Shopping is mental therapy. At a time when the mental health problem is a pressing issue isn’t it nice to know shopping actually heals. But I never heard someone close enough to mention shopping and mental therapy in the same sentence. But if anyone said that or anything that rhymes with it around here, on the lighter, harmless side, the verdict would have been the person who first voiced it either doesn’t know shopping or runs a few shops of his own.
“It’s business dummies!” That would have been the inspiration to his theory. Speaking of ‘dummies,’ have you ever asked how many of us walking this earth fit whatever the description is. There are so many of us dummies around they have books on everything “…for dummies.” Incidentally, is there some book titled, “Politics for Dummies!” We need it ASAP!
In a country where millions live on the breadline, shopping is not mental therapy. In fact, the twist in the story is it has these days become the opposite. I wouldn’t be exaggerating to say a couple of Panadol or some pills at the ready for when you get back from shopping would be great. Take it as the proverbial apple which is supposed to keep the doctor away.
A couple of weeks back a friend who for the first time thought he has birr enough to flash in the plush stores of the city goes to the Bole area. By the way there’s the ‘old’ Bole which seems to finding it hard to catch up with the ‘new’ Bole! Not that prices are cheaper or we from the not so–affluent parts of the city the masses are welcomed with open arms and wide smiles. The ‘new’ Bole is a completely different part of our mini planet. The stories you hear range from the Beverly Hills life style of the well-heeled to things you thought were reserved to R-rated Hollywood flops. You know, those pictures which overdo things so horribly you’d think there is no reason why the entire Lord of the Rings franchise wouldn’t be a reality show.
And our friend’s idea of flashing those extra birr notes takes him to the ‘New Bole.’ A decision he was to regret. I haven’t yet told him about someone who in some faraway place said ‘shopping is a mental therapy.’ I plan to exactly that one of these days.
“How much for this pair of shoes?”
“Five thousand five hundred.”
The ants! A million and some of them are racing across every square inch of his anatomy. Believe with such a price for someone who thought a couple of thousand birr for a pair of shoes disrespecting the value of money that’s what you feel; a million ants racing all over your anatomy.
He wasn’t ready to give on. He starts bargaining, that’s what we do! That’s our idea of doing business because we know the harder and smarter you bargain the more chances of getting significant reduction. I have a friend who could collect a time the calling price of which is six hundred Birr three hundred or so.
“And they didn’t even treat me nicely.” The indifference of the clerks got the best of him. “I shouldn’t have gone there!” One thing is sure; I suspect another Olympiad would come and go before he even starts thinking about a second visit; lest he lands the twenty million jackpot a few days away!
These days if you plan to shop in the plush parts of the city be sure to have someone who knows ‘that world’ with you. Yes, there is a ‘that world’ over there; a world which even your dream-creator failed to treat you with! The ‘language’ is different; (You are speaking the same language and yet theirs is different. Not only that it’s different even the most common words could have the most uncommon meanings.) Their surrounding is so different even the oxygen you breathe feels, a little different! The people are different! Oh, yes!
You know it’s not your fault. But just to keep the waters calm you act as if it was your mistake. You even go as far as saying “sorry for messing up” while everything single cell in your system is shouting “Liar!” Maybe you’re protecting a dear one. Maybe admittance might have more benefits like people saying “that’s one honest guy we can work with.”
The only explanation coming to you this guy is to rob me of every last cent I have and provide me some receipt; isn’t that some news, you being robbed legally and being issued receipt!
It is their way of saying “Would you please leave our shop. We are done with you.”
“Why! What did I do wrong?”
A completely different crowd that seem to have come from….
What’s eating these people! I was only trying to convince you to bring the price a little lower.
No Sir; around here shopping is anything but mental therapy. Goodbye and have a nice day
Then this good Samaritans giving away so much come into the picture.
True the holiday season gives us something to smile about.
Well I’ll tell you unfortunately ‘activism’ has become a sort of four letter obscenity.
It is almost a sink or swim situation.
The governments
But then it has also been a year of revelation
Why so much attention on Ethiopia
eight meetings in the course of a couple of months!
The backdoor dealings
The media
The international organizations
The UN Security seems to have fallen
Italian journalist Francesca Ronchin
You try to steady the rocking boat.
And you try to laugh hi
There’s no way that can be a change of heart; but a change of strategy.
What you say or think doesn’t matter; wake up!
Acting like medieval conquistadors
That’s mugging.
When all is said and done…
It’s outrageous, you probably didn’t have it on your list
What a long hot lousy stinking summer.
That is what we are training ourselves to master: discover the nuts and bolts of the balancing act.
Aggressive rhetoric…
It is difficult to know which way the wind would blow…
The world is no more like you think it is…
“Is that so! Do you think I don’t know that!”
The Ethiopian Herald September 5/2021