[triardwonvada]

Howver if a man buys some groceries from an old lady, he doesn't initiate a wai. In this social exchange, he is a customer and that places him above the seller even though she is older than him.
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the explanation about being higher in status than sellers helps. When we lived in the village my wife tended to wai the ladies at the fruit or vegetable stand. I always told her that it was not right but could never explain it to her.