Happened yesterday, 02/11/2007…
Has been planning for this day since last week, with Widya and Syeka… Widya did not participate though, her husband did…
I picked up Syeka at approximately 8.30am. We went straight to Pelita Commercial Centre, planned to have breakfast and withdraw money. But once we have parked in front of Servay, we realized that people have started to queue up in front of TOYS WORLD… It’s only 8.50am!!!
There goes our plan to have breakfast… We left the line to buy some food and drinks at Hot Cross Bun. We went straight back to continue the queue. The store would only be opened at 10.30am and yet, there were more than 50 of us there.
Why were we so determined to queue? Because it’s the infamous Toys World Anniversary Sales Day… 1st hundred customers to pay will get 50% discount, on anything, one for each customer though. Extra items will be charged at 20% discount. I had one thing in mind and that particular one thing only… The next hundredth will get 40% discount, then 30%... from then onwards; all items will be charged at 20% discount till 9.00pm…
The thing…
Baby stroller, carrier and car seat, all in one…
The actual price…
More people started to join the crowd, but as usual, most Malaysians, I mean MOST Malaysians do not have good civic norms or minds or senses… They realized that people have been queuing since early in the morning, and know what they did? They jump queues… from two straight lines, we have then four, then six, and then, no lines at all on our left… people just stand wherever they wanted to stand, just to make sure they were in the front… they have forgotten that people who came early has the right to be in front… Crowd at the back were short in numbers if you compare with those not queuing… I know… those at the side planned to just ram the door and push whoever they can push, to get in first, and to be the one to get the 50% discounts. Low mentality indeed…
At 10.30am, the door started to open, and I guessed right. The norms of first come first serve vaporized with the fortitude to be the first – 100th to pay… I was pushed but I kept to my right and hold on the door tightly… protecting my belly. People just did not care, whether you are pregnant, or you’re with your babies, your children… I have one thing in my mind at that time, if the thing is fated to be mine at 50% price, then it will be mine, at that price. If it’s not fated, that it wont be mine [what’s meant to be is meant to be…] … however hard I try… so, the first thing now is to take care of myself and my baby… Syeka and I walked to the place where the carrier was located, and there it was, waiting for me to grab… I seized the stroller and walked straight to the counter. The 2 lines were full with people, but again, mentality of our people… maybe they were just trying to test their skills at racing in to get the discounts. Some bought postcards; some bought small toys that cost less than RM10. It’s just that, was it worth it to push one another in the race, put yourself and others in danger, but end up with small cheap items. (I realized too that cheap is an adjective which is relative in nature, something subjective, but please understand the needs here!!!) Not only teenagers, I could see that this strange mentality starts with parents… They should have realized that some people joined the race to get big things which could be considered as expensive (again subjective)… and would be worth their sweat and effort to get these things for a lower price.
There was one Nigerian lady, with big item in a box, original price at RM2000++… know what? Because it’s hard to push the big box forward while maintaining her position in the line, she ended up being overtaken by other people… another strange behavior of Malaysians… typical and happens every time, or happens only when occasion permits?
Luckily I got Syeka with me; we put the stroller in the middle, and continue our queue to the counter. I was the 2nd last in my line to get the 50% discount and the cashier was so glad and excited that I have got it. Was it worth it? Worth the money, but not worth the risk though…
I got not only the all in one carrier at RM600.00, but I gained another unforgettable experience that I am not determined to repeat, let this be a one in a lifetime experience… I also learned that Malaysians should be thought to learn to think of others apart from themselves.
That afternoon, we end up really exhausted… and last night, I slept like a baby… and my baby? She always prefers mom lying down… so???
Thanks Syeka… really thank you sooooo muuuuchhh…
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