The Quote -

"Nope, I don't really have anything new to say. but then, I always have something amazing to tell about things that you already know!!"

-Muthu

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The shopping safari-


The snap-


The Tale-

I was out shopping with my mom and my sister last weekend. And as always, it was one of the most enlightening and enriching experience, I am destined to have as a guy with a girl (be it mom, girl friend or wife). It’s not just about lugging around their purchase, trying to keep up with their trails that that tend to follow no known path. It’s not just about the ample amount of time that you are going to wait for her to make her choices. It’s not about you always having the right supportive comments even if it’s about obscure things like which is the best color for mattress mauve or amber (Yeah, yeah- I have been educated by the women in my family, those are indeed colors.) It’s not even about all the money that’s being eased out of your pocket with finesse. Ah, and there comes the punch line, putting forth the corner stone of shopping.

It’s not about you, at all. It’s about her.

And no, no questions are entertained by women on this part. Period.


I am pretty confident that shopping can be used as a litmus test to see whether you are ready to tie the knot with your girl. If you can sustain the slaughter for the entire day and still manage to smile at her when she calmly asks you, with a thoughtful pause whether she has bought too much, then hats off dude - you have just been perfectly potty trained. And hey, better hang on to her. You don’t really want to undergo the cumbersome training process once again with the next girl down the line. Do you??   


And yes, the trickiest part of the shopping yet- One that has stumped generations of men, one that’s still going to trip the unwary, the oldest problem in the book, the choice con. It all starts with a simple vacillation that she has and cannot decide between two colors and asks you for your comment. Of course you don’t really know the colors and knowing is not really going to help you when you are shopping for a garden hose but then this is the holy grail of shopping. And what you are going to do here- she is going to remember forever.

Whether you were there for her or not?
Whether you care about her selection or not?
Whether you are interested in her purchases?
Whether you were paying any attentions at all or not? (Of-course that question’s rhetorical)


My mom can spend all day trying to decide what color hose to buy and she would still need some more time. She might even purchase the damn hose and then will have a feeling that the other hose was aesthetically much better. It’s like being mesmerized by the bottles of a juggler. The women, they are too skilled in this arcane art swindling their choices and tastes around their limber minds leaving us men totally lost.


And to know that it all started with those few words my mom uttered with genuine puzzlement “I think red hose would be good but I am still thinking”.

And how are you going to face this?
How are you going to claw yourself out of this one?
How are you going to prove your mettle to her?

Tough questions-

And no, I don’t know the answers. If I would be that lucky bastard who knew the right reply, I would be out there teaching it all those men in need out there, not writing this blog post.


And yeah, a final question begs to be pondered.

 What’s so unnerving about a women selecting a sari* -

May be it’s the way she makes the sales guy show her almost every single sari in the store;
May be it’s the way she asks exactly what is not available in the store without even realizing it; May be it’s the way in which she asks for the first sari she was shown after making a huge pile;
May be its way she looks calmly at the sales man after causing all the ruckus in the world to select a single sari and then demand a discount with all the cool and reserve in the entire universe.

How do women get away with it? When I asked my mom, she just smiled and answered me –“hey we are women and we are entitled to certain things”

“Like” I quipped

She calmly looked at me and just smiled for an answer. Go figure that.




*Sari – the most common attire that women wear in India. It looks real good on a girl. Trust me on this one.



Author’s note –
Though the post can be construed as a puerile attempt at humor, I would like to stick to the idea that truth can also be humorous.

And guys, I would love to hear—your take on the topic.

19 comments:

Harikrishna said...

Hahaha :D That is humorous .. I was/am/will be a victim of shopping in my life. With my mom and sister, I always end up in taking them to dress purchase where they spend my time there. Sadly, I will be sitting in one chair with all the luggage and other men usually come and ask me adjust and sit for they too can sit with their women in shopping!!! I have also put a post on this... Check out.. Sure you will laugh at my fate.. http://freezingeternity.blogspot.in/2012/06/bang-bang-bang_23.html

Unknown said...

LOL! Congratulations on at least learning the different shades of colors!!

Kleopatra said...

Ah well, I'm not a man, but I'll comment anyway.

This was really funny to read.

You are right, I think there is just no right answer when a woman asks you for your opinion to make a choice.

I've always been a bit unusual when it comes to shopping, I usually go alone (or in rare cases with friends) but I never take a guy with me because this just causes problems. :)

muthu said...

@ Harikrishna --

hihi .... Its a vicious circle. The girls change, First your mother, then your sister, then your wife, then your daughter. And so on.

:P :D :P

muthu said...

@ Roshni AaMom --

hihi.. yup, perfectly potty trained.. :P

muthu said...

@ Kleopatra ---

Well, I did try a number of answers and failed miserably-- until I was pushed over the ledge into be believing that there is no right answer. :)

Bikram said...

well they say we learn something new every day .. :)


Bikram's

Jayashree Srivatsan said...

I have always heard men crib about the shopping part Muthu ha ha...But if guys try genuinely participating in these shopping ventures(*which they seldom do) they would be placed at unsurmountable heights by the women...Seriously :) And I know men too who can take hours to decide between two choices :)

Renu said...

Lol:)..I dont like to go shopping with either my hubby or son, I prefer being alone or with my sis:)

muthu said...

@ Bikramjit ---

that puts it crisply.. :D

muthu said...

@ jaish_vats --

All the cribbing aside, I am my mother's favorite for shopping partner. And yeah, She loves me for that.

but, I think - that cribbing about it, is just to make a few more brownie points with my mother. After all, I am doing something that most males would do anything to avoid. And hey, why not make the most out of it.. :D

muthu said...

@ Renu ---

hmhm... And all those life lessons that your hubby and son lose!! :P :D

indu chhibber said...

Even i prefer to shop with my friends--men just suck the fun out of it!!!!!!!!!

muthu said...

@ indu chhibber --

hmhmhm.... Sometimes, I think that shopping is all about bashing men.. :P:P:P

sakthi said...

ther is no right answer
but ther is a right question...
wen she asks u ur suggestion for anything instead of tryin to answer.. ask her d same question again nd wat she thinks abt it...
watevr her answer is just go along wit it.. :P

muthu said...

@ sakthi ---

hahaha... And the girl has the best answer of them all... :P:P

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