A weekend on the town
After a very long time, it was an idyllic weekend. A friend dropped in on Saturday evening and the three of us (that's Tosha, him and me) chatted up late into the night. Sunday was equally relaxed and after lunch at a relative's place, Tosha and I decided to go shopping. For household necessities, that is.This, over the last 10 months or so (since we got married), has become one of our favourite activities. Walking up and down the aisles and looking for things we need but buying everything we don't is perhaps the way we let our hair down. Yesterday, being in Byculla, we decided to go over to Crossroads (Haji Ali) and eventually ended up spending a good three hours there.
What I did notice, though, is this place has lost its charm and the crowds have dwindled a great deal. Of course the invasion of malls in the suburbs would have had a hand in this.
Even their grocery store was poorly stocked. Nothing of note, here, to be honest. Who cares.
Hardselling Photos!
Incidents at malls are nothing new. Also, given the current media invasion in the city, I was not surprised to find a girl approach me and try to sell me a copy (an I suspect an annual subscription as well) of 'Top Gear'. This British mag has been brought to India thanks to the BBC's tie-up with the Times Group.
She was dressed well in a blue T-shirt and black trousers and before I knew it, she had thrust a copy of the magazine and the free mousepad in my hands.
"Just Rs 50 if you buy it here. Outside, it's for Rs 60," she said starting the sales pitch.
"Let me take a look", I said. I was genuinely interested in the mag and wanted to buy one. For one, it's new and two, I am addicted to mags...
As I started thumbing through the mag, she insisted I look at the number of photos there are. Why? Where's the info?
"There are so many colour photos in here," she insisted again.
One page I definitely check in any magazine is the 'Colophon' where the staff is listed. Why? There may be someone I know working on this. There were a couple of people I knew and some more I knew of.
"There are so many colour photos in here," she said again. It was almost becoming the background score for the day!
Ignoring, I decided to carry on and take a closer look.
"There are so many colour photos in here," and this time, it was said considerably louder.
I did the only thing I could. Handed tha magazine back and walked away.
But it was not going to be easy. Barely ten steps and another guy with another set but this time, the sales pitch was different.
"There's a column by Jeremy Clarkson in this," he informed.
Now we're talking...
That was Rs 50 well spent. But I won't do it again. The mag needs to move to become a car mag and not a 'lifestyle car' mag. My opinion.
posted by Scribbler @ 12:26 am
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