Recently, the Life Section of the Straits Times (Singapore daily) proclaimed Bangkok to be on sale.
Truth be told, the only things that were on sale were things that you wouldn't want to buy. Yellowed white shoes, size 5 socks going at 4 pairs for 100 baht, twin pack Heads-and-Shoulders shampoo for 69 baht (probably rescued from the burning shops).
Well, there were few things of quality on sale in Thailand. And after conversion, the sale price is about Singapore prices, or more. So why burn additional aircraft fuel to bring back stuff?
Oh, yes. There is something wrong with the sizing in the clothes the Thais sell. Perhaps the missizing was intentional, so their products can be written off as flawed or seconds. Can you believe that an L/XL folk needs a XXL? Hard to fathom but go to Silom and you'll see that it's true.
And 100 baht CK underwear anyone? If you can stand it bleed for as many washes you subject it to, then go ahead. I've learnt my lesson. Nothing less than the real McCoy for me!
Verdict: Nothing great unless you like antiques and are anorexic.
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Friday, June 18, 2010
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Case Study: How to throw a bitch fit
You are to read the following case study very carefully before you attempt the questions that follow. Answer each question in continuous prose. Each answer should not exceed 250 words. You have 48 hours to complete this assignment.
You should type out your answers on A4 or Letter sized paper, 1 inch margins all round, 12 point Times New Roman font. You may submit your answers online in the comments column following this post.
You are reminded not to repeat your points in different answers. You are reminded of the need for clear and concise writing.
Scenario
I was shopping for a new rice cooker when a Chinese PRC woman started kicking up a big fuss at the store.
She accused the service staff of being rude to her; some snarky remark was involved, or so it seemed. Ms PRC shouted at the service staff for not answering her question on how good a pot she was interested in was and also pointed out that the side comment that was made about her type was not appropriate.
Ms PRC then started screaming. In addition, she took to banging and kicking the items at the store.
Questions
1. What did Ms PRC do wrong?
2. What should Ms PRC have done?
Reflections
1. If you were Ms PRC, how would you have reacted in this situation so you can extract maximum benefit from the stall?
2. Do you think it is ethical to extract maximum benefit from the stall? Why?
Role Play
1. Imagine you are a shopper in the store who thinks one of the two women is out of line. Write a retort to show how you could take the side one of the women and start hurling insults back at the "bitch".
2. If you are the manager of the store, explain how will you resolve this issue.
Higher Order Thinking Skills
1. In our social context where we are trying to attract foreign talent to contribute to our workforce and population, how do you think you will help these foreign talent integrate themselves into our society?
2. Do you think soft skills, such as child bearing, child rearing, fighting, quarrelling, screaming, shouting, accusing and insistently talking loudly everywhere, should be part of the criteria for admitting foreign talent? How would one test such skills?
You should type out your answers on A4 or Letter sized paper, 1 inch margins all round, 12 point Times New Roman font. You may submit your answers online in the comments column following this post.
You are reminded not to repeat your points in different answers. You are reminded of the need for clear and concise writing.
Scenario
I was shopping for a new rice cooker when a Chinese PRC woman started kicking up a big fuss at the store.
She accused the service staff of being rude to her; some snarky remark was involved, or so it seemed. Ms PRC shouted at the service staff for not answering her question on how good a pot she was interested in was and also pointed out that the side comment that was made about her type was not appropriate.
Ms PRC then started screaming. In addition, she took to banging and kicking the items at the store.
Questions
1. What did Ms PRC do wrong?
2. What should Ms PRC have done?
Reflections
1. If you were Ms PRC, how would you have reacted in this situation so you can extract maximum benefit from the stall?
2. Do you think it is ethical to extract maximum benefit from the stall? Why?
Role Play
1. Imagine you are a shopper in the store who thinks one of the two women is out of line. Write a retort to show how you could take the side one of the women and start hurling insults back at the "bitch".
2. If you are the manager of the store, explain how will you resolve this issue.
Higher Order Thinking Skills
1. In our social context where we are trying to attract foreign talent to contribute to our workforce and population, how do you think you will help these foreign talent integrate themselves into our society?
