Hunting and Gathering. Part 13547

Shopping. The last great cultural frontier. Although it should be said that not all Western Societies view it with quite the regard that English speaking countries do. Once, my partner and I were stuck for clothes in Paris, and the airline that had lost them told us to go and buy some more on their dime.

We set off without thinking, to Printemps (French version of David Jones/Macys/Harrods), and she and I were dismayed and a little impressed that the French don't open those sorts of shops on a Sunday. They think that sitting around drinking and eating is far better. I'm not certain they're not right, but a bugger when your crucial threads are on the lamb and the weather is starting to turn.

Anyway, I digress - An up and a down week dealing with the retail world.

Up: I dropped my watch in at the local jeweller, whose shop must be a front for organised crime. There is no way he is selling any of the crap he has in that joint. A colleague who was with me noted that a sign said,

"-Everything!- Special Price."

But how can you resist going to a jeweller called Hans Han. He's local too, so he's handy... with his hands... working on the second and the minute hand... oh stop, my sides, my sides.

Good one Hans. I Can't wait to go back and see what you've done with my watch. He claims to have pressure tested it, cleaned the inside of the face, resealed the bezel, improved the seal on the winder and buttons, and improved the seal on the back - all for $15.

Down: Partner and I arrived before the local supermarket had opened on a Sunday morning. So keen were we to get the shopping done and out of the way, that we ended up milling about with the window lickers for 15 minutes until the shop opened. I can't define the exact brand of embarrassment, but it is of the sort of "Yes my life has come to this. Cannot wait to get down the shops and cruise the aisles for bargains." type. In a graphic demonstration of my hidden shallows, I was trying to mill about in a way that suggested that I was important and busy and needed to get the shopping done post-haste, as decisions concerning large events needed to be made soon. In fact I needed to get home and watch the previous evening taped edition of Top Gear, but that probably doesn't show the right gravitas.