The Right Price

It was cloudy morning. I had intended to go out since last night. Ubud downtown is at walking distance now. For me. I have been familiar with the landmarks along the way. I don’t think I need a vehicle to take me everywhere in Ubud for the time being. I still enjoy being in connection with the nature and people. And I don’t need to do things in a rush because Ubud is about twenty-minute ride at the most, a friend told me, and it’s true. Hardly any place is more than twenty-minute ride.

I made a stop at Ayu’s salon to treat my toe nails. Five minute walk from home, so luxury. I read The Joy Luck Club, a secondhand book from a bookshop here, while my toe nails were being treated. A friend had recommended the book long time ago. She is Chinese and thinks that Amy Tan is really good in describing how Chinese think and act in their culture. I saw a lot of Amy Tan’s book since long but a nice introduction to a book is always a nice start to reading one. I asked for the best title she ever read and was lucky to get the secondhand. Start being economical :-)

I had read only a few pages but I like it. I giggled imagining Chinese and their characters I know that are confirmed by the book, even the book shows me more. It’s well written and nice because Amy Tan is American-born Chinese so she has ‘outsider’ view in telling about her ancestors although she is an 'insider' of course.

I continued walking to Pasar Ubud. I felt like buying things for the girls in Jakarta house. Nothing big, just a nice memento from the trip. I don’t buy for them often. Frankly, I’m not keen about shopping in the market, simply because I don’t like bargaining. Sometimes they treat me like a stupid, that’s what I feel when they offer me ten times of a price I vaguely know. A bit more is fine but not ten times like I’m foreigner from nowhere and visit Bali for the first time. Actually, I met an Ibu who treated me like that today.

I got a lesson after meeting that "ten-times" Ibu, I think I know now what kind of person who might sell me with a good price. A person with a wide smile. I noticed that while I was browsing the shops after the disappointing shop. I was lucky to meet an Ibu in the next shop that offered me wide smile and no 'hesitation'. She gave me just the right price as the first price. She has good strategy, she leaves no room for me to bargain because the price has been right.

Before too long, I had selected a lot of stuffs, even things I don’t need because the price was so reasonable. I found two kebaya a la Bali (loud colors and sexy) that fit my body very well – unexpectedly. This Ibu has given me an example of how to win an impulsive buyer, share the right price. And you know what? This rule of thumb actually applies to many things in life. I gave up a space in the right location today because the owner offered me twice the market price. He lost eager and potential renter.

Photo of me after ‘meeting’ with Mbo Yan the other day.