Saturday, March 1, 2008

Faking It ...

I was having lunch this afternoon with wifey and the boys at our usual neighbourhood restaurant. Normally when I'm having my lunch with the family I don't like to be disturbed. But the thing with these so called neighbourhood restaurants, you often get these sales people coming in and trying to sell you stuff while you're in the midst of your meal. Imagine this scenario. You're sitting there, all nice and comfy, your food just arrived. You're ready to dig in and just as you're about to stuff that juicy succulent meatball in your mouth, suddenly this guy comes up and with no warning, practically stuffs your face with some product or other and goes:

'Excuse me sir, sorry to interrupt your lunch, but you want to buy this or not? Very nice branded watch. Very cheap one ...'

Now where did you get that cockamamie idea that you interrupted my lunch? How could I even have my lunch with all that products you just stuffed right into my face along with my meatball attached to it somewhere. Go right ahead and continue to make my lunch a fine and pleasant one with your sales pitch. After all I've got all day to sit here, while my food gets stone cold and wait to see what it is you actually want to sell to me. Don't mind me and my family who are just interested in having a nice peaceful lunch together!

I think a lot of you know what I mean. It's either some guy or even girl selling you all kinds of stuff or even fake 'branded' goods or some Shoalin Monk soliciting alms, or some organization asking for a donation to save the iguanas or something along those lines. While I've no issues with them doing this, after all everyone needs to earn a living, but I really hate it when they come up to you while you're in the midst of eating.

And these guys are so irritating or persistent if you want, that they won't take a simple 'No thank you, I'm not interested' for an answer. They'll keep on trying to sell you something else or to donate to some other save the chickens scheme that they have. And no matter how many 'No thank you, I'm not interested' lines I tell them, they'll still try to insist you buy something. It's only when I lose my temper and ask them which part if no they don't really understand will they start harassing the folks in the next table!

It happens a lot here and these restaurant owners really don't do anything about it. I wish they'd at least prevent these people from spoiling ones meals. Anyway, this happened to me today but this time I was almost done with my lunch and this guy came up to me selling replica rolex watches. Strangely enough, I was kinda intrigued this time so I decided to entertain him and see the range of so called Rolexes that he was selling.

The watches he was showing me and trying to get me to buy sure looked like the real deal to me and I was tempted to buy one ... hehehe ... Let's put it this way, I don't think I could afford a real Rolex watch in my lifetime. And if I did one to own a Rolex, replica's were the only way to go for me. And the details on this Rolex replica watches was so good that you really wouldn't be able to tell that it was fake. I'm not really a supporter of fake 'branded' goods cos I do believe in intellectual property rights and all that but sometimes I do wonder whether buying a replica makes more sense economically than actually getting the original.

'A believer of intellectual property, Nick? What about all those so called cheap games that you buy?'

That's different, ok? And let's not even talk about that. Besides, weren't you about to go jump off a cliff or something? Well honestly though, I have bought fake branded stuff before in my younger days. Hey, back then I was poor, ok! Not that I'm any richer now mind you. So fake, urmmm, let's not call them that, let's call them replica goods. So replica goods were the only option for me. I used to love this Tag Heuer watch and it cost like 3 arms, 5 legs and 3 toes and the best option was getting a replica and I did get one. And besides no one knew it was a replica. From a distance you couldn't tell. You just had to be careful to lot let people see if too closely, otherwise they'd notice that the Tag Heuer was spelt wrongly. LOL!

I don't buy fake stuff nowadays, urrmmm, well, maybe that fake pair of crocks was the last fake thing I bought but I've bought loads of them in my younger days from watches to wallets to belts to jeans and even bags. I don't know about all of you but I'm sure a lot of people would definitely have bought at least one fake item or product in their lifetime. Tell me about some of the fake stuff you've bought in your lifetime, not that I'm implying that you did, but if you did share-share la so I don't feel like a cheapskate all by myself here ... LOL! And do you think it's better to buy replica's than the real thing? As for me, I've decided to stick to original products these days. Nothing beats an original Arsenal T-Shirt than the original :D

32 comments:

  1. That reminds me of the time my husband and I went to Mexico. People were trying to sell us everything, everywhere! But we were tourists and everyone knows we can be notoriously dumb. LOL, but little did they know we had very little money. So I spent a lot of time saying "No thank you!"

    I've purchased "replica" Anime before. I wanted a few series and the market prices was waaay too high. What was going for $100 I purchased for $25! So what if the packaging was different?

    I don't feel bad in the least. I've purchased so much more at regular price, I think they made their money back. But it did feel good to get a "deal".

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  2. New York City is full of fake designer things and anything I've ever bought has fallen apart or not worked....nowadays I believe in "less is more" so I rather wait and buy quality.

    But I also wonder why we are so consumed with designer logos, etc. at times.

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  3. I don't even dare to wear replica branded watch.I am afraid the robber can beat the shit out of me just because of my fake watch.

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  4. Jillian - Everyone in the world thinks tourists are dumb :D

    I've gone through my fair share of replica's in my lifetime but most of them just don't last like the original though ...

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  5. AB - We've got a place like that here too selling any replica brand you could imagine and most of the things I've bought from there before has a life span of one month! LOL!

    I guess for some, designer logos and brands equate to status, etc, etc.

    I'm more of the reject shop kinda person ... LOL!

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  6. I'm still gobsmacked that restauranteurs allow spruikers to come onto their premises and disturb their customers while they are trying to EAT. How rude!!

    Also Nick, do you ever eat at home? LOL.....

