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Next, to adopt babies from Zimbabwe
I bought a book from Kino 2 Fridays ago and was peeved to find out that the book was not in the best of condition. Damages include 2 straight lines down the spine that arises from people reading the book and bending it back all the way (I hate that by the way, bending books all the way to the spine and leaving creases in the spine), bit of a dog ear at the bottom of the book and a bit of a dent--also at the bottom--like the book had fallen and landed on a sharp edge perpendicular to the book itself. I know they aren't really big damages but still, I feel a bit cheated out of my money. I paid the full price for a slightly knackered book. I want a refund. Or at least an exchange. Maybe a lifetime membership to make up for my trauma. :P
So on Thursday, I decided to write in to Kino to tell them and ask about their exchange policy--see if I can get my exchange done. I really want that book. It's a fun and interesting book called QI: The Book of General Ignorance. And because I have as much faith in big corporations as I do in the government, I made a mental note to call them up once their office opens the next day. To my pleasant surprise, they called me back! Just minutes before I pick up the phone to call them, they called my mobile and told me that they had received my email and I can go down anytime to do an exchange for the same book, or if the book is not available, I could change it for something else. Brilliant! There is hope for big corps yet!!
Was joking with bro and natjie that of course Kino hafta let me get my book changed. They would've lost at least $500 in profit annually if they didn't. I would never buy from them ever again. ;) It might not be much but every penny counts in times like these.
Anyway, since I'm only free on Saturday, I went down with bro in the afternoon. On our way there, I was thinking how the book is really the victim in this whole ordeal. It didn't ask to be damaged like so and now that the person who bought it realized it is damaged, it is gonna be returned to Kino who will in turn pass it back to the supplier and who will then pass it on to the publisher who will ultimately chuck it into the recycling bin or something. And none of this would've happened if the person who bought it weren't so picky and wanted a brand new perfect copy of itself. Felt a bit guilty about that, being the cause of the demise of the book. Felt weird feeling guilty over the fate of an inanimate object. O_o
And guess what? We arrived only to find that there is no copies of the book left! Searched the shelf, none. Searched on the book-finding computer terminal, none. Asked the girl at the English books info counter, she told me there is only one copy left and that I should try my luck at that shelf that I'd searched and that if it's not there, someone else must've taken it or had bought it already. Right. Sounds like something every salesgirl says when you ask them for something--only more polite and with more details.
Again, joking with bro and natjie that they kept all the copies to make sure I can't do the exchange.
In a way, I'm a little glad that we couldn't find a fresh copy of the book and did the exchange. I won't have to carry the guilt of condemning a perfectly serviceable book to the depths of literary hell just because it had a bit of creases and bends. Told bro about it and he said to me: Aww... you have just saved a book. Are you gonna go shag the sexiest man on earth and adopt babies from third world countries now?
So in the end, we wasted 2 hours of our Saturday just looking through books and buying none. The Korean chicken thing with the chili and the Four Seasons durian pancake thing at the basement is delicious though.
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