Free Shit.
People LOVE free shit.
I too am excited about the samples handed out at big box stores in the middle of the day. Who has been wandering the steel and concrete grid of Costco, wondering if 20 gallons of detergent will be enough, and NOT needed barbeque sauce drenched bacon wrapped cocktail weenies?
But today, I watched 8 very special people go out of their way for, nay, schedule a trip to get free samples. Not like going to Costco on Sunday instead of Saturday, mind you. Friday at 4:00pm is what the sign said. Write it down.
At my local Starbucks, every Friday is apparently a time for a “coffee party”. This being Thailand, it started closer to 4:30. (I’m told Brazilians are worse than Thais with time management. Their party would have started on Tuesday.) Curious about this ritual, and since I’m already here (audience, welcome to my WordPress iPhone app), I got see it LIVE.
The party apparently consists of publicizing this week’s promotional drink, which today happens to be a peach pomegranate blended drink. They set up a couple signs in the middle of the store, where these eight people, which I still cannot explain (1 expat, his girlfriend, 3 employees of the trendy gym around the corner, two college boys and one sweet faced girl who looks lost), congregate around in anticipation. The starbucks staff come out, talk a little bit in Thai (I assume with absolutely no logical proof they are talking about the tasty beverage), and then give everyone a small sample in a cup that is perfectly sized to hold a cocktail weenie. Everyone drinks, chit chats for a moment, and then leaves.
What the fuck?
Now, even though I am lucky enough to receive a sample outside of the Band of Beverages circle, I fell victim to the advertising for this drink at the counter an hour ago. So I have a little one next to my grande one.
I am confused why people would wait 30 minutes for a plastic shot glass of frozen juice. Maybe I’m just upset because I paid for mine. Maybe the only weenie here is not in my cup, but in my chair?
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