20.07.2007 Ramblings

Of late, I have been inundated by callers trying to sweet talk me either into signing up for some ‘exclusive’ club or enjoying so-called incredible discounts at selected stores, restaurants and hotels. I have this weakness sometimes for giving people the benefit of doubt so I decided, OK, I’ll spare some time listening to them. [I figured if it was me doing the unappreciated marketing job, I’d want people to at least listen to what I have to say/market/promote.] Turned out this is a big mistake as I had to endure listening to them drone on and on about the benefits of being a member, the promised privileges I would enjoy (all oh so very vague), how exclusive the offer was and how special I was to be selected so on and so forth bla bla bla. Mind you, they can be very persistent and insistent.

And finally, after they had warmed up enough, they’d talk about the inevitable cost – yes, for nothing comes free as we all know. There just have to be a catch somewhere because it all sounds too good to be true and costless. To think it all comes without costing a single sen is no doubt being very naïve.

There was one where I was offered a ‘special’ membership in a sister company of a club I’m a member of and once I join this new club, I’m guaranteed VIP service. I pointed out what’s the whole bloody point of joining in the first club if it could not serve me – not in those exact words of course – and how I disagree with the idea of having to join another club just so that I can be assured of service and in the process, having to incur more dosh. I don’t believe in having to pay extra just to enjoy some service which I may hardly utilise anyway. And besides, to me, joining this new club to be assured of prompt service sounds a tad like having to hint who you’re connected to/know or where you work at just so that you get preferential treatment. [On another note, a mate had to mention where he worked to speed up his car loan process and once he did so, his loan approval got approved faster than you could blink. But really, even he wondered why he had to mention that fact – surely that shouldn’t be a necessary prerequisite for service?]

Then there was one where I was promised instant, incredible, too-good-to-be-true discounts at select establishments, including free hotel stays. Sounds too good to be true? It is... because all those discounts don’t come free. I’d have to fork out a few hundred of Ringgit just to enjoy them. I’m sure you agree with me that that doesn’t sound right somehow.

Then there was that pleasant-sounding lady who called and persuaded me to sign up as a privileged member of an international hotel. I’d enjoy discounted stays, discounted meals, a free cake and some other so-called freebies. And yes, it also costs a few hundred Ringgit.

Thanks, but no thanks.

Do they think I am so filthy rich to throw away my money for all these ‘privileged/preferential’ services? Heck, I don’t even own a vehicle (not even a bike - if I can even remember how to cycle one in the first place). And how in the world did they ever manage to get hold of my name and my mobile number?

Stop calling me already. I can save so much money by not taking up all these offers – because taking up their offers would not only entail the cost of membership but I’d also have to spend even more to ensure that my investment outlay is well spent. Besides, I’m a skint, I am. And by that, I don’t mean banks can call me to offer their so-called competitive loans at competitive interest rates. I’m not interested, OK?

Really, sometimes I wonder if I have an invisible tattoo on my forehead telling people that I am rich – I’ve been twice pick-pocketed and also had my bag snatched so maybe I give off this aura that says ‘I’m rich, rob me!’ – so go on, persuade me to part with my money with all these offers! I was once stopped by a young man who told me a sob story of having spent the night before in a lockup and whether I could spare him some cash for him to take the train back home [I gave him the money out of sympathy]. And there was the time when I was stopped by a well-dressed man asking me if I could loan him RM10. To that, I said no but he was persistent and even asked for my mobile number so that he could call and repay me back. Do I look like I was born yesterday? [And no, I didn’t give him the RM10].

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I’ve just finished reading a book on the difference between men and women. Like I told a colleague, I wished I had read this before for now I understand better why the male species behave the way they do (and why men are jerks and jerks are men) and that there’s nothing wrong with my behaving differently and having different interests when I’m just being a girl. Because men and women are different and will always be different despite being raised and educated in identical ways. Guess it’s something we always know on our sub-conscious level but never stopped consciously to understand.