Apparently I am a good customer. The source of this news? My Aeon / MaxValu Member’s Card. So far neither Lexi nor I have received any financial or fodder-based benefits from our Members Cards that we both have. Occasionally I receive text messages telling about wonderful things that can be done on specific days and times if we spend above a certain amount of money, the latest being a 30% discount for Legoland (other theme parks are available) if we blaa blaa blaa, you get the picture. Ok I do get a friendly smile from the check-out people when I flash my card, but seemingly nothing else, until yesterday. As my card was scanned, prior to me buying two loaves and a bunch of bananas the till display came up with the following phrase “Good Customer.” It was there, in green and black, so it must be right. I have written before about buying pork at supermarkets and, in particular about how muslim staff on the checkout will refuse to handle ham, pork and sausages (they will handle wine though, strange?) but it got me thinking. Would my Member’s Card still categorize me as a “Good Customer” under those circumstances? I feel some research coming on.
I have a bit of routine car maintenance to undertake this weekend in the form of buying two new front tyres for the amazing Hyundai Trajet. I visited the local tyre place last night and, naturally, the place did not have the tyre size that I needed. A very helpful guy promised to contact me today with prices and details so I went home never expecting to hear from him again. I was shocked when a text message arrived at lunch time offering me a menu of tyre possibilities and asking when I would like them to be fitted. Surprised and pleased I replied saying that I would bring the car this evening or tomorrow morning.
After tea I drove off to the tyre place and, of course the place did not have the tyres, of any make in stock. Apparently I needed to put a deposit down and then they would be ordered. The well-spoken tyre man assured me that despite the warehouse being closed the two required tyres would be delivered to the fitting place by 9.00am tomorrow and then it would only take an hour to fit. So, I cautiously paid a RM50 deposit and went back home. What are the chances that the two tyres will be waiting for fitting tomorrow morning?
Another unrelated administration matter is Trixie’s Malaysian permit. First applied for in August 2012 and then again in November and finally a trip to the Immigration Department in December we are still waiting for it. The latest hold-up was the photo. Apparently it was the wrong sort. I have now supplied the third set of passport photos of Trixie, all of them with the same blue background and Trixie sitting in the same position. Third time lucky? The latest estimated return date for Trixie’s passport is Tuesday.
Which will come first: the tyres or the permit?