I must tell you about my abduction. No it wasn’t an alien from space; it was a local Indian kidnapping me, the alien, and taking me on an adventure. As Bilbo Baggins once said (paraphrase) a good adventure is something we all must have once in a while.
Near our hotel, which is classified as a three star hotel, there are a couple of kinds of people constantly roaming. They know that wealthy foreigners stay at these hotels and we become their prey. Two of those types are the beggars and the marketers. I now have experienced both.
The beggars are easy to detect. The rub their stomachs, show you their small child or show you a damaged body part and hold out their hand and wail. It is heart wrenching and tough to say no. But if you were to give at least a rupee to each beggar you saw each day, you could easily drop $100 USD.
The second group isn’t so easy to detect. The Indian people are extremely friendly and helpful. If they see a wandering foreigner roaming the streets looking lost (which I must seem to look like a lot!) they ask if they can help you. I happened to be looking for an extension cord so I could use my equipment at the site.
A very helpful Indian took me from shop to shop and translated for me to help me get what I wanted. He was really helpful. That should have been a clue, but I’m a little slow. He then used guilt, seems to work well on me, to get me to go for a ride with him and his driver in their scooter to what he called was “his shop”.
I had to be at a meeting for our group in 20 minutes and I told him so but he assured me it was close and it would only take a minute. I told him I would go but I couldn’t stay. If he showed me were it was I would come back at a more convenient time. He agreed, but what I soon found out was that he agreed to everything but understood very little.
When we got to the store I was impressed and amazed that he would own it. It was a high class Oriental rug store. He urged me to go inside but I protested that I must get back for my meeting. “Yes, yes” he said, go inside and look.” I went inside and explained to one of the salespeople that I needed a card and would come back when I had more time. I stepped outside and my “host” was very disappointed.
I tried to explain again that I needed to get back for a meeting. He pressed me for when I would come back to shop. I told him in within two days but that wasn’t good enough, he wanted a day and a time. I tried to give a vague time estimate and he continued to press me, he said he would look for me to take me back. He paid the scooter fare and I hurried back to the motel, with him following me.
I sort of forgot that episode until yesterday when I was walking back from the temple. He saw me and ran up to greet me. “Are you ready to go to my shop?” he asked. No I really wasn’t and I tried to make up an excuse. He once again pressed me as to the time and place we could meet. I said tomorrow and he asked what time. I said 1:00 p.m.
I went into my hotel and sort of joked to myself that I probably wouldn’t see him again. Well tomorrow came today and I went out to look for a bank so I could use the ATM. On my way back to the hotel he found me (I was an hour earlier than I told him).
I had time so I agreed to go, hoping that he would be appeased. I found out that he didn’t own the other store, because he took me to his “new” store, another carpet place but in the opposite direction. I went in and started looking around while he and the driver sat and waited.
The experience in the store was part of the adventure. It was a high class place. I was the first customer of the day and they treated me like royalty. I had no real burden to purchase a rug, but I thought I would at least look. Maybe I could get a good deal or something and use it as a wall hanging. I have no place in my house where I could trust to put an expensive carpet with two golden retrievers.
The sales pitch was fantastic. They sat me down and paraded rug after rug out and displayed them on the floor. The showed me how they were made and explained the difference between silk and cotton. I was shown the durability and utility of the carpets. It was amazing. I happened to glance at a price tag on the back of one of the silk carpets and it said 4,000. Now 4,000 rupees is less than $100.00 USD and even though I know little about oriental rugs, I figured that wasn’t too bad of a price. This particular carpet was 4’ x 6’.
I looked at a few more carpets and checked out their prices only to notice the USD after the price. I asked the salesman about it and he confirmed my fear, it was in U.S. dollars. My enthusiasm for purchasing a silk oriental rug diminished rapidly. Now with 16 carpets on the floor and an hour of demonstration, I had to figure out how to get out of there with my pocketbook and honor intact.
As he pressed me to choose, I tasked if I could take some pictures of my favorites and email them to my wife for her input. He said I could take pictures but he stilled tried to get me to make a choice. Finally after another 15 min. he relented and gave me a card and told me that he was the most honest dealer in town and I could look elsewhere but I would be back. Not likely. Even if he came down significantly, I have a hard time spending even half of the list price on a carpet.
When I emerged from my ordeal, my “kidnapper” was waiting. Excitedly he wanted to know if I bought anything. No I didn’t and his whole demeanor fell. It was evident to me that he was a freelance street sales rep who got a commission for every sale he brought into the store. All the way back to the hotel, he promised me he would work out a good price for me. Once again he pressed me as to when he should come back to get me and take me to the store again.
I don’t think guilt will get me back there. The cost is too high. The picture above is my kidnapper and his driver with their scooter. Everyone is very excited to get their picture taken. Even if it will be posted on a webblog with a warning!
Trish when you read this, I can email you pictures of the carpets but that’s as close to the real thing as you will get. J
Pastor Kevin
Near our hotel, which is classified as a three star hotel, there are a couple of kinds of people constantly roaming. They know that wealthy foreigners stay at these hotels and we become their prey. Two of those types are the beggars and the marketers. I now have experienced both.
