Bargaining. I learned how to bargain in India. This week some of the girls from Hubli took us to the market. This has by far been one of the most interesting experiences for me. It was beautiful in the market. Everyone is selling flowers, jewelry and clothes on the street.I absolutely love shopping. There were so many options. I don’t usually like to spend so much money but this was a must.

Although we were warned not to drink or eat anything from street vendors, I could not resist. I had sugarcane juice. It is now my favorite drink and I have no Idea how I will go back to america where this juice isn’t available.

In the market though, I did learn how to bargain. I saw a stand with so many jewelry and I knew this was the place to buy souvenirs. I started picking things I liked and putting them in a basket. When the vendor realized I was a foreigner he was determined to make me spend. He kept pulling boxes and boxes full of jewelry out making me try them on and convincing me that yes, I did need 23 pairs of earrings. I would have bought everything at the stand of “Virus” and “Swati” two of the Indian girls who taught me the importance of bargaining. I was told not to be excited about purchasing anything and pretend to walk away if he charges too much. In the end, the girls were able to bring the price down by almost 50%. I was shocked and realized I just learned negotiations outside of the classroom.