In Singapore, sudden showers are no surprise. Carrying an umbrella with you everywhere is not just recommended, it’s essential.
So last week, when my old umbrella finally breathed its last in a violent rainstorm, I went to buy a new one at this tiny shop that sold only umbrellas.
As I browsed, the shopkeeper approached me.
And here's how our conversation went:
Shopkeeper – Can I hepchew (help you), miss? What you looking for?
Me – Uhh… an umbrella?
Shopkeeper – Oh okay! What kind you want? I got every kind.
Me – Err… no, I don’t think you have it. I’m looking for something very specific.
Shopkeeper – Tell me. I got every kind. Brue, gring, red, puppaw, every kharaw! Very nice!
Me – Ummm… ok. The umbrella should not be more than 20 centimetres long. When folded, it should take on a cuboidal shape, not a cylindrical one. I want anti-UV reflective coating and I want it on the outside. I don't want silly girly patterns on the umbrella because my guy friends would rather die of pneumonia than endure the embarrassment of being seen under a girly umbrella.
Shopkeeper (looks at me with open jaw) - Huh??
*Long pause*
He ponders for a while, and then hands me a long red umbrella with Hello Kitty patterns on it. And it does not have any reflective coating. And when folded, it’s cylindrical.
Shopkeeper – This one how? Can or not?
I glare at him.
Shopkeeper - This one got very nice kharaw what! Suit your skin kharaw! See?
He placed the umbrella next to my arm. The cheek of him.
Me – Suit my skin colour????
Shopkeeper – Yeah, to buy umbrella, look at kharaw onni wat.
My thought bubble - Look at colour only?? Dude, it's an umbrella I'm buying, not a car!
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Picky? Me??
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31 comments:
Yeay! me first..OK! so now let me go read the post:))
Now..I guess he thought you buying a saree or what..:-) Funny accent that guy must be having:O
Rays of Sun! Booooooooooooo
# PH
Who you?? Dumb you:O
// my guy friends would rather die of pneumonia than endure the embarrassment of being seen under a girly umbrella
you bet!
Btw, I just realised that in the 7 years that I have spent in Singapore, I have never EVER owned an umbrella. And still (touch wood) I haven't been stuck in a rainstorm :)
// Dude, it's an umbrella I'm buying, not a car!
You saying buy car onni look at kharaw!? No way! Spen so much money for just that? :P
fo wa you traba the maan so ma ?
you vavy choovy garl !
btw did you find your manpasand umbrella ???
it hasn't stopped raining here. m seeenging in the rain..*tap dance*..
i like the shopkeeper. "suit your skin kharaw"...hez so shallow. i've found my soulmate. do you ve his number?
fao et al, there are people shallower than the shopkeeper who want your number, y'know!
*sings*...It's rainin' men ...hallelujah!! its rainin' men...o...o.."
Laughss.....
That's soo funny Sayesha :-)
hahaa...
I could just picture this guy with this exact accent!! :-)
The long pause after you explained your "requirements" was classic!! :-))
"Look at colour only?? Dude, it's an umbrella I'm buying, not a car!"
No offence meant, but thats the sort of thing only a girl could say.
//Look at colour only?? Dude, it's an umbrella I'm buying, not a car!
errr.. since when do ppl look at the color only to buy a car?!
otw funny post.. u gt that singlish stuff pretty damn rite ;)
#ROS,
Going the Virdi way, are ya? ;)
#Viv,
//You saying buy car onni look at kharaw!? No way! Spen so much money for just that? :P
You know me and my take on cars! ;)
#Vikram,
Rain jacket?? Hahahaha! Dude, I am 25, not 6! :P
#Ze exaggeratorr,
I trabaa the man?? He trabaa me lah!
ps: Nope, he did not have my manpasand umbrella. Had to compromise. Settled for a 20-incher cuboidal dark blue one with some rabbit-head pattern (not very prominent though, thank heavens!) with reflective layer on the inside.
#Harshi,
Yeah, I don't think I can forget the expression on his face! :P
#NMK,
Argh, I said it in my head!! Was meant to be an insider joke with myself, considering how picky I am about really small stuff and how don't-carish I am about big ones.
Gosh, some guys I tell you... first, they will disappear from my blog for months and will only come back to girl-bash! :)
#Anon gal,
Missed your comment. Please refer to my reply to NMK for the explanation.
And thanks! 7 years in Singapore does that to you. :P
Somehow I never could get to carrying an umbrella. I disliked carrying it all the time just for the sake of a few minutes of protection. So I experimented without an umbrella in the monsoon & have found that it is not such an essential requirement.
I'm surprised that you still have the umbrella that has actually breathed its last. I lost all my past umbrellas when they were as good as new. Something about the umbrellas made me lose them so often until I decided to stop buying them.
