to sell or not to sell

I had somebody refuse to sell me something? Can you imagine??

I went on Thursday and bought paper with my friend from this little seller in the undergroud walkway to print my recital posters, and she kindly sold us ten pieces and we were on our way. The next day I had to reprint the posters cause there were some mistakes so I went back to the same lady (cause she was the only who sold the size paper I needed) and I asked her for some blue and purple, and she told, "no I won't sell it to you." I asked why, and she said that I would have to buy a lot, and so I asked how much I'd have to buy, and she said a lot, and then she said no I won't sell you any. And so I asked why would you sell me paper yesterday and not today, and she just said no I'm not selling today. So I finally walked off and thought, not wonder why you are poor and work in the underground...you could have made money off of me if you were willing to sell something to me....

Then I went to the design shop where I had the posters printed, and I was really afraid cause I was thinking if the woman in the underground wouldn't sell me paper, what might the design people going to say (plus with all the stress of my recital my Russian has gone out the window and I was all alone trying to do this) So I walked in and said I have to redo my posters because there are some mistakes. And they were so nice, the lady said of course and that the guy who did them would help me as soon as he got back, and three minutes later he came a listened patiently and said sure we'll redo them right away and didn't make me pay for the redesign, just for the printing, and so then I thought interesting...he doesn't work in the underground....I wonder why!?

That is the dicotomy of Central Asia, people who won't sell you something just cause they don't want to get up off their chair to pull the paper down, to people who really want to be professional and helpful. The problem is you just never know which day it will be and what kind of person you are going to face...just makes life more interesting here!!