I think we all know at this point that I erred on the side of ignorant about Swedish culture, until I married a Swede. One of the first things I learned when visiting Sweden (OK, it wasn’t the first – but it was close) was that Sweden’s liquor stores are governmentally owned. That’s right, folks. [...]
It’s official. We’re suckers.
Sapa’s handicraft-touting women batted their eyelashes, took our money and left us branded with these brightly colored reminders of all the unnecessary purchases we’ve made.
Well played Sapa ladies, well played.
A simple stroll around town turned into shopping mayhem when we couldn’t shake the girl in this video. Her sales approach was simple: if we didn’t buy anything from her she would just follow us all day – and it seemed she was serious. After 15 minutes of repeatedly asking us to buy something, we [...]
Gangs of giggling Flower and Black Hmong tribeswomen patrol the streets of Sapa, looking to sell silver trinkets, home-made textiles and musical instruments. If you fall victim to their charming sales blitz, they will not only give you your merchandise, you will also receive a ‘free gift’, a hand-woven bracelet that you can tie around [...]
We rocked the Sunday night market last night – all 20 minutes of it. A deluge came through town, causing all the stall keepers to run for cover. Before that, though, I bought the most beautiful bag. Rather than a purse, which I’ve bought two of already, it’s more the size of a carry-on suitcase.
It’s [...]
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