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Thoughts, tips, and tales to help you navigate the global community.
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To offend or impress— ‘tis a fine line!
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 The Art of Bargaining |
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Bargaining is an everyday part of life in many places around the world. It is a game, a drama, a dance in which both the buyer and seller play a role. The roles can be subtle and figuring out the rules of the game can help you feel like a local when navigating negotiations.
When I arrived in Morocco, it was frustrating and exhausting to discuss and haggle over everyday purchases. I found myself dreaming of shopping in the quiet of Nordstrom’s and orderly aisles at Whole Foods. How was I to know when I was supposed to bargain for something and when I was not? Was I getting ripped off as a tourist? Why wasn’t I having any fun?
It wasn’t until several months later that I finally came to understand the art ofbargaining. I wanted a woven blanket to give to my brother for his birthday. In my wallet I had only 150dh, Moroccan dirhams or about 20 US dollars. After wandering among the blankets and scoping out the different boutiques, I settled on a small shop in which a single old man was folding fabric. I told him what I was looking for and together we found a lovely recycling-green colored cover, exactly what I wanted. I asked the price and he told me 300dh!
With a pained look on my face, I explained in Arabic that I was only a student and could pay 100dh. He seemed sad and told me I could find something of lesser quality down the street for that price. But the quality was so good here, I gushed. He complimented me on my fine taste. At this point, I opened my wallet to show my measly 150dh and pulled it out as if he had accepted this price. After looking gloomy for a few moments, he started to wrap my purchase and we exchanged money for blanket with a mutual sense of understanding. I was happy with my purchase and he wished me luck with my studies.
On the way home, I reflected on the process. I was smiling. That was fun, I thought! I then understood that we had each played our roles to perfection and, despite our cultural differences, had been able to communicate and reach a mutual agreement. I’ve learned the golden rule of bargaining is entering into a fair negotiation. If you are not interested in buying something, do not try to bargain down the price. If the seller agrees to your price and you back out of the deal, it is offensive and breaks the fair negotiation expectation.
Next, be familiar with what is bargained for and what is not. This will simply come with observation or the help of a local friend. If there is a sign that says “Fixed Price,” don’t try to haggle. Also, forget any preconceived notions about bargaining, such as paying only 50% of the asking price. This may be too much or too little; instead assess the intrinsic value the item holds for you and go from there.
In addition to these set roles, knowing a few words of the local language and not appearing as a simple tourist will help your chances a lot. Also, do not expect the buyer and seller to be all smiles and happiness at the end of the deal. If the merchant seems ecstatic to do business with you and invites you back again soon, you probably got ripped off.
In the end, keep things in perspective, does a dollar really make a dent in your wallet? Knowing the rules and enjoying the cultural interaction help make bargaining a fun game to play.
Written by guest blogger Julie Lohela, currently a year-long Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar studying journalism in Rabat, Morocco. Julie is also interning for the United Nations Industrial Development department.
For more information on bargaining and negotiating in specific countries around the world, check out our community built country guides. You can also share information and observations from your own culture crossing experiences by logging in and adding to the guide! |
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Category : Bargaining| Posted By: admin |  Comments [0]
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| What Not To Wear |
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When it comes to clothes, I’m all about casual comfort. My idea of dressing up often means wearing my newest pair of jeans and my least tattered pair of sandals. Luckily I live in California, a place where I can walk into a four-star restaurant wearing yoga pants and flip-flops. While my informal style has worked for me in some other regions and countries, it has also elicited a fair share of snickers, sneers and closed doors.
I’ll never forget that one morning that I headed off to my art history class at Paris’ Sorbonne Institute. It was the kind of chilly morning that warrants cozy sweatpants and a fleece anorak. The way that my professor looked me up and down as I entered the classroom, I thought she might fail me on the spot. Slinking into my seat, I scanned the room to check out all of my well-heeled classmates. Suddenly I had this terrible sense that my casualness could be construed as a lack of respect for my teacher and the entire institution. Needless to say my sweatpants never again saw the light of day that semester. Things in Paris may have loosened up a little in recent years, but I still wouldn’t go traipsing through the Louvre in my Lululemons.
On the other hand places like Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , and Negril, Jamaica , I have felt instantly embraced by the flip flop clad community. But don’t go thinking that this will fly in all tropical locations. In places like Malaysia and Brunei bare shoulders and legs can be construed as offensive --and in many Muslim cultures, women should keep covered with a headscarf. In places like Colombia and the Dominican Republic, dresses and suits are de riguer for fine restaurants and most professional meetings.
Of course, there’s no need to update your wardrobe and reinvent your style each time you travel, but you can save yourself from being disrespectful (and even a bit humiliated) just by finding out ahead of time whether or not to leave your flip flops at the beach.