2. Do you think soft skills, such as child bearing, child rearing, fighting, quarrelling, screaming, shouting, accusing and insistently talking loudly everywhere, should be part of the criteria for admitting foreign talent? How would one test such skills?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Temptations
New York City seems recession-proof. Macy's NYC has hardly anything on sale, unlike the other Macy's in Chicago and in Washington DC. And the NYC staff are so high and mighty about us tourists. Elsewhere, I've got sales associates coming up to ask me if I needed help with my shopping, over in NYC, they simply pretend you do not exist. I guess this is the beauty of it all - big city, big crowds, no attention.
I picked up about 3 items in Macy's yesterday and as I walked, I junked one, put back another and left a Timberland shirt on the CK counter. I then made my way down to the household department for some shopping.
Martha Stewart has a grand collection in turquoise (whoever knows and can describe the colour better than me, please correct me; I'm only good at colours of chemical ions). The prices turn me turqoise. I also found the kitchen rasp that many a cook on Asian Food Channel (e.g. Anna Orson, Robert Rainford) use but the rasps are the wrong size and the wrong price. Should have picked up the rasps when I first went grocery shopping with my "brother" in New Jersey.
And if you think about the lack of discounts - DC Macy's extended their additional 25% discount to me in the men's department, allowing me to buy $28 shirts at 50% plus 50% plus additional 25% off. I only paid $5.25 for each shirt. Furthermore, if you visit the US and shop, here's some info: State tax for Chicago is 10.25%, Washington DC is 5.25% and New York is 8.375%. That means, after your spoils are tallied up, the tax is slapped on the total. Before you know it...
I was saying, I would have cleaned out Macy's DC if I had bought a larger luggage bag by then. Trust me, I would have filled it up with lots of shopping items. Alas, I didn't have a bag yet and lugging another full bag isn't something that my shoulders might be able to take, I suppose.
I digress but my main point was that I left Macy's NYC empty handed. It is a first in US shopping history that I left a clothing store without a single item!
Earlier in the day, I was at Century 21 - New York's best kept secret - at WTC. It was like going to shopping mecca for another pilgrimage. I was early; I arrived at 9.15 am and the temperature was showing a nice 77 F. This is the earliest I have set off for the entire trip, actually.
There was a very thin crowd in C21 initially and so I thought I'll find a luggage bag before I did my clothing shopping. When I got my bag about an hour later - man, choosing a luggage bag is such a bitch - I went up to men's and was rudely welcomed by a thronging crowd of men in varying levels of dressedness, women pushing men around to get their hands on men's clothes and children running around. OMG.
It was a mad mad world out there and I began picking up what I wanted. I tried to get a cashier to hold my luggage while I shopped but he refused, saying that he had no space. This was not what happened the last time I visited. Oh well. What the *beep*.
I started browsing and if one looks hard enough, like in Chicago, one can find pretty good items at incredible prices. I typically don't like shopping unless it is for grocery but if I don't put in the effort to shop here, then I absolutely can't find anything in Singapore that does not cost an arm and a-leg-and-a-half. So I patiently trudged through the store, combing it many times...
Hey! I found a USD11.99 Tommy Hilfiger chinois slacks in Navy. It costs nearly USD70 more if not on sale. How can one not grab it, even if there is no fitting room? I pulled the waist around my neck and there is some slack. I think it'll fit. USD11.99 won't be enough to pay for the cloth even!
I piled on more men's underwear and then made the fundamental mistake of a male shopper. I did not buy a few items I liked because I thought Macy's had them on sale. And Macy's didn't. At least not when I was there.
So, I sit here wondering if I should make another trip down to C21 to pick them up, since it's only 9 am now and my check out is not till 3 hours later. A trip to C21 will at most take an hour and a half, assuming I instil military discipline on myself. Oh, forget it. I should just sit here and chill. I don't even know if I would wear them pyjamas pants if I bought them.
Another item that was really exciting to have is the single shot expresso machine. It's going at US90 at Macy's but then a new problem cropped up. You see, the US has a 2 pieces of luggage rule. Each piece can weigh up to 50 lb (or 23 kg)and I have two pieces. The expresso machine does not weigh much but it certainly is bulky. It is not likely to make it into my bag, and I do not want to risk paying USD125 for excess baggage. People will suggest that I unpack the entire machine... yeah right. It's a one piece thingy that is spring loaded and all. The last thing I want is to bring back something damaged.
