"How much is this?"

  "Sixty dolars."

  "I'll give you forty." Sounding confident.

  "FORTY DOLLARS? No. I'll give it to you for fifty."

  "FIFTY? For this? I don't think so, I don't really like it that much..."

 

  And so the tug of wear goes on. The art of bargaining is an innate ability by everyone with warm Asian blood flowing through their veins. Rules such as "thou shalt not accept the initial given price by the vendor" is our eleventh commandment.

 

  There is no doubt an 'art' to bargaining. One walks into the area the vendor has camped out for the day and has to non-chalantly browse through the items on display. If one is interested in a specific item, one must never show implicit interest but rather a look of disdain, almost like a this-is-not-really-what-I-want-but-I-suppose-this-object-will-make-do-in-the-meanwhile face. The real talent behind is pulling the face off without looking like you're acting. Never have the sparkle in your eye because you may as well have a red siren on your forehead. Vendors are not called "hawkers" for not reason, their eyesight and instict of your weakness can be matched to that of a hawk.

 

  Be ruthless when you give the opening pirce. Think of it as an auction where one satrts off low and works upwards towards an agreeable price by either parties. This is similar. Start low and teh battle of will will begin. The stronger and more determined person may not always exit victoriously. Some vendors are just not to be bargained with. Some will probably call on the local gangster to retrieve your knee caps and some will simply ignore your ludicrous existence and continue with business as usual.

 

  Bargaining is all about instinct, reading body language and communication. If you're thinking about embarrasment, bargaining is not for you, you may as well just walk to the local stores and pay double because no one is going to give you anything less than that!