For more information on view of self in specific countries around the world, check out our community built country guides. You can also share information and observations from your own culture crossing experiences by logging in and adding to the guide! |
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Category : Dress| Posted By: admin | Comments [0]
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| It's All About Me or Is It We? |
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It was one of the most stressful moments of my fourth grade experience. It was the highly anticipated “Field Day” competition and I had made it to the final rounds of the girls triple jump event. All I had to do was beat Missy Gordon by an inch to clinch the victory. I could already imagine the feel of the blue ribbon in my hand – the taste of the hot fudge sundae that my parents would surely buy me as a reward. But most importantly, everyone would know I was The Best.
But alas, that extra inch eluded me and Missy got all the glory. I was crushed. Even my parents were let down, although they tried to cover up their feelings. What I realize now is that my abysmal disappointment had less to do with the actual loss and more to do with my culture.
If you, like me, were raised in a culture that values individualism, the idea of being recognized as being the best in something is always worthy of the highest praise—if not an ice cream sundae. Head of the class. Employee of the month. First place. MVP. Sound familiar? In an individualistic society or “me culture”, individual achievement is not only lauded but is often a major motivating force in our lives. The United States , France and Denmark are a few examples of nations where individualism pervades many aspects of the culture.
There are other cultures, however, that have a different take on the importance of the individual. In Japan, for example, standing out from the group is discouraged and sayings such as “the nail that sticks up gets hammered down,” are often recited. This is largely because Japan is considered to be collectivist society, meaning that it’s less about “me” and more about “we”. In collectivist societies such as Japan , China, and Thailand , group harmony is highly valued. There tends to be a greater emphasis on the success and well-being of the group over the individual. For this reason, MVP’s are rarely singled out at team sporting events, and bragging about personal performance would be frowned upon.
Of course, many cultures fall somewhere in the middle in terms of being focused on “me” or “we” —and there are many other factors and cultural nuances that need to be taken into account. But just like any other cultural trait, it’s always useful to be aware of how individualism and collectivism can impact the way we perceive others and even ourselves.
For more information on view of self in specific countries around the world, check out our community built country guides. You can also share information and observations from your own culture crossing experiences by logging in and adding to the guide! |
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Category : View of Self| Posted By: admin | Comments [0]
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| Does That Mean What You Think It Means? |
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When Beverly Hills Cop opened in Brazil, there were huge posters outside theaters that showed Eddie Murphy flashing his trademark “okay” sign. Little did Eddie know, he was giving everybody the finger. Very few Brazilians went to see the movie until the PR people finally caught on and the poster was modified.
I always assumed that there were a few universal gestures that would mean the same thing no matter where I was in the world. You know, things like using your thumb to hitchhike or shaking your head to indicate “no”. As it turns out (and I learned the hard way), these signals can have VERY different meanings depending on where in the world you are.
The way you shake your head to say “no” in America actually means “yes” in Bulgaria. Holding your thumb out to hitchhike means “up yours” in Turkey; a dangerous mistake to make when you are standing on the road with traffic coming at you. Do you know what it means in Greece when you hand signal the number five? What about showing the soles of your shoes to someone in Oman? Or my favorite multi-meaning gesture: puckering your lips as if for a kiss. Construed as a flirtatious invitation in some countries, in places like Dominica, your pucker may ruin your chances for a second date.
So before you do something as habitual and seemingly innocuous as scratching your head, running your fingers under your chin, or using your hand to beckon someone, remember that you run the risk of miscommunication- without even uttering a word.
For more information on gestures around the world, check out our community built country guides. You can also share information and observations from your own culture crossing experiences by logging in and adding to the guide! |
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Category : General| Posted By: admin | Comments [0]
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| It's All In The Eyes |
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Growing up in the US, my father always told me to look people directly in the eyes when talking to them. He instructed me to maintain eye contact during introductions and any conversations that followed. Halfway around the world in Japan, my friend Masahiro’s dad was telling him to do the opposite; always look away when meeting people who were more senior. He learned that avoiding direct eye contact was a sign of respect.
When interacting with people from different cultures, knowing whether to look or look away can be critical. People from cultures who value indirect eye contact often view full eye contact as a sign that a person is aggressive, untrustworthy, and/or engaged in suspicious activities. Conversely, those from cultures where direct eye contact is the norm, averting your eyes can suggest dishonesty, unreliability, and being disrespectful.
So whether you are conducting business in South Korea where the tendency is towards indirect eye contact or checking into a hotel in Colombia where the bell hop will look you right in the eyes, knowing when to look and when to look away could save you a lot of needless stress.
For more information on spatial relations in specific countries, check out our community built country guides. You can also share information and observations from your own culture crossing experiences by logging in and adding to the guide! |
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Category : Eye Contact| Posted By: admin | Comments [0]
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