Bargaining

Well, work is gonna change in a couple of days.

One teacher left today (at Tsunashima), going back to Melbourne in about a week. Nice guy, so its gonna be a shame to see him go. Another teacher leaves tomorrow, bound for London and then back to Canada, which is home for her. So we're pretty short on teachers, and one teacher is on leave for the whole month of June, so its only gonna be four of us teaching in Tsunashima. Though today I met one teacher from Kikuna (nearby station) who is the ONLY teacher at his branch. I guess in some ways it can be good, and bad. But just goes to show the massive shortage of teachers that Nova has. Apparently some financial trouble last year has something to do with it, or so I'm told.

Anyway, today's story is about bargaining. My last class today I taught a lesson on bargaining/negotiating. Had two really cool students. Both of them I know quite well, and they're both highschool students, so its a lot easier to have fun in the class. Anyway, we were doing a modeled conversation (like we always do)...and basically what the students said went like this:

S1: How much do you want for this bracelet?
S2: I'll give it to you for $80.
S2: That's...too expensive. I'll give...uh no...I'll take it for $50.
S1: Oh, its worth more than that.
S2: Um...okaaay. What about..........$40?

And at this point, S1 and I looked at each other with puzzled faces, and then started laughing. S2 realised her mistake, and put her face to the wall, kinda embarrassed, but it was all in good fun. We finished the conversation after that, although she bargained very strangely, from $50 to $60, and finally to $74, compared to the seller's (S1) $75 offer. I don't think she really knows how to bargain that well. But she got the english down.

P.S. Shirleen, if you do read this...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
(I pray I got that right...)