Excitement Shopping In India- Saving Pays For Trip!
As a European, shopping for luxury materials in Asia, you can save hugely. And it’s fun, although a bit strange at first. Just read about my experience when shopping in Mumbai, India. But you can do the same anywhere in Asia actually.
Can anyone help admiring Indian Ladies in their lovely colourful Saris? While it’s not exactly suitable to wear such a garment in Europe, it occurred to me, Sari materials would make wonderful curtains and could be used for all kinds of decorations around the house.
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But whenever I tried to shop for such materials in continental Europe, the choice was very limited, and the material mostly synthetic, the shops are mostly grimy market-stalls, and going through these unappealing samples – I always used to leave the shop disappointed and a bit annoyed by the pushy sales-people.
So when the time came and I learned that I would be going to Mumbai again, my mind was made up: I’d be getting white and cream plus gold coloured Sari material there and convert them to curtains back home.
Once in Mumbai, Rajiv, the young eager office assistant of my business partners would accompany me to a textile wholesaler. So off we went in one of those incredibly dirty, black and yellow coloured little cabs – but we were lucky it was a “cool-cab” which is supposed to have air-conditioning. Along we rode, hampering and tuckering over those bumpy Mumbai streets towards the textile mills, in whose vicinity you’ll find any number of crappy little shops selling dress-material as well as ready-made apparal . Rajiv told the driver to stop at one of them, paid the driver and here came the first surprise.
While the shop-assistant welcomed us and ushered us inside, we were kindly asked to take off our shoes and leave them outside.
To be honest- this got me worried, as I was wearing a $380,- almost new pair of Italian designer shoes, and I feared they would be gone when we were ready to leave. After all, this is a country where most people don’t even earn that kind of money per month in a full time job. So when I hesitated, the manager (or owner?) himself came rushing towards us, assuring us that our shoes would be well guarded by two of his employees – who’d sit right next to them! So I complied with the request. The shop floor was completely covered with foam matresses covered in white cotton material (none too clean I would say) but never mind, and in the middle of the room 3 lovely Indian ladies sat, gathering, sorting and folding silk Saris, while chatting quietly with each other, but falling silent when we were asked to be seated.
A plastic stool was produced from nowhere and put right behind me, where I stood, somewhat off the little group of women. How thoughtful, I remarked- as I usually get cramps when I sit in the Lotus-position for more than 15 minutes. Looking around the room I saw, that the walls were covered with racks filled from top to bottom with folded cottons, silks – assorted to colours, and patterns, and these “packages” were about the size of a fullskape envelope filled up to 1inch in height.
Being the typical supermarket-shopper from Europe I sighed, imagining how I would have to go through all these packages to find what I wanted. Disheartened, I was almost ready to leave again, but now even Rajiv said, I should just sit down and relax. So I did. Immediately a boy came rushing along with 2 glasses of water on a tray. I politely refused, saying we’d just had a drink before we came. Well, if anything, my mother has taught me gracious manners!
The truth being – I never ever drink unbottled water when in India. So the manager/shopowner must have guessed this immediately, and chased the boy out again with some rapid sentences spoken in native language of course, who returned a little later promptly with an unopened bottle of mineral water, which I was allowed to open and pour myself, so that it was sure that it’s an originally sealed bottle – I suppose?
Now only, the questioning began: “what would Madam like? What colours does Madam prefer? Does Madam like silk or cotton or both? “ So, I replied: just cotton material in white or off white, with golden or yellow borders, maybe a delicate little pattern might also do. Immediately, the salesman, a slim and agile man with a pockmarked face and a big scar on his nose, but with kind and keen eyes and a pleasant voice, shouted some commands to the shop boys upstairs, who’d been sitting there waiting idly and silent, and they jumped up like little monkeys- climbing ladders searching for any number of “parcel-envelopes” with fabric. Meanwhile, the salesman reached for an off-white material with a delicate flowery pattern in brown and marron, some yellow with green and gold, some pink with gold With a swift movement of his of his arm he let the material flow out and as he held his arm high you could see the natural fall of the material and what it would look like when it finally is worn as a Sari. Just for fun I tried to copy this movement back home when I unpacked, but failed miserably – selling fabric is certainly a form of art in India.
If you want to know how this shopping experience ended and why I bought a wedding Sari material although I never married an Indian man (or intended to), and what I finally paid thanks to Rajiv’s negotiation skills, just read the rest of this story on my site: http://eerietravelsecrets.com, where you can also download my super researched Travel Safety Guide for Globetrotters, a $87,- value, for F.REE.
Continued from Part I – here’s Part II. So then the salesman said:”Maybe Madam would like to have a look on the silk Saris?” and without waiting for my consent produced some stacks of lovely bright and red and blue materials, again unfolding them with his quick, smooth movements. The red material with golden borders attracted my interest, so I picked it up, let it flow through my hands, and immediately the salesman undid the 6m long fold completely , swept it over my shoulder to display the lovely broadly embroidered edges and end of material, all this flowing gracefully with each movement.
