Price Tag

Last Thursday, I made a fruitful trip to SM Pampanga, where I had my laptop serviced, watched a movie, bought a bunch of stuff I needed for work and for pleasure, and drank an expensive grande cup of blended coffee. There was a lot of waiting in between, so as a result, there was a lot of thinking, observing and reflecting too. I thought I'd share them here.

********

"Why is every so serious? Acting so damn mysterious."

I’m the type who would enjoy going to the mall alone. It’s not that I’m a loner and that I wouldn’t enjoy having someone with me. It’s just that when I’m off to the mall for personal reasons (to buy something for myself, get a haircut, buy groceries, etc), I’d prefer to do it on my own.

Having someone around as I run some personal errands is a hassle for me. I wouldn’t want to keep someone endlessly waiting as do my thing because more often than not, I like to take my time and wisely weigh on my purchases. (Snarky after thought: “wisely weigh” pala huh, haha. I should mean I’d rather not let anyone see how impulsive I can get when buying stuff. Haha!)

Of course, if that someone wouldn’t mind waiting on me as I run my personal errands and would even consider the time as bonding, that would be another story. Yikee.

**********

"When the sale comes first and the truth comes second, just stop for a minute and smile."

CDR-King has the worst system ever. For a store chain that actually sells high tech stuff, why the hell it wouldn’t use bar code scanners or some other gadgetry to improve the efficiency of its cashier counters is beyond me. Wait, each store only has ONE cashier counter! What’s the point of having multiple sales attendants if the queue for payments is just one?! Haha! Haay, if not for its affordable prices and wide array of products, CDR-King won’t prosper to what it is now. I mean, one doesn’t exactly to CDR-King for its proven quality. That is why I usually visit the store when I’d have many things to buy already because I wouldn’t dare go through the hell of waiting and queuing for a single item.

If you have to wait for long, make the most out of it. If you only have to buy one important item, do consider buying other stuff, too. After all, CDR-King is slowly becoming a department store. It is now selling pillows and kitchen ware. And even “do-it-yourself” fans! Haha!

**********

"Everybody look to their left, everybody look to their right"

Haha! Para lang may ma-connect na lyrics!

I finally got to watch Transformers 3, while waiting for the Lenovo store to finish servicing my laptop. I’ve been itching to watch it since its first day of screening. I invited my two nephews to watch it but since it wasn’t gonna be my treat, they were less than optimistic about it, haha. And so I ended up watching it alone. Boy, do I love doing things alone, huh? Haha.

My sister asked me how I could enjoy watching movies alone. I told her it’s not like we can talk to each other while watching (that would be annoying to other moviegoers). But yeah, I see her point. It is indeed more enjoyable to well, enjoy a movie with friends. But unlike shopping alone (which I prefer most of the time), I’m more neutral when it comes to going to the movies solitarily. I love watching with friends, but watching alone isn’t so bad either.

I think I picked up this habit back in my early college days when I would want to watch a movie that my friends wouldn’t dare to watch. Plus, it’s cheaper that way. If you watch with friends, you are most likely to dine out after or before the movie. But if you watch alone, you can simply strut in the movie house and go straight home after. There’s no peer pressure to stay and linger (and end up spending more, haha).

But then, again, if there is somebody willing to be my movie buddy – on any crappy, shallow or guilty pleasure flick I want to watch, that would be great too. More than great even. Yikee.

**********

"Yeah, yeah, well, keep the the price tag and take the cash back. Just give me six strings and half a stack."

As an SM Advantage Card Member, SM Department Stores are my go-to stores for any stuff that I need is available in its sprawling floors. Yes, I’m a willing consumer slave to the Henry Sy business empire. And given that I had thick wad of gift checks and that it was a sale that day (exclusive to SM Advantage members booya), I bought some work clothes there.

What I love about department stores (of any mall) is the wide array of choices. You can go cheap or expensive as you indulge in your taste. Plus it’s quite comfortable. Except when the sales people start ganging up on you in a “tse-ng-buri-pang-anak-pang-kasal” kind of way. Hahaha!

I really hate it when they badger me as I look around. Sometimes, they can be quite of help, especially if you are not sure what you are looking for. But when they start being too pushy or they’re selling their merchandise too hard, I back away. Haha! I don’t like being pressured into buying something just because a stranger says so, especially when that stranger is being paid to say so. Well, I know that they are just doing their job (good for them!), but when I’m not interested on their product, I hate having to say no. I end up “nahihiya”. Silly, I know. Haha!

One thing is a mystery though. Ever wondered why the sales people on the inner wear section (under shirts, under wear, hankies, socks, etc) are more aggressive than the others? And my, the management does not scrimp on personnel on these sections! At any given time, there are just too many attendants than customers in these sections. Haha!

