Because I happened to choose to walk in to the less-visited temple where he, like hundreds of other artists around Bagan, sells knock-offs of 1000 year old paintings and derivative “originals”.  I knew as soon as I heard him say “hello” that this would be a repeating experience throughout my stay in Bagan.  Still, I liked him and his brother, and I bought a painting from them.  He took the money and happily used it to slap the piles of paintings he had been showing me, spreading his good luck around.