Bargain me this, Haggle me that

We've been to several markets for shopping while in Asia, it's part of the whole experience I understand, but let me tell you- I hate bargaining. I just want to know what a fair price is to them so they make enough, and I get a good deal. But bargaining is still a way of life here- and so I've had to give it a go and work on negotiating a fair price- which seems to be about 2/3 of what they ask for in Thailand, and much less of a difference in Laos.

My two favorite markets out of all of them have been the Sunday Night Market in Chiang Mai Thailand and the Night Market (which is everyday) in Luang Prabang. The reason I like these two markets the most is that they are the most mellow and least aggressive when it comes to the sellers. The atmosphere is much more relaxed and you don't have sellers leaning out over mounds of things trying to get you to buy something. We went to the night market in Luang Prabang a few nights just to wander through and pick up a few things- if you go here, spend one night asking around at different vendors for what they'll charge you for something you are thinking of getting. It's worth finding out the range of prices you are quoted so you can negotiate better the next night- we did this. If someone is quoting way too high, make an offer that you will pay (it's best to decide in advance what the max is your willing to pay- then you won't crack under pressure- hence the research the night before) and stick to the price- walk away if they don't drop it. Now with this, be reasonable- if they are asking for something equivalent to one more dollar, give in- it's much more to them than it is to you.

I also loved watching some of the kids at the market (yes Shuttle Bill and Joe- you'll be happy to know that there's the possibility that I might have a biological clock that will eventually kick in- but not for awhile). The market is really a social event, all the sellers are there to see friends as well and they visit with eachother in between sales. This little girl I took a picture of was thoroughly entertaining while I had a piece of cake and I spent the time watching and laughing. My favorite thing was her goofy 3 pigtails sticking straight out and she was running around and laughing while her mother watched on. Childhood was so much simpler wasn't it... Sometimes I think losing my mind might be good because I could go back to wearing mismatched outfits and 3 pigtails and thinking this was the best thing ever while I ran around and played in the sprinklers with my friends, and people wouldn't look at me funny because I'd already be in an institution for this type of behavior at my age. :) Then again, I have these moments and I think, who cares what others say? I think it's incredibly important to embrace our childhood innocence as often as we can- so much creativity and energy stems from that place in yourself. And trust me- when it's hot enough outside- you won't care what people think when you're walking in the sprinklers, or in the rain splashing through puddles- both activites I highly recommend at your next opportunity.

What would the world be like if we went back to following the rules we learned in Kindergarden? We certainly wouldn't be trying to negotiate a price- we'd just be fair about it.

And I'd trade you my cookies for your fruit snacks. :)