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  7. hi, a simple tag for u..try it

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  8. Sweetiepie - LOL! That's what my grandma used to tell me back when I used to wear this replica branded watch. She would say that one day someone is going to chop my hand off and steal that 'branded' watch thinking it was the real thing! But my grandma has a point though ... LOL!

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  9. Gypsy - It happens all the time here, and even in some fancy establishments too. I just hate it when that happens, it can just ruin the whole dinner and the persistent ones are the worst!

    LOL! Once in a while we do, Gypsy, once in a while we do ...

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  10. Hazel - A simple tag is the kind I love ... LOL! I'll come check it out soon. Thanks.

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  11. Hi there! Here in Brazil is the same thing. There's always someone selling stuffs, fake stuffs I must add, everywhere! Many fake stuffs from China or Paraguay. I don't buy those stuffs either.

    Thanks for visiting my blog!

    Cheers!

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  12. Yah, there are still lots of touts and walk-about vendors in KL. Good thing our government really clamp down on illegal selling, so all we get these days are handicapped people selling tissue paper.

    I don't buy fake stuff simply because they don't last. I would rather buy a product with good workmanship but not branded.

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  13. Urgghh.. tell me about it!! I hate when that happens!! And the amazing thing is, some of them know how to make ME feel bad for ignoring their sales pitch or not wanting to donate to "save the iguanas"! LOL! Just NOT while we're eating la right!! Haiihhh...

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  14. Cidao - Hi there and welcome to my blog :D

    Yeah, most of the fake stuff we get over here comes from China. They do make quite a bit of those stuff don't they? LOL!

    Hope to see you around more ...

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  15. BT - The enforcement here is pretty horrible when it comes to things like these. They only practice lip service. For all the fuss they made about clamping down on illegal VCD's, I still get them coming up to me during my meals and trying to sell me the latest blockbuster movie ..

    I agree with you on the good workmanship part ...

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  16. Syura - I think they love to target people during meals cos you can't just get up and walk away, right?

    I never feel bad about their sales pitch though maybe I should have donated to that 'save the iguanas' fund la ... LOL!

    And yeah, not while we're eating. Let us cekik on our food in peace ... LOL!

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  17. That was a funny story! I hope you had a good weekend!

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  18. that reminds me of time when almost everyone here had fake rolex (or they would say it is imitation) and everyone actually acted like they believe it is not fake but real. Nowadays still many buy fake things saying they are real but people compete for being more cool and now they know to reveal one's secrets about fake things, clothes, accessoires.

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  19. Tammy - I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

    The weekend wasn't the best but it was okay.

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  20. Lena - I'm sure a lot of people still use these fake or imitation goods as you put it and the thing is you sometimes really can't tell an imitation from an original until it stops working ... LOL!

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  21. Hi Nick! I know what you mean. It is so annoying when sales people interrupt me while I am talking to someone in the street. I just try to avoid them. When try to give me useless leaflets I just don't get them. I just tell them: no, thanks and keep on walking.

    I have never been approached by people while eating though (here). I suppose it must be extremely annoying.

    It is even worse when they don't understand that no thanks means "no, leave me alone" :)

    Have a great week!

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  22. We have that too in KK. I'm always nice to them the moment they approach me by saying 'no thank you' and even smile. I even do that again if they insist on selling. I'm too nice right?

    But I never get to the extend they being rude to me. So i think, i'll stick to being nice until i come across one that will piss me off. ;)

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  23. Those sellers are quite annoying sometimes, I totally agree. I don't mind paying for original if I really want the stuff, can't put a price on quality. :)

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  24. WTF? I have never been approached when eating a meal to buy watches....

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  25. La delirante - That's another thing I Hate, when some sales person just stops you dead in your tracks on the street and tries to sell you something ... It can be very annoying!

    A great week to you too :D

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  26. Carol - I am nice to them and I do tell them very politely that I'm not interested but these people tend to take advantage of my 'softness' and become more annoying!

    I'm sure you'll come across a persistent one soon enough ... LOL!

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  27. Marzie - Annoying may be too mild a word to use. It borders on harassment la! LOL!

    Yup, nothing beats the quality of an original product :D

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  28. Meleah - What? Never before? Then you're one of the lucky ones ... LOL!

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  29. First time I heard about these people approaching you for stuffs in a restaurant, it sounds annoying. You're right, the restaurant owners should stop these people. It's not proper to interrupt someone's meal.

    Haha, i bought a gucci (replica) bag before and somebody could not resist asking me if it was original. Yikes, couldn't lie and said no.

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  30. Marlene - I would have lied through my teeth that it was the real thing ... LOL!

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  31. Yeah.. I hate it when the make us feel obligated to their cause and stuff. Look, I am generally a nice person and I will donate sincerely when I am NOT eating! Once, a friend of mine freaked out because that person said "tidak cukup"! LOL! My friend gave that person the longest lecture that I bet she will have had a traumatic experience ever since then..

    As for the replicas, my husband bought one from his friend, in a bid to help him out (konon), a Tag Hauer which was really really nice. He got loads of compliments from people. But eventually, he went back to his grandma's place and it became rat food. Seriously, the ate the straps! LOL! Even the rats liked it! :)

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  32. Shemah - Tidak cukup? Oh man, that takes the take, no one has ever said anything like that when I donate, if I ever do that is, was 'tidak cukup', I'd have given the person one of my 'Phillips Special' if that happened to me ... LOL!

    Urrmmm, just what in heaven's name was that strap made of? Cheese? LOL! There are some replica's that are pretty decent looking though ...

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