The beggars are easy to detect. The rub their stomachs, show you their small child or show you a damaged body part and hold out their hand and wail. It is heart wrenching and tough to say no. But if you were to give at least a rupee to each beggar you saw each day, you could easily drop $100 USD.
The second group isn’t so easy to detect. The Indian people are extremely friendly and helpful. If they see a wandering foreigner roaming the streets looking lost (which I must seem to look like a lot!) they ask if they can help you. I happened to be looking for an extension cord so I could use my equipment at the site.
A very helpful Indian took me from shop to shop and translated for me to help me get what I wanted. He was really helpful. That should have been a clue, but I’m a little slow. He then used guilt, seems to work well on me, to get me to go for a ride with him and his driver in their scooter to what he called was “his shop”.
I had to be at a meeting for our group in 20 minutes and I told him so but he assured me it was close and it would only take a minute. I told him I would go but I couldn’t stay. If he showed me were it was I would come back at a more convenient time. He agreed, but what I soon found out was that he agreed to everything but understood very little.
When we got to the store I was impressed and amazed that he would own it. It was a high class Oriental rug store. He urged me to go inside but I protested that I must get back for my meeting. “Yes, yes” he said, go inside and look.” I went inside and explained to one of the salespeople that I needed a card and would come back when I had more time. I stepped outside and my “host” was very disappointed.
I tried to explain again that I needed to get back for a meeting. He pressed me for when I would come back to shop. I told him in within two days but that wasn’t good enough, he wanted a day and a time. I tried to give a vague time estimate and he continued to press me, he said he would look for me to take me back. He paid the scooter fare and I hurried back to the motel, with him following me.
I sort of forgot that episode until yesterday when I was walking back from the temple. He saw me and ran up to greet me. “Are you ready to go to my shop?” he asked. No I really wasn’t and I tried to make up an excuse. He once again pressed me as to the time and place we could meet. I said tomorrow and he asked what time. I said 1:00 p.m.
I went into my hotel and sort of joked to myself that I probably wouldn’t see him again. Well tomorrow came today and I went out to look for a bank so I could use the ATM. On my way back to the hotel he found me (I was an hour earlier than I told him).
I had time so I agreed to go, hoping that he would be appeased. I found out that he didn’t own the other store, because he took me to his “new” store, another carpet place but in the opposite direction. I went in and started looking around while he and the driver sat and waited.
The experience in the store was part of the adventure. It was a high class place. I was the first customer of the day and they treated me like royalty. I had no real burden to purchase a rug, but I thought I would at least look. Maybe I could get a good deal or something and use it as a wall hanging. I have no place in my house where I could trust to put an expensive carpet with two golden retrievers.
The sales pitch was fantastic. They sat me down and paraded rug after rug out and displayed them on the floor. The showed me how they were made and explained the difference between silk and cotton. I was shown the durability and utility of the carpets. It was amazing. I happened to glance at a price tag on the back of one of the silk carpets and it said 4,000. Now 4,000 rupees is less than $100.00 USD and even though I know little about oriental rugs, I figured that wasn’t too bad of a price. This particular carpet was 4’ x 6’.
I looked at a few more carpets and checked out their prices only to notice the USD after the price. I asked the salesman about it and he confirmed my fear, it was in U.S. dollars. My enthusiasm for purchasing a silk oriental rug diminished rapidly. Now with 16 carpets on the floor and an hour of demonstration, I had to figure out how to get out of there with my pocketbook and honor intact.
As he pressed me to choose, I tasked if I could take some pictures of my favorites and email them to my wife for her input. He said I could take pictures but he stilled tried to get me to make a choice. Finally after another 15 min. he relented and gave me a card and told me that he was the most honest dealer in town and I could look elsewhere but I would be back. Not likely. Even if he came down significantly, I have a hard time spending even half of the list price on a carpet.
When I emerged from my ordeal, my “kidnapper” was waiting. Excitedly he wanted to know if I bought anything. No I didn’t and his whole demeanor fell. It was evident to me that he was a freelance street sales rep who got a commission for every sale he brought into the store. All the way back to the hotel, he promised me he would work out a good price for me. Once again he pressed me as to when he should come back to get me and take me to the store again.
I don’t think guilt will get me back there. The cost is too high. The picture above is my kidnapper and his driver with their scooter. Everyone is very excited to get their picture taken. Even if it will be posted on a webblog with a warning!
Trish when you read this, I can email you pictures of the carpets but that’s as close to the real thing as you will get. J
Pastor Kevin
2 comments:
First, be careful! Second, there are lots of people are praying for you, so rest easy knowing that God will take care of everything. Love you lots.
"Ditto To Dixie"
Jesus has this all in his control.
And when its all done. the people of India that have met you through Jesus, Are going to be Blessed.
And you my friend are going to be blessed. In having the ability, And living the experiance of this India trip.
George
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