Out-Gunned

At the half-way point of my walk-about I found myself a riverside bench across the boulevard from the Majestic. With the river behind me and street theater before me, I smoked a cigar and practiced my best "Kong, Kam-oun" (No Thank You) on shoe shine guys and hawkers.

I was doing fine until I was over-matched and disarmed by the sweetest and toughest bargainer I have met in many a day. I ended up with a cliche in the form of a crappy copy of Greene's "The Quiet American" and she only came down 25% off the opening.

I haven't had that much fun in a long time. Tough, tough girl.