(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Britanny aranha finds herself at a loss for words in a certain shopping district of dubai
Of bags and bargains
I live in what is known according to wikipedia as ‘a spiritual residential district of dubai.’ however with the constant chatter and construction that pervades (the area) whether you choose to leave the house or not my spirits are definitely in dire need of a holiday. to the rest of dubai and possibly the world (save for a popular internet encyclopedia that starts with w) this ‘spiritual’ district is generally known as the ‘land of the fake handbags’ where mulberry celine and hermes are common sights that are available in every colour of the rainbow and then some.
After years of casually peering into display windows and admiring the work of chinese mass-manufactured goods i finally decided to jump onto the bandwagon and buy a fake handbag. first things first: choose a shop. there were hundreds of them; some with flashing neon lights some with no handbags on display at all and some sharing names with already well-established british businesses. the one shared similarity of all these shops however was the fact that they all called out to me promising me the ‘best price.’
I gave in to the loudest voice and i entered a shop where i spotted a bright white chanel quilted flapper bag that could rival the real thing. i had to have it. and i thought i would get it at the best price; after all being indian equips you with the finest bargaining skills that can serve you anywhere in the world except as i discovered the karama market.
Me: that bag. how much?
Shopkeeper: 1000 dirhams.
Me: 1000 dirhams?!! your best price.
Shopkeeper: (types numbers into a calculator) best price… 1000 dirhams.
Me: that is too much! give it to me for 250 dirhams.
Shopkeeper: (laughs loudly)
Me: (standing around feeling stupid and cheap) ok fine i’ll go next door. that guy is giving it to me for much less.
Shopkeeper: (doesn’t fall for my bluff)
I leave empty handed (unlike the throngs of pasty tourists juggling dior with prada) with my spirits drained in a so-called ‘spiritual residential district of dubai.’
Britanny aranha is a 16-year-old student of jumeirah english speaking school arabian ranches.
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