Before I proceed on any further, allow me to declare that as much of a racist as I can be, I do not intend to make this post as 1.
After reading the latest entry by CarinaSing, I cannot help but to ponder if the keychain mentality is applicable to all Chinese... or more precisely, Malaysian Chinese.
Now, I do not see any problem with someone going around the world but ended up getting me nothing for souvenir. However, you know something is definitely wrong when you keep getting keychains after keychains whenever your friends or colleagues returned from a vacation somewhere out there.
Take me as an example. I have been in my current company for almost 2 years and in that particular short duration, I have received at least 9 keychains..jpg)
Clockwise from top left: From Bali, Cameron Highlands, Paris, Singapore, Singapore and the rest, forgotten. :P
Why keychain? Why not something else? Is it due to the fact that keychain is the cheapest souvenir one can get from those foreign lands?
And tell me what am I supposed to do with all these keychains? I do have a lot of keys but am I supposed to have a keychain for each key? Look, my current keychain has been with me for years and so far, it is the keys that require replacement, not the keychain..jpg)
A free gift that came together with a shirt that I purchased in 2004.
It has now reached the level where anyone giving me another keychain will be indirectly identified as ridiculing my lack of opportunity to travel around. T^T
-sigh-
You may suggest that I take up keychain-collecting as my new hobby. Yes, I do collect badges and stamps but seriously, they are things of the past.
Badges from various schools and events such as gatherings and campfires.
Stamps from around the world.
Today, the only badge that sticks with me through rain and shine is the one I used to scan in and out of my company. And who needs stamps when we have email, otherwise known as the cancer that is killing off stamps. :P
At the end of the day, I do understand that the purpose of getting souvenir for friends is to let them have a taste of what that particular place has to offer. However, I am very certain that keychain - albeit cheap - is not the least bit suitable souvenir to best reflect the wow factor of the venue that you are visiting.
Take for example, Australia. Now what do you think will make people like me go crazy when someone mentioned Australia?
Kangaroo? What, are you a 7 years old kid?!
It is definitely none other than their... koala bear underwear! CarinaSing has disappointed me once when she failed to bring me 1 while she was away in Australia approximately 4 years ago.
And the nerve of her to fail me again when she recently went to Singapore and did not buy me...
... a Merlion underwear. T^T
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Keychain mentality
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8 comments:
Mm..
First of all, totally agree with all your statement.
However, when you out for a trip, buying 'things' for your colleagues is actually a nightmare.
Of course, you may be creative to avoid buying keychain, but sometime is just too rush for you to think of WHAT TO BUY.
Maybe you should raise up this little concern for those who going for a vacation soon. :-)
@~~伦，的另一个天地~~:
Frankly speaking, I think it will be much wiser to not announce your destination whenever you are going for vacation.
Else, there will be more things for you to think about instead of purely enjoying yourself to the max. :)
Should I say thanks for this post?
The purpose of buying souvenir for friends is not to let them have a taste of what that particular place has to offer please. You got yourself wrong is defining souvenir. I just don't want to come back with empty handed and a good souvenir doesn't have to be expensive or to be perfect - the most important thing is, it just has to mean something to you, which is I value our frienships.
For the koala bear underwear thing, sorry cuz I was unable to find that underwear and I can't just buy it in front of my mom, and tell her "hey its for my friend, and I wanted to buy him underwear instead. of cuz I know his size" .. but I did give you something else, and i am pretty sure that it is not a keychain.
For this trip, frankly speaking, we do not have much time to hunt for souvenir and I do not know what to buy cuz I don't want to buy thing which is "made in Malaysia". The extra keychain I got, er ... I wanted to keep it for myself, to show that I've been to SG before
I will prefer not to buy any thing from vacations. :P
@CarinaSing:
No thanks from you, please. :)
Yes, yes, I certainly know about the old Gee, I got you this souvenir just to let you know that you are in my heart even though we are far apart excuse but let us face it, you are supposed to enjoy your vacation, not to burden yourself with someone that did not tag along with you in the first place.
Just so you know, I was not serious about those underwears. It was meant to be a joke. =.="
@feichaisam:
I agree with you wholeheartedly. :)
Hah ... I saw that you are pretty serious about the underwear thing, as you still remember about it after years. Remind me to buy one for you on my next trip ..
@CarinaSing:
Of course those underwears are important! They mean a lot to me especially in boosting up my self-esteem!
Well ok ... I got what you mean. I will try to get you a S size underwear on my next trip.
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