'Tis the season...for a transcontinental move.
A few weeks ago, I had to go into Dreamland (a local store that is sort of like the best departments of Target - a small books and electronics department, school supplies, toys and seasonal stuff) to buy a birthday present. The parking lot was cram-packed, and a quick glance at the register when I walked in the door revealed lines of 15-20 people.
Yikes. What the heck was going on?
And then I realized: It was noon, and it was the week before St. Nicolas Day.
St. Nicolas Day seemed like such a minor entry on the list in my jumbled mess of a head, that I almost forgot all about it.
Let me back up just a bit. Here in Belgium, children get all of their presents from St. Nicolas instead of Santa Clause. That first year here, with a five and three-year old, it took us a bit of scrambling to explain this discrepancy. But we settled on the concept that there are different "Christmas Territories." St. Nicolas covered Belgium, and knew that we were American and that Santa would be visiting our house on Christmas Day, so he only brought us small gifts on St. Nicolas Day. When Isabelle came home from school this year, with a "Barbie House" on her "St. Nicolas List" she looked at me like I had three heads when I explained the Christmas Territory concept. So I had to add in the fact that St. Nicolas knew that we were moving before Christmas and that any gifts he brought would have to be small enough to fit in a suitcase or else she would have to wait for our cargo shipment (six weeks) to get to play with it.
Whatever. St. Nicolas brought us a bunch of French books and CD's this year, and everyone was disappointed (except AJ who is all of the sudden into French Pop music.)
But it got me thinking about how the meaning of Christmas was going to be very different for our family this year. And how maybe I could make that into a good thing.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
I want my two stamps. Please.
A few months ago (probably late summer, just before school started) I was at the grocery store using the nifty new self-check out machines. I learned, by the nifty new machine, that I was entitled to my "five euros" bonus certificate.
Sigh. To anyone that has ever shopped with Macy's bonus certificates, or a good ol' BOGO shoe sale, a "five euro bonus" must sound pretty lame. Here's how it works. Every time I go to the grocery store, I hand them my loyalty card and I earn "points" based on the amount of money I spend. And when you reach 500 points, you get a five euro certificate. In reality, it takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R to earn that five euros (and I shop for a family of five.) But when it happens, I get excited. (Lame, I know.) But nothing is ever on sale here, nothing is ever for "free."There are no BOGO shoe sales or major Macy's coupons. My bargain hunting skills are slipping.
By the way, did you know that here, in the grocery store, you can buy wine? And here, you can get a decent bottle of French wine at the grocery store for about five euros? (It's probably the ONLY thing that's cheaper here than in the U.S.) So in my head, five euros = free bottle of French wine.
Anyway, I went to the information desk to claim my five euros. In front of me in line, was a mother and her little girl. Now, whenever I am in line at the grocery store, I eavesdrop on anyone and everyone around me. (In the name of French practice, just to see how much I can understand.) This woman was in an argument, all be it a very polite one, with the store clerk. About how the ad posted a savings of 56 cents (or something similar) and the receipt showed that she had just paid full price for the item.
You might say, "Are you serious?" Is it really worth the 56 cents to stand in line and argue about it? But the thing is, that happens all of the time here. I read an ad, I chose a product at the store based on what I read on the ad, only to realize later that I paid full price. Or the little sale signs that are posted throughout the store? I've learned that I ALWAYS have to check the date in the fine print on the sign. Because a lot of the time, it's a promotion that ended the day before, or something that starts the next day. I like a deal (as I said, they don't happen here often) but I don't like to be tricked into buying two of something when I really only wanted one.
So when this mother gave me a small, apologetic smile for how long it was taking for the store clerk to get the ad to read it for herself, I smiled back and thought, "You go girl." You get your 56 cents in the name of all of us that have ever been scammed in the same way. Which is, actually, all of us.
Well, last week, I had my turn. I know I am dating myself as a child of the 80's, but do you remember the movie "Better Off Dead" and the kid on the bicycle? The one that runs around for the entire movie yelling "I want my two dollars." Well, that was me last week but with Christmas tree stamps. One of the grocery stores is doing this promotion for Christmas, where you spend 20 euros (it might even be 25 euros) but whatever, and you get a Christmas tree stamp. And after you save, like, 25 stamps, you get five euros off your purchase. I know, that five euros again. And don't even tell me the math equation because it's all just too ridiculous for five euros. But not for free French wine.
Anyway. So last week, I needed just two more stamps to fill in my Christmas tree card. And we are trying to clear out our cupboards, so I haven't been spending a lot with each trip to the grocery store, making those two stamps a long way off. But I was walking through the store for a few quick things and noticed that if I bought a pack of the bottled water I usually buy, I would get two stamps. Having learned my lesson, I read the fine print. AND I even pulled out my phone to double check the date. Yep. Two stamps, coming my way.
