Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to the winner of Chinaful's first giveaway!

Janet Vasquez

You will receive a copy of "Hong Kong Markets: Step-by-Step Guide to Getting to the Markets and Back" from Hong Kong's Goods of Desire.

(A superior bargaining tool!  Sure to help you in your quest for the perfect robe.)

Thank you for being a devoted Chinaful reader!

And for everyone, a few bargaining tips of my own:

• Look around the markets before you engage in a bargaining session.  Once you start, the bargain can take a while, and you want to be sure it's worth your while.  Plus, you can get an understanding of what things are selling for, and whether a few stalls over has superior merchandise.  
• Be friendly - you may be bargaining hard, but try to do it with a light heart.  Getting a deal at a market is meant to be fun, after all.  And a smile can be better than the best argument.  
• Try to use at least a little of the local language.  A simple "Ni Hao" (Hello) or "Tai Gui Le!" (Too Expensive!) is perceived as making an effort to participate in the culture, and can give you an edge. 
• After a bit, walk away - a salesman will always drop their price when they think they are about to lose a customer.  

Comments

[Janet Vasquez]

All these points are helpful. But I love the "light heart" and smile the best. Your love of the culture has made me see that they are so worthy of our kindness.

[Janet]

Good post. But if you are going to try to speak the local lingo in Honkers, you should use Cantonese not Putonghua. For example, "hello" would be "léih hóu" (你好) or "gahnpàaih dím a" (近排點呀) (literally a familiar how are you) here. "Too expensive" sounds a bit more similar to the Putonghua, "taai gwai la" (太貴啦) but still not the same. Many HK locals speak Putonghua about as well as they speak English (and indeed they have probably had more formal schooling in English) and attempts to communicate in a language foreign to both of you won't work well (nor will they appreciate that you haven't bothered to learn that they speak Cantonese).

[Courtney Gould Miller]

Great point, Janet! It's definitely worth picking up a few basic Cantonese phrases, even for Hong Kong. I find an "mh gōi" (excuse me/thanks) here and there help a lot!