#viv
You are my guru. :)
Umbrella
It had been ages since I got wet in the rain until last June.Nw ths umbrella talk has me yearning 4 it again.
BTW y do u need an umbrella ?
T C
Umbrella
It had been ages since I got wet in the rain until last June.Nw ths umbrella talk has me yearning 4 it again.
BTW y do u need an umbrella ?
T C
#Humjoli,
Thanks thanks! :)
Hey, I know 'velli'! I love that word! And yes, it may appear like I am totally velli but I'm sure that those who know my schedules will wonder where I get the time for my blog. Well, let's just say my blog is high on my priority list and so I try and find pockets of time for it. Like when I get up (that's 5 am by the way!), or if I finish lunch early (lately I've been posting new posts around that time), or if I am in my lab and the lecturer is not yet in (like now!), and after I get home from class (that's 10:30 pm).
#Ravi,
In Singapore it is an essential requirement. Your guru Viv survived cos he took shelter under my umbrella for most of the 7 years! :D
#HoliDevil,
Man you must be damn curious! To ask the same question twice?? :P
Ok let me explain in simple words: You know when it rains, and you're in your formals going to work, you cannot enter the office looking like a wet sparrow. That's when you hold an umbrella over your head. And it protects you from getting wet. Samjhe? :P
ps: I LOVE getting wet in the rain. But not when on the way to work. The freezing AC will kill me if I enter drenched.
My requirements for an umbrella have gone beyond a mere layer of UV protective coating -- must be ultra-light, opened up in a jiffy, and built to withstand strong winds (i.e. the spines will bend but not break nor detach themselves), in addition to looking gooooood. Taiwanese brands are good on these counts -- kinda pricey though! Just my dedh cents on umbrella buying, heheh. You know me, I'm a bona fide Auntie!
#Humjoli,
Funny stuff man... I went to check out your blog to see whether you put this up there, and lo! you don't have a blog! Only an account! :O
ps: Get one man! :)
#Starbreez,
Hahahahahahhaha! Bona fide Auntie! I can't stop laughing! :D
Jeez!! If I bought a car just because the colour rocked, I would be in deep $#!t!!!
Lolzzzzz Sayesha…
Bechara Shopkeeper…
He was just pushing his sales….
Umbrella suiting the skin colour…. Lolzzzz
Most of the umbrellas here are black… I’m imagining the shopkeeper giving the same argument ;-)
Good 1
Cheers
lol ! that was hilarious :). Some idiot broke my umbrella :(..I have to buy one too !! damn it :| but I never shopped around for UV protective coating and all..may be I should *thinking*.
#Kroopz,
I don't drive. I just sit and let other pple drive me around. So I know nothing of cars. As long as the colour's nice, I like it! ;)
#Puneet,
Bechara shopkeeper?? You mean bechaari Sayesha! Oye tu meri side hai ya shopkeeper ki side?? :D
Yeah yeah, he was pushing his sales and I was pushing my luck!
#Keshav,
Yeah man, high time guys start shopping for their own umbrellas! :D
arey yaar main to tere sath hoon...
I wish I was there watching shopkeepr's reaction n ur expression ... Lolzzz
Well humjoli, before going to class when i checked sayesha's blog there is no new blog entry but after the class when i checked it again there is a new blog entry with 28 comments, i think that is amazing!. May be sayesha gave blog's rss feed to her secret buddies or these people visit her blog for every minute. :)
humjoli, Actually you have taken my comment on rss too seriously :), i know she has only buddies here but no secret or preferred buddies :). I was just kidding!. Anyway she has enabled rss, so any one can access to her rss feed link: http://sayesha.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Great work with the accent. I've been to Singapore once. And was wondering what's with the "la"s.
lol.. and u purchased any umbrella from that shop? ;-))
#Puneet,
Saved your ass, didn't ya? ;)
#REVerenD,
Like I said, I had to compromise. Settled for a 20-incher cuboidal dark blue one with some rabbit-head pattern (not very prominent though, thank heavens!) with reflective layer on the inside.
#Shuuro,
What?? Don't throw jargon at me man! I used to be an engineer three years ago, not anymore! :O
#Humjoli,
Congrats and welcome to blogsphere!!!!!! :)
Will check it up!
#Shuuro,
Debugged?? I'm bugged man! What's goin' on? :D
#Thanu,
Haha! The lah's get you if you stay here too long! :P
#Jithu,
Yes, I did. I'd rather carry a compromise-umbrella than enter office looking like a drenched sparrow.
#Pradyot,
Nahin re, most girls go for colours when buying an umbrella too. Meri situation thodi different hai :)
<< My thought bubble - Look at colour only?? Dude, it's an umbrella I'm buying, not a car! >>
You have me in splits here!
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