SHOPPING
TIME
NAMO
BUDDHA Y2K WHITE TARA RETREAT
All of the Namo Buddha
Y2K White Tara Retreatants took time off for some shopping. Nepal is also
known as a shopping paradise especially foreigners as the exchange rates
benefits both parties and goods are cheap here. Eveything from camping
gears to household sundrys. We are on the wildest buying spree and our
Bro. Chuah tops in this category, even the ladies count on him to bargain
and convincingly the vendor open up their ledger again to beg for 2% profit.
Personally i benefit from following him around.
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If inside the shop
is full of goods, the outside by the street is utilized. No empty space
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is spared from displaying
the goods. The vendors knows very well on how to attract potential customers
like us. Once it catches your eye, you are trapped into buying.
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Once inside, the
seller tries his best to convince you into buying even
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the cheapest stuff in his
shop. Everyting ranging from Kashmiri Silk to local Lamb wool and for sure
carpets from Kashmir is what they are trying to push out.
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This is the streets
of the famous shopping paradise named Thamel in Kathamndu. Dirty and dusty
streets greets even the richest shopper around town, the theme here "You
want cheap stuff you come fast". Nothing could be done to to reduce the
dust and face mask is famous amongst Japanese, Hongkie and Taiwanese tourists.
Here is the place our Mdm. Wong fainted while doing her shopping spree.
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The vendor panic and tried
to help by providing a little Kashmiri blanket as comforter to her, our
Bro. Chuah again took advantage in squeezing the seller blaming the him
for not further reducing the prices and that caused Mdm. Wong to faint.
Unbelievable stint he managed to pull off and the vendor had no other choice
but to give in again with the pleading of 2% profit. Wonder shopper !
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Another view of
shops around town, shops everywhere but not factory.
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This means tourism is a
big lucrative industry here in Nepal whereas 80% of Nepali away from the
city are farmers, seldom locals come to shop. Only tourist make up the
profit for these shops to carry on.
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He is no Violin musician,
all what he wants to do was to sell off that piece of Nepali Violin. He
approaches me and offered a selling price of US$80.00 for the hardwork
he'd done producing the Violin. I told him that it was too expensive, he
thus reduce to US$ 70.000. I again told him its too expensive and finally
he told me to call for a price. I told him i have no idea on how to create
sound from that Violin, he claimed that if i have not one in hand how can
i ever learn to use it. Make sense also, but then i have no interest in
buying cause it not a cheap stuff either and too bulky for my carriage.
He carry on pestering me as i walk along Thamel Street for solid 30 mins,
following me along and trying to convince me all the way. A real good sales
man and finally he was fed up and reduces the price from initial US$ 80.00
dropping until US$ 10.00 as the last selling price. Thats the best bargain
one could ever get in Thamel area but then i still have no interest in
buying. A real hardcore street vendor, watch out for him when you are there. |
Yours in Dharma,
TDSPJ Webmaster
29-Feb-2000
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