As I mentioned yesterday, I went circuit training with Phyco today…….and not even in a circle, just up and down a hill with exercises…….for an hour……..I nearly died……well, probably not died, but I certainly did well at one point, not to throw up in the very nice Madinat Zayed Garden. I guess the real test will come next week when we do it again (I can’t be to horrid about her now because I gave here the blog address tonight and she might take it out on me in a very painful way !)
Right, where was I – Haggling………
Last week we took the kids to a Souk, well, 3 Souks in all actually – the Old Souk, the Gold Souk and the Spice Souk. Souk is the old Arabic description/ word for a place to try and sell you dodgy watches (the Gold Souk) and fake pashminas (the Old Souk). The Spice Souk was a little different as they seemed genuinely pleased to see you and wanted to talk and show you what they had without actually trying to sell you anything. They are much more of a genuine trade market rather than a tourist trap and therefore didn’t feel the need to hassle you none stop.
Being hassled none stop is fun for a bit but eventually it wears a bit thin, and after about 3 or 4 hours, very thin ! Anyway, this is us in the Old Souk where the kids were first introduced to haggling…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n3LL338aGA
Lewis was dragged into a shop (in a very nice way) to try on an traditional Arab headdress, all fairly simple so far…….. Lewis likes traditional Arab Headdress, “how much ?”
“AED 70”,
“I’m not paying 70 for that you’re having a laugh”
“Dad, I like it, I’ve got money”
“quiet son, watch and learn”
“I’ll give you 30 for it”
“No, no, no sir, it is fine cashmere, it is worth 65 at least”
“Dad, I’ve got 65, just give him 65” (pleading)
“blah blah blah, 60 my final offer, not cheap Chinese, made in Lebanon
“Please Dad, it’s worth 60, just give him the money”
“OK, I’ll give you 35”
“Daaaaaaddddddd”
“I take (tap tap tap tap on a calculator) 55, my very final offer”
“Get it Dad, quick, before he changes his mind”
“Nope, 40 is my final offer”
“Daaaaaaddddddd”
“I can’t take 40 – no profit for me”
“put it back son, we’re leaving”
“Daaaaaadddddd (tears welling up)”
(whispers) “put it down son and just walk out of the shop, lets see what happens”
(wails) “Daaaaaaaadddddddd – 55 is a good price, I’ve got the money, just pay him……”
“come on, lets go”
“Daaaaaaaadddddddd”
I swear on my life that I hadn’t got one determined foot out of the shop before I hear behind me “OK, 40…..”
Ha, thinks I, done it – “here you are son, here’s a AED 50 note, pay the man and lets go”
What happens next will go down in the annuls of Gilby history.
Lewis goes back into the shop gives him the AED 50 and asks him if he’ll give him lessons on how to put it on for AED 5……..I had to fight to get the other 5 change back and I could have strangled Lewis !
On the upside, we did then spend the rest of the day going over and over the Life of Brian sketches ! Kids, you can’t make it up some times.
Later the same afternoon we had the other one in tears because we wouldn’t just buy some souvenir camels without haggling (I let Tracey do that one but she’s not as ruthless as me – funny thing is though, I can do this but I can’t take a pair of trousers back to M&S because they don’t fit me……..Still, as I said to someone earlier, it’s my job to slay the hairy mammoth not pick berries !)
Moving on, we went across the creek on an Abra (no idea why I haven’t got a picture of one, may be Tracey has), I do have a picture of the creek though….
I’m sure there is some traditional way of keeping these things afloat but I wouldn’t think it would work in Chichester ……..
Unless rusty nails and polyfiller have suddenly come into fashion………
Right, enough is enough – here’s the inventory:
Money – 38 for my holiday laundry, 3 for my falafel and another 6 for the two people who haven’t bloody paid me for theirs yet (the knives are out !)
Gym – well, death camp training (or something) for an hour and a bit – this better all be worth it cause if it doesn’t make me more attractive and I don’t live longer then I’m coming back to get some of these so called bloody health experts !
Food – same sort of everything, all day, except I had ICE CREAM for pudding…….I reasoned that I deserved it !
Now I’m going to bed because I’m knackered !
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