Shopping here is fun and there are temptations galore. Many Americans probably do not know how good their lives have been. Yet, there are times when regardless of the temptations, a rational shopper will never be tempted. And I for once managed to be that rational shopper.
I picked up about 3 items in Macy's yesterday and as I walked, I junked one, put back another and left a Timberland shirt on the CK counter. I then made my way down to the household department for some shopping.
Martha Stewart has a grand collection in turquoise (whoever knows and can describe the colour better than me, please correct me; I'm only good at colours of chemical ions). The prices turn me turqoise. I also found the kitchen rasp that many a cook on Asian Food Channel (e.g. Anna Orson, Robert Rainford) use but the rasps are the wrong size and the wrong price. Should have picked up the rasps when I first went grocery shopping with my "brother" in New Jersey.
And if you think about the lack of discounts - DC Macy's extended their additional 25% discount to me in the men's department, allowing me to buy $28 shirts at 50% plus 50% plus additional 25% off. I only paid $5.25 for each shirt. Furthermore, if you visit the US and shop, here's some info: State tax for Chicago is 10.25%, Washington DC is 5.25% and New York is 8.375%. That means, after your spoils are tallied up, the tax is slapped on the total. Before you know it...
I was saying, I would have cleaned out Macy's DC if I had bought a larger luggage bag by then. Trust me, I would have filled it up with lots of shopping items. Alas, I didn't have a bag yet and lugging another full bag isn't something that my shoulders might be able to take, I suppose.
I digress but my main point was that I left Macy's NYC empty handed. It is a first in US shopping history that I left a clothing store without a single item!
Earlier in the day, I was at Century 21 - New York's best kept secret - at WTC. It was like going to shopping mecca for another pilgrimage. I was early; I arrived at 9.15 am and the temperature was showing a nice 77 F. This is the earliest I have set off for the entire trip, actually.
There was a very thin crowd in C21 initially and so I thought I'll find a luggage bag before I did my clothing shopping. When I got my bag about an hour later - man, choosing a luggage bag is such a bitch - I went up to men's and was rudely welcomed by a thronging crowd of men in varying levels of dressedness, women pushing men around to get their hands on men's clothes and children running around. OMG.
It was a mad mad world out there and I began picking up what I wanted. I tried to get a cashier to hold my luggage while I shopped but he refused, saying that he had no space. This was not what happened the last time I visited. Oh well. What the *beep*.
I started browsing and if one looks hard enough, like in Chicago, one can find pretty good items at incredible prices. I typically don't like shopping unless it is for grocery but if I don't put in the effort to shop here, then I absolutely can't find anything in Singapore that does not cost an arm and a-leg-and-a-half. So I patiently trudged through the store, combing it many times...
Hey! I found a USD11.99 Tommy Hilfiger chinois slacks in Navy. It costs nearly USD70 more if not on sale. How can one not grab it, even if there is no fitting room? I pulled the waist around my neck and there is some slack. I think it'll fit. USD11.99 won't be enough to pay for the cloth even!
I piled on more men's underwear and then made the fundamental mistake of a male shopper. I did not buy a few items I liked because I thought Macy's had them on sale. And Macy's didn't. At least not when I was there.
So, I sit here wondering if I should make another trip down to C21 to pick them up, since it's only 9 am now and my check out is not till 3 hours later. A trip to C21 will at most take an hour and a half, assuming I instil military discipline on myself. Oh, forget it. I should just sit here and chill. I don't even know if I would wear them pyjamas pants if I bought them.
Another item that was really exciting to have is the single shot expresso machine. It's going at US90 at Macy's but then a new problem cropped up. You see, the US has a 2 pieces of luggage rule. Each piece can weigh up to 50 lb (or 23 kg)and I have two pieces. The expresso machine does not weigh much but it certainly is bulky. It is not likely to make it into my bag, and I do not want to risk paying USD125 for excess baggage. People will suggest that I unpack the entire machine... yeah right. It's a one piece thingy that is spring loaded and all. The last thing I want is to bring back something damaged.
Shopping here is fun and there are temptations galore. Many Americans probably do not know how good their lives have been. Yet, there are times when regardless of the temptations, a rational shopper will never be tempted. And I for once managed to be that rational shopper.
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