in the retail world, the christmas season has begun.
i have always disliked this holiday. i find it pointless and annoying....but in the western retail world it is sadly unavoidable, so much that i think most people here tie the two together: christmas and shopping.
although i am of course aware of all of this i was still surprised in the staff meeting when we were told that the "christmas I changeover" was beginning. this means all the books have to be restickers, and the front of shop reajusted. it also indicated the arrival of loads of rubbish books that british people love to buy at this time of year, no doubt presents for all those people they feel obliged to give something to, but they dont know what. this is the on and only time of year when people start buying humour books in large numbers. (last years hit was "is it just me or is everything shit?" apparently the ideal present for that brother inlaw you have spent christmas with eery year for the past decade and yet still barely know) it addition loads of people have come in for signings, knowing that super expensive signed books will sell now, and no time else. so we have a display with signed eric clapton (50£), jamie oliver (60£) and the life of pi (50£) and other such titles.
the mass of frantic shoppers hasnt arrived yet, just the preview: endless hordes of little old ladies who come in to buy things early. they are inevitably chatty and hae provided us with a whole host of reasons why they are shopping now, 2.5 months before the big day. one told me she was afraid everything would be gone by december. another told my collegue she was afraid she might die before then, and wanted to get he grandkids gifts first (she appeared in perfect health, these ones always do). but i suspect in reality they are just bored, and shopping for christmas gives them something to do, and something to look forward to. that might be the one positive thing about this holiday...
10 commentaires:
Every now and then I stumble over this blog on my collection of sites. It might have to do with the fact that I did not receive an answer regarding that book or your eating away my sugar with worrying nonchalance. Anyway, would you prefer that everyone does what I or my family do, i.e. not buy any presents for Xmas because essentially, we're all too lazy and probably won't make it to the reunion anyway? You'd be out of work, your reason-d'etre gone, no more push-ups and bitching about those old ladies any longer. So be nice to them. After all, they pay for your studies. (The uni doesn't.) If you're super-nice they might pass on their inheritance to Naneh. Mention it casually.
PS: Some spelling mistakes there you might want to correct.
Speaking of, it should be "raison-d'etre", of course. Can't get that little roof on it though.
Is there anything you're not touched by? Anyone you don't admire? Any tree you wouldn't hug? Any politically correct issue you do not endorse?
Get pissed. Hit someone. Be mean.
yes, i am nice to old ladies, not even because i hope they will leave me their inheritance, but mainly because it is less stressful and exhausting to be nice to people than to be rude or mean. being blandly nice requires so much less thought and energy as being mean.
some of the old people i even genuinely like and find interesting....not the ones buying jeremy clarkson though.
but i do dislike the christmas marketing season. it always seems so fake, and i hate having to sit through staff meetings informing me how to cheat the customer in a way that is somehow technically legal. i am sick of that.
fenek, are you having a bad day?
you cheat customers? even on X-mas?
OMG!
:)
Bad day? No, not really. Just don't like cats with brown tongues.
Always at your service, mate. You seem to be learning quickly.
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