**********

"You got your shades on your eyes and your heels so high, that you can't even have a good time."

I’m generally patient when I’m in a queue for something, say cashier or being serviced in that store. Of course, I do get annoyed when the service is quite slow and inefficient but I normally just keep my snide comments to myself. But I become more irritated when other customers complain loudly and incessantly.

I do recognize that it is everyone’s right to express their opinion, and sometimes these complaints are not unfounded. I mean, after all, I am most probably experiencing the same crappy service. But there are those people who needlessly and rudely complain. For me, they just unnecessarily add more negative vibes in the atmosphere. Haha!

That is why I was so annoyed at this lady who was ahead in the line at the CDR-King payment counter. She kept complaining to the poor receipt lady that she has been waiting for an hour already and it’s taking more time for them to find a suitable plastic bag for the big pillow she bought. She repeated the phrase “Jusko isang oras akong naghihintay, napaka-pangit ng service ninyo” over and over again that I wanted to snap back at her, “Teh, sukat ba naman bibili ka ng unan, dito pa sa CDR-King. Ang luwang luwang sa Department Store o sa Blue Magic, bakit di ka doon bumili.” Haha!

It’s not that I’m too passive as a customer that I’d take poor service lying down. I do politely make comments when I feel like I deserve a better service. But I choose my battles. If excessive complaining won’t do me any good, then it’s not worth it antagonizing the store personnel. I mean, more often than not, the store’s inefficiency is often the fault of the store management or policy. Take for example the case of CDR-King. It’s not the fault of its sales attendants that the company chooses to stay in the medieval ages when printed and computerized receipts were not yet invented. So why take it out on them? Plus, as a consumer I was well aware that service in CDR-King is quite slow, so it was entirely my prerogative to put myself through that ordeal, haha.

But of course, when the attendant is particularly unhelpful or snarky or worse, even bitchy, then that is another story.

**********

"So we ain't gonna stumble and fall never, waiting to see a sign of defeat, uh uh

So we gonna keep everyone moving their feet, so bring back the beat and then everybody sing!

When it’s vacation time and I have no choice but to enjoy home-cooked meals for many times during the week, I have learned to accept that I stand to gain a few pounds. What I do try is minimize those “few pounds” so that I will have fewer pounds to shed when I’m off to Quezon City again.

My post-graduation vacation has been my longest in years. I tried to jog every now and then so as not to be completely sedentary but it wasn’t as regular as I have hoped because I actually wanted to lose weight during vacation for a change. So yes, admittedly, I’m fatter these days, haha. I know it's true when my shorts and pants that used to be loose are not that loose anymore, haha.

So imagine the humor when I shopped for undershirts. I kept asking for medium-sized samples, but a couple of sales attendants implied that I should be looking for the next bigger size.

First was when I asked if I could bring the medium shirt to the fitting room and check if it fits me well. The well-meaning attendant suggested that I bring the large one too, just so I won’t have to come back for it. Was he quite sure that the medium shirt won’t do and I’d eventually ask for the large one? Haha!

Second was when I was checking out polos. I tried one that I liked but it was too small for me (I honestly thought it would fit), so I asked if there a stock available for the medium size. There was none, and the attendant intimated that I should try the large one instead.

On both instances, I don't know if I was more amused than insulted, haha. But surely, this means I better start losing weight as soon as possible!

**********

"It's not about the money, money, money, we just wanna make the world dance, forget about the price tag..."

I spent an entire afternoon at the mall so I got to accomplish (read: buy) much. I didn’t spend that much money (those gift checks were a real boon! Haha!), but the whole time, I had to keep my budget in check.

I reckon I would have to do so more effectively from now on, especially since I will start earning my own keep. Naks, haha. I’m quite thankful that I got into a good company (believe me, I really didn’t expect to, but that is another story, haha) and so I am quite excited and hopeful to see how wisely (or unwisely) I will spend my money.

I think managing my salary would be more challenging and interesting than managing my allowance. But it’s not really because of the amount, because naturally, one is more generous than the other. How will it affect my spending habits since the money was worked for and not handed down? That I want to know! Haha!

********

"Why is everybody so obsessed? Money can't buy us happiness!"

In one of my job interviews, I was asked how much salary I was expecting. I wittingly answered that I should at least be paid more than what I used to get as an allowance from my parents when I was still a student, or else what’s the point of graduating. I’d rather stay as a student, haha! So the manager asked how much my allowance was and then told me we’ll talk rates once he’s done assessing further my application. He promised to call me in two days, but he never did. I was definitely qualified for the job so I believe it’s not because I wasn’t good enough. Now, looking back, I’m guessing he cannot afford me. Ako na! Haha!