Shopping

Similar to many Asian countries, in Bangladesh most of the shops do not have fixed prices.  The shopkeeper gives you an inflated price, you counter with something half that amount or less, and you haggle until you reach agreement or walk away.  I always thought we were still paying too much even so.  This is, of course, a relative concept.  If you are satisfied with the price (which is usually much less than you'd pay in the States), does it really matter if local people can get the item for less?  We went shopping a few days ago.  One of the teachers was able to buy two shower curtains (and hooks) for the equivalent of $8.00, which we all thought was a good price.  He got home and realized he needed two more, so he sent his housekeeper out for them.  The housekeeper paid $2.00 for two more of the same ones.  Moral of the story - let your housekeepers do all of your shopping.  The housekeepers apparently add 10-15% to the price of everything as their take, but we now know that everyone still comes out ahead.  Everything is done in cash, and the housekeepers write down all of the expenses in a ledger book.  There are few receipts, so we keep the housekeepers honest by occasionally giving the ledger books to someone who has lived here a long time and having them check some of the prices.  I think most housekeepers and drivers are also honest because it is so difficult to find work, and working for expats is a great job.  If they are caught stealing or padding the ledger book too much, they're fired and blackballed by the entire expat community.