All eyes in the room were fixed on me. You can’t help feeling like a queen when you’re the only one sitting on a high-stool and everyone else is squatting around you, and you have a material draped over your sholders fit for a Maharani!! I was the only customer and 7 or more people (not counting those that looked after our shoes outside) were actively eager to serve me, reading my face, watching my hands, my every movement, studying and forecasting my wishes and reactions.
Suddenly I remembered why I had actually come here, and asked for those plain white or cream colored materials with a bit of gold. Just then one of the small boys came climbing down the ladder-stairway from the top level of the shop, and producing exactly the right materials, in plain white cotton with little embroidered circles of gold throughout and a broad embroidered golden edge at one end of the material length. I proclaimed that this was exactly what I was looking for and wanted 6 of such Sari-material. Happy smiles all around. Now the salesman said in almost a wisper and with a voice so sexy, if you had never seen his face it would have given you goosepimps: “does Madam want any of the other material as well?”
Then I selected a turquise blue silk Sari material to make a shawl out of it – actually 3 shawls – for my friends who live in different cities – so that each one had an “exclusive” shawl….! As we were about to pay and leave, the salesman clapped his hands and a boy appeared with tea and cookies for us. Tea was served in 2 metal cups, and angrily the saleman spoke to the boy chasing him out again – and to us he said in his sexy voice: I apologize for this stupid boy – I just told him to come back with absolutely fresh hot tea served in much nicer cups! Please be patient just another minute, please- Madam, of course, metal cups are not good enough for Madam! So in this way this clever man played for time (I’m sure they play this little spiel every time) as there is one thing you can never do in India: refuse offered tea – unless you are very, very and downright rude!
So we had no choice but to wait, while the salesman invited me to go upstairs to have a look on some historic wedding Saris that I would not see anywhere else!! “Just for looking, Madam, just for looking!” I tried to get out of this proclaiming that I had no intention of getting married, but finally gave in and followed him upstairs. The heat was stifling. In passing the rack, in a matter of milliseconds, the salesman had pulled a dashing blue gorgette-Sari material with gold edge from the shelve and draped it around my shoulder, letting it flow to the floor. Being blond and blue-green eyed – this clever man had found the colour that looked absolutely smashing on me – no doubt, my fair complexion suddenly looked alive and rosy, and it took years off my face (you’ll know what I mean when you are above 20!). He asked if I had worn a Sari before and knew how it was done and I said no. Off he went in a loud voice to one of the boys- who dashed outside, apparently to a shop next door, and came back with a petticoat in a corresponding blue colour, and one of the ladies came to show me how the material was being tucked into the wasteline of the petticoat in even folds to come all around, and how the long end with the lovely broad gold embroidered border was thrown or draped rather over the shoulder. And yes, I would need a matchin blouse for this. Suddenly, it came to my mind that I could have this Sari made until the next evening and wear it for the Annual December Company Party of my hosts here in Mumbai as a surprise to them appear in a Sari. How cool would that be??
So the blue was added to the pruchase, but now he rushed towards me with the famous wedding Saris, very expensive, heavily emboidered – the clever Salesman said. They are all in dark red shades, as tradition commands this. When he mentioned a price, I thought it was a laugh actually, and this would make ideal coveres for my pillows on my bed, as the red matches exactly the uni-coloured spread and would spruice up the entire room. Now, I can assure you – what I paid for this length of material – 6m of wedding Sari – you pay for a very ordinary throw-pillow in a market like IKEA here. And with this material I could cover at least 5-7 throw-pillows and make a super- deko in my bedroom.
Let’s sum this up: I had 6×6m material in white for my curtains, I had an evening dress for the party the next evening in this dazzling deep sky-blue (and believe me, I was the most photographed woman that evening, as they were so thrilled to have a European guest appear in a Sari – they thought this was every so gracious and respecful towards their culture and ohs and ahs “how great you look”) and due to Rajiv’s negotiation skills, I paid no more than Euro 25 for the lot.
Now let’s compare (and please forgive me ladies – I can only compare for prices Germany/Austria/Italy – where I regularly shop – you do your own calculations of your market): for 36m2 of exclusive design curtain material (let’s simplify it to:”what nobody else has”) in “non-synthetic” quality – you’ll pay Euro 50/m2 by 36= 1850,- Euros. 1 evening gown = the blue Sari- even though I only wore it once – for any other gown here I’d pay close to Euro 500-1500,- but let’s take the lower figure=500,-; I’d get maybe a cheap “summer-Party” for Euro 350,- which we call here a “terrace-dress”. And exclusive throw- pillows with cover – you’ll pay here around Euro45/piece ; now you make your own calculation and tell me, you can’t save money travelling! It pays your trip!
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