude for my help all along, Ehud offered to bargain for me at the market. He was by far a much better bargainer. I was no match.

Mandarin was less useful at a place like this, since most Tibetan sellers here spoke some English, i.e., English numbers. They had calculators for you to punch in the numbers, too. With his charm, his smile, his foreign face, his marvelous facial expression, his body language, his act, his big camera, his young and loud voice, Ehud and I were having great fun.

Image: (left) Shop by the street

We spotted a beautiful Tibetan knife:

"How much?"

"230!"

"230? Are you crazy? 50!"

"200, 200!"

"What, 200? You are not coming down at all! 70, 70!"

"70? No, no! No 70! 150, 150, last price!"

"OK, OK, 80, 80!"

"No 80! No 80!" Pointing to the decoration, "Holy, holy. For you, 120!"

"Yah, yah, yah, every knife is holy here. Last-last-last, 90!"

"No, I lose if 90!"

"Hey, hey!" Ehud rushed to the guy. Their faces inches apart, he opened his two eyes wide and pointed to one (eye). "Dalai Lama, Dalai Lama!"

The guy shied away. He didn't want to say that again in the name of Dalai Lama. "OK, OK, 100."

"Last price, last price." Ehud punched 95 on the calculator.

"No." The guy refused, firmly this time.

Me to Ehud, "I can't believe it. This guy won't sell to us for the 5 Yuan difference?"

He wouldn't indeed.

"Well, we tried. Let's go!"

Ten meters away, we were called back: "Agreed."

Receiving the knife, I gave the guy two 50's. "Give me 5 back!"

The guy was hesitating, worrying that the 50's were fake.

"Hey, hey!" Ehud grabbed the money, took the knife from me, put it into the guy's hand, and dragged me away. "Let's go!"

Immediately, the guy put the knife back into my hand, took the money, gave me Y5 out from nowhere ... and ...

Off we went, with the beauty.

Flirting

Young and athletically figured, she has big eyes -- the kind of eyes that speak, and a broad, most sweet smile. She dresses fit, trendy, ... just perfect. I have seen many girls, pretty and well dressed, in Beijing. But in Tibet, where almost all women dress traditionally, this girl is striking. What impresses me most is perhaps the innocence on her face, an expression difficult to find in the sophisticated big city of Beijing. Even the girls in the hotel, who interact with foreign tourists every day, are no match. I start to wonder if she is Han Chinese, because she dresses very Chinese and not Tibetan at all. She also looks like a Han Chinese, and speaks Mandarin and English fluently. But I dare not ask. She may be offended, and won't smile any more to the real Han Chinese. :)

Oli, the Israeli girl, starts hard bargaining.

"Zili, could you tell her that we saw the same thing in Nepal, and it cost only Y30?"

"Zili, could you ask her if we can have a better discount if we buy three of these?"

"Zili, could you ... ?"

Oli doesn't really have to ask me to translate. The girl speaks good English herself. Patiently and happily, however, I am translating. The girl talks to me almost exclusively, and not to the Israelis. We have a happy time bargaining, in English and Mandarin; chatting, in her eyes and mine ...

Someone outside is asking her something, and she replies, in Tibetan. "It would be odd indeed for a Han girl to work here, so she IS Tibetan. But does it matter? No!"

Finally, the bargaining is over. I didn't buy anything, but am the happiest. "What a marvelous encounter!"

Oli and Shibati walked far ahead of us and quickly disappeared. Ehud and I bargained, acted, played, laughed, and I spent I don't know how much money. Nature called Ehud urgently. He asked me for the hotel key and some toilet paper, and rushed back.

Willing to hang around for a little longer, I wandered aimlessly, until I was bored, until I found myself lost. I saw some security guys, Tibetans, and asked them in Mandarin for the way to my hotel. They laughed, repeated my question, stared at me, and gave no answers.

Trying to find my own way out, I circled again, and before I knew it, I was back in the same store, the same girl, and the same smile. The real, happy, heart-itching smile.

I ask for my way, but am in no hurry to leave. Looking around,

"How much is the vest?"

"45!"

"35!"

"OK, I will sell it to you for 35, but just for you."

"Wait, how about 30?" After hours of bargaining outside, I was not prepared for her immediate acceptance. I am now hoping for a better deal.

"No, not for 30, really. We will lose for that price, really. And I usually don't sell it for 35."

Looking at her, I know she is not cheating me. (Well, she could be a genius actress, but I won't be convinced of it. :)) "OK, deal."

She wrapped it up. I paid and put it into my backpack, still unwilling to leave.

"May I take a picture of you?"

"No!"

"Please!"

"No, sorry!"

Still smiling, still hoping, hoping for a picture, I knew this wouldn't go anywhere, but so what? Whose heart wouldn't pound, facing such a charming, pretty, smiling, mysterious girl, with her eyes speaking to you?

She is busy in and out, smiling, a really broad smile, with two eyes speaking.

"Please, just one picture."

"No! Sorry!"

A young tourist couple came in, bargaining for a beautiful backpack, in vain, and left. I feel even better for the deal she gave me.

The Tibetan boy has been sitting at the door all the time, not paying any attention to me. He is playing cards with himself and talking to the girl now and then. "He must be her boyfriend. I certainly have no chance, and am leaving tomorrow. She is Tibetan living in Lhasa, I am Han living in America ..."

"Please, please!"

"No! I am sorry!" She refuses heartily, and smiles equally heartily.

"Maybe her culture and belief won't allow her to have pictures taken by a stranger. At least not by a short, old, fat, spectacled, weak-voiced stranger (i.e., meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :))."

"Goodbye", I smile to her gratefully, and indeed, happily.

"Goodbye, and sorry", she smiled back, so touching a smile ...

Coming to Tibet expecting anything but romance, she made my day. But I didn't know that more luck is coming up later that day ... :) [Note 7]

Continued on Page 3 of 3 ...

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