but again, only in such settings as a street market, and not between colleagues. High-context communication remains part of the picture, but it has a different purpose. The object is not to avoid giving offense but to arrive at a price with as little information exchange as possible. As a Westerner, I may regard “haggling” as a waste of time, because I believe the price should be dictated by the logic of the market. However, if there is no well-defined market price, a price below my maximum and above the seller’s minimum must somehow be arrived at. This is impossible if I reveal my maximum and the seller reveals her minimum, because I will insist buying at her minimum, and she will insist on selling at my maximum. Bargaining tends to be a ritualized activity that reveals just enough information about the seller and me to allow us identify a price in this range, or discover that there is no mutually agreeable price. Hand and facial gestures, tone of voice, and walking out of the shop can signal intentions that are not explicit in verbal comments. Westerners often ask how they should bargain in a traditional market, but it is impossible to say in general. The conventions are very specific to the culture and must be learned over an extended period, perhaps by going to market with one’s parents.