Bargaining

Just as the painting is an enriched product of a living relationship between the painter and the object, so enriched becomes the product purchased through the interaction between buyer and shopkeeper in Pakistan. When I first visited the country years ago, I was irritated by the custom of bargaining for the price of ordinary objects in the markets. I wanted/craved the more familiar, quicker, sterile process of paying a set purchase price. But this time around, I noticed just how much buyer and seller got to learn about each other through these interactions. I observed that the depth of the exchange is often deeper than many people will attempt to communicate in familiar business or personal relationships in my country. Both parties walk away from the 10-15 minute bargaining with a deeper understanding of their buyers/sellers, of the quality of their products, the state of the local economy, and of the buyer/seller wants and needs. It is not as unsophisticated as I first imagined, in fact, quite the opposite. It’s real. It’s not the point and click photo-taking, it’s a dance between two souls, and it is a wonder to behold.