Aggresive Negotiations

After church, we played ninja in the church yard. The Mexicans play ninja differently, as we soon found out. They play it in a sorta "lets just slap each other" way. Soon, the whole yard turned into a huge slapfight.Cool! 

 

 WOO! The very hands and feet of Jesus, forever immortalized in Mexican ninja. Yeah, baby! Spreading His word to the far reaches of the globe, gotcha.

This next part is probably the highlight of the entire village 1 Mexican trip. 

 Here is the story.

Daniel and Barbara are hanging out with everyone else in front of the church. Down the street comes two kids, a boy and his brother. The boy is holding a slingshot. Daniel decides he wants to buy the slingshot. He starts bargaining, translated by Barbara, in an epic exchange that will make him forever remembered by our team as the Expert Negotiator.

Daniel has a dollar and seventy five cents. He offers it for the slingshot. The boy accepts.

But the boy's brother, wants more. "5 dollars,"he says.

"I don't have 5 dollars!" says Daniel.

"3 dollars and your glasses." says the kid's brother.

Barbara translates: "He wants your glasses." Daniel freaks out.

"Hey!" says Barbara. "I'm just the translator! I'm not the one setting the price."

"No!" says Daniel.

"Your backpack and everything in your backpack."

"No way!"

"3 dollars and the clothes on your back."

Daniel refuses, naturally. By now, Translator Barbara is cracking up at each new demand.The kid seems to be having a good time with this:

"Your life and 3 dollars."

Daniel sets a price. "How about four dollars?"

"Fine,four dollars."

"Uh.." Daniel stalls. "I don't have four dollars."

"How much do you have?"

"A dollar seventy-five."

"Fine."

The kid takes the money, gives Daniel the slingshot, and leaves.

Come on, you guys. That deserves fame of epic proportions.* We had a good time explaining it to the others, who were very sorry they missed it. That inside joke should be handed down to generations. Generations. We caught the whole thing on videotape. :)

 *Even though we were breaking the rules, a little. You see, on mission trips you aren't encouraged to buy things from street sellers and vendors. You can be ripped off, or poisoned. Or you could have an lovely overseas buying experience like the above.