“I’ll do four hundred,” Matt offers, holding up four fingers. Four hundred NT (New Taiwan Dollars) is about $13 USD.
The man behind the counter at the New Balance store shakes his head and taps the calculator reading ‘480’. It’s Matt’s second day in the country, but it’s already obvious that Taiwan isn’t big on haggling.
Matt whines a bit, feigning indecision on the purchase, but the salesman knows he’s won. Matt’s fabric sandals, the pair he’d bought in Chiang Mai, Thailand, already started disintegrating a few weeks ago. He needs a new set. And the ones in this store are not only plastic and more durable, but bright red with a lime green streak down the sole. He specifically chose these, the gaudiest pair available in his size, so he’ll have no trouble finding them in the foyers of hostels where local customs dictated everyone leaves their shoes before coming inside.
“Ah, alright.” And the American fishes in his pockets for his wallet.