Shopping in Benin
I never thought it would be so much fun going shopping in Cotonou. Everything has its (normally long) process.
You fancy a new dress? Alright….you go to the market, fight against the thousands of people moving from here to there yelling ‘Ago, Ago’ (sort of ‘Watch out’), you finally find a place you like the tissue (my favorite the most expensive, the Dutch Wax Vlisco one) and then the bargaining process starts. Beninese people normally tell you around 5/7 times the price that you can get if you are good at bargaining. I am not going to say that that is the ‘real’ price, that depends on the context: most of the handcrafts you can buy in Benin cost a mini-fortune back in Westernworld. I love bargaining. Hugo says that I am a witch with no heart who tries to get ridiculous prices from poor Beninese sellers. That is simply not true, I get the price I believe I should be paying and sellers almost always end up giving me a small ‘cadeau’ (gift). So, 1- I am not exploiting anybody otherwise they would never give me a gift and 2- Sellers have as much fun talking to me as I have with them.
The new dress process only starts once you get the clothing. Choosing the motives you prefer is a sweet nightmare!! They are all so nice and there are thousands of different colors, motives! So African (that sound like the American ‘awesome’ I described once in this blog). Anyway, tissues are awesome indeed.
Eager to go back and do more social shopping.
The heartless witch.
You fancy a new dress? Alright….you go to the market, fight against the thousands of people moving from here to there yelling ‘Ago, Ago’ (sort of ‘Watch out’), you finally find a place you like the tissue (my favorite the most expensive, the Dutch Wax Vlisco one) and then the bargaining process starts. Beninese people normally tell you around 5/7 times the price that you can get if you are good at bargaining. I am not going to say that that is the ‘real’ price, that depends on the context: most of the handcrafts you can buy in Benin cost a mini-fortune back in Westernworld. I love bargaining. Hugo says that I am a witch with no heart who tries to get ridiculous prices from poor Beninese sellers. That is simply not true, I get the price I believe I should be paying and sellers almost always end up giving me a small ‘cadeau’ (gift). So, 1- I am not exploiting anybody otherwise they would never give me a gift and 2- Sellers have as much fun talking to me as I have with them.
The new dress process only starts once you get the clothing. Choosing the motives you prefer is a sweet nightmare!! They are all so nice and there are thousands of different colors, motives! So African (that sound like the American ‘awesome’ I described once in this blog). Anyway, tissues are awesome indeed.
Eager to go back and do more social shopping.
The heartless witch.
Comments