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Mini: The basic difference of shopping in Sri Lanka is that you can bargain, like most of the places you can bargain, so if you and talk to the seller like very friendly and saying that you don't have that much money, you only have this much money, and then he will of course reduce the price for you.
Todd: That's pretty cool. So, does this only apply to shopping for food or shopping for clothing or is it for everything?
Mini: I think it's for everything, even for jewelry, furniture, everything you can bargain.
Todd: OK, now are things, most things in Sri Lanka much cheaper than they are in Japan or the United States?
Mini: Of course, it's very much cheaper.When I come here and see and it's like half the price.
Todd: Wow, half the price.
Mini: Yeah, most of it. For example, if it's like a 100 yen here, the thing in Sri Lanka will be like maybe ten yen, twenty yen, so it's like very cheap.
Todd: Wow. That is a big difference. Only twenty percent of the original cost.
Mini: But on the other hand, the salary that we receive is quite lower than the salary that you receive in Japan, so maybe in terms of Sri Lankan people it's expensive but for me, when I see from this perspective it's very cheap.
Todd: Right, so if you buy a shirt, like a nice cotton shirt in Sri Lanka, how much would that cost?
Mini: Around a 100 rupees in terms of yen, and it will be around 150 yen, 200 yen.
Todd: That is cheap.
Mini: It's very cheap.
Todd: OK, and how about if you want to buy a nice suit, you want to buy slacks and a jacket and a tie and a dress shirt, how much would that cost?
Mini: If you want to order it order-made, it will be around 5,000 yen, around 4,000 rupees, but if it's just like the suit in the shop, it's more cheaper than that.
Todd: Even cheaper.
Mini: Yeah, around 4,000 yen.
Todd: So, 4,000 yen. Now, 4,000 yen is how much in rupees?
Mini: 3,500, 3,200 rupees around.
Todd: Yeah, I think in dollars that would be about 35 dollars.
Mini: That's very cheap.
Todd: That's really cheap.
The basic difference is that you can bargain.
The phrase 'the basic difference' describes the main reason why two things are not the same. Notice the following:
- The basic difference is the features.
- What's the basic difference?
From this perspective it's cheap.
Our 'perspective' is how we see a certain situation. It's often used to express an opinion. Notice the following:
- It looks good from this perspective.
- From this perspective, I don't see how it can work.
100 rupees.
The rupee is the currency of India, Pakistan, and several smaller countries. Notice the following:
- It cost about 2000 rupees.
- How much is that in rupees?
Order-made, it's 5,000 yen.
Actually, in common usage we say 'made -to-order'. Something that is made-to-order is specially made for one customer. Notice the following:
- My order-made suit was finished in 24 hours.
- Made-to-order stuff's way too expensive in my country.
It's just like the suit in the shop.
The term 'just like' is similar in meaning to 'the same as'. Notice the following:
- It's just like my other one.
- Your car is just like mine.
