No Free Lunches
So yesterday two of my friends and I traveled all the way from the training centre to Yokohama to buy shampoo. It was a 40 minute trip, by train. Why so far you ask. Special shampoo imported from the US. Go figure.
So we went to Sogou first to shop for Pilot's Frixion pen series. While making our way up to the 7th floor of the immense shopping complex. We were given free sample bags by Cosmetics salegirls prowling standing by the elevator. So there was this scratchcard inside that offered one of three free gifts.
Hey, it did say free. So off we went to the cosmetics counter. By then I had forgotten two very crucial things, a) None of us spoke fluent Japanese. b) The Japanese aren't exactly fluent in English. We spent the next half hour or so communicating in broken Japanese and English. My friends had their skin condition checked. One of the two ended up being made up by the salesgirl for a reason I failed to comprehend no apparent reason. It was really awkward. Not that I blame the salesgirls. They did try to lighten things up by making small talk, but even small talk was hindered by the grand canyon of language barriers.
In the end we left with my friends buying 3 tubes of some pore cleansing stuff between them and vows that we would never go for freebies in a foreign country again. Then we went back to the train station where the grand canyon of language barriers hindered shampoo shopping once more. But all's well that ends well, shampoo was purchased, albeit elsewhere much closer to the training centre, making me question the time spent commuting and the embarrassment wrought. I bought myself a Zip-It monster pouch, in blue, that has me bouncing all over the place.
To all on holiday, Happy Labour's Day! Even though it's not a public holiday in Japan D:
So we went to Sogou first to shop for Pilot's Frixion pen series. While making our way up to the 7th floor of the immense shopping complex. We were given free sample bags by Cosmetics salegirls prowling standing by the elevator. So there was this scratchcard inside that offered one of three free gifts.
Hey, it did say free. So off we went to the cosmetics counter. By then I had forgotten two very crucial things, a) None of us spoke fluent Japanese. b) The Japanese aren't exactly fluent in English. We spent the next half hour or so communicating in broken Japanese and English. My friends had their skin condition checked. One of the two ended up being made up by the salesgirl for a reason I failed to comprehend no apparent reason. It was really awkward. Not that I blame the salesgirls. They did try to lighten things up by making small talk, but even small talk was hindered by the grand canyon of language barriers.
In the end we left with my friends buying 3 tubes of some pore cleansing stuff between them and vows that we would never go for freebies in a foreign country again. Then we went back to the train station where the grand canyon of language barriers hindered shampoo shopping once more. But all's well that ends well, shampoo was purchased, albeit elsewhere much closer to the training centre, making me question the time spent commuting and the embarrassment wrought. I bought myself a Zip-It monster pouch, in blue, that has me bouncing all over the place.
To all on holiday, Happy Labour's Day! Even though it's not a public holiday in Japan D: