18 August 2012

I met a man in Timbuktu. He was selling recycled flip flops. He said to me as I was passing by his stall "Hey you, English"

I replied "Yes me, English"

Then he said "Do you want to buy some flip flops?".

I contemplated my response. How many is 'some' in terms of amounts of flip flops?.

I knew that these traders were highly proficient in their craft and I was wary of falling into a well rehearsed trap where I end up with three individual flip flops. Suffice to say this was no ruse and after entering pleasantries with this fellow I learned that he did indeed only intend to sell me one pair. One for the left foot and the other for the right foot. He was understanding in my apprehension and even retold a story of an Englishman who was conned into buying two bits of footwear intended for use on the left foot only. They were known as Flip-Flips in the industry and are not very usefull to people who have a left and right foot.

He also retold a story about a trader selling a pair of Wellington boots to a blind man form Minsk. The blind man was told he was buying a camel. When the blind man got back home to Minsk he was particularly upset when he found that the local Zoo refused to accept his Wellington boots as an exhibit.

blindsilenceMinsk Zoo And Inappropriate Footwear. • Opuss № I