So when I paid for my groceries, and didn't get any stamps, I asked for them. (Because that's the other thing they sometimes do, not give you your stamps unless you ask for them.) She looked at my ticket and said, "Sorry, you don't get any stamps,"(but in French). I politely explained, "But the sign on the shelf said I would get two stamps if I bought this today (only my French wasn't as good as hers, but she got the gist.)
Then, she made everyone wait (she was the only check-out lane) while she got out her weekly shoppers and read them. All of them. That's when I gave everyone in line my polite apologetic smile. She didn't find it, so she shook her head. Probably hoping I would go on my merry way. But dang it, I was right, and I knew it. That doesn't happen very often to me in Belgium. So I said again, "But the sign said two stamps." (Well, I sort of said it. My French isn't as good as it should be.) She called for back-up and started ringing up the next customer.
The guy answered her page, she quickly explained "the problem" and he went all the way to the far back corner of the store to look for the alleged sign. Several minutes later, he returned and held up two fingers with a nod. (I did an imaginary fist pump in my head. Yes! I was right. I knew it!) She tore off two little Christmas tree stamps from her roll of about 320 and handed them over.
Sometimes, you just have to fight for it when you know you are right.
Sigh. To anyone that has ever shopped with Macy's bonus certificates, or a good ol' BOGO shoe sale, a "five euro bonus" must sound pretty lame. Here's how it works. Every time I go to the grocery store, I hand them my loyalty card and I earn "points" based on the amount of money I spend. And when you reach 500 points, you get a five euro certificate. In reality, it takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R to earn that five euros (and I shop for a family of five.) But when it happens, I get excited. (Lame, I know.) But nothing is ever on sale here, nothing is ever for "free."There are no BOGO shoe sales or major Macy's coupons. My bargain hunting skills are slipping.
By the way, did you know that here, in the grocery store, you can buy wine? And here, you can get a decent bottle of French wine at the grocery store for about five euros? (It's probably the ONLY thing that's cheaper here than in the U.S.) So in my head, five euros = free bottle of French wine.
Anyway, I went to the information desk to claim my five euros. In front of me in line, was a mother and her little girl. Now, whenever I am in line at the grocery store, I eavesdrop on anyone and everyone around me. (In the name of French practice, just to see how much I can understand.) This woman was in an argument, all be it a very polite one, with the store clerk. About how the ad posted a savings of 56 cents (or something similar) and the receipt showed that she had just paid full price for the item.
You might say, "Are you serious?" Is it really worth the 56 cents to stand in line and argue about it? But the thing is, that happens all of the time here. I read an ad, I chose a product at the store based on what I read on the ad, only to realize later that I paid full price. Or the little sale signs that are posted throughout the store? I've learned that I ALWAYS have to check the date in the fine print on the sign. Because a lot of the time, it's a promotion that ended the day before, or something that starts the next day. I like a deal (as I said, they don't happen here often) but I don't like to be tricked into buying two of something when I really only wanted one.
So when this mother gave me a small, apologetic smile for how long it was taking for the store clerk to get the ad to read it for herself, I smiled back and thought, "You go girl." You get your 56 cents in the name of all of us that have ever been scammed in the same way. Which is, actually, all of us.
Well, last week, I had my turn. I know I am dating myself as a child of the 80's, but do you remember the movie "Better Off Dead" and the kid on the bicycle? The one that runs around for the entire movie yelling "I want my two dollars." Well, that was me last week but with Christmas tree stamps. One of the grocery stores is doing this promotion for Christmas, where you spend 20 euros (it might even be 25 euros) but whatever, and you get a Christmas tree stamp. And after you save, like, 25 stamps, you get five euros off your purchase. I know, that five euros again. And don't even tell me the math equation because it's all just too ridiculous for five euros. But not for free French wine.
Anyway. So last week, I needed just two more stamps to fill in my Christmas tree card. And we are trying to clear out our cupboards, so I haven't been spending a lot with each trip to the grocery store, making those two stamps a long way off. But I was walking through the store for a few quick things and noticed that if I bought a pack of the bottled water I usually buy, I would get two stamps. Having learned my lesson, I read the fine print. AND I even pulled out my phone to double check the date. Yep. Two stamps, coming my way.
So when I paid for my groceries, and didn't get any stamps, I asked for them. (Because that's the other thing they sometimes do, not give you your stamps unless you ask for them.) She looked at my ticket and said, "Sorry, you don't get any stamps,"(but in French). I politely explained, "But the sign on the shelf said I would get two stamps if I bought this today (only my French wasn't as good as hers, but she got the gist.)
Then, she made everyone wait (she was the only check-out lane) while she got out her weekly shoppers and read them. All of them. That's when I gave everyone in line my polite apologetic smile. She didn't find it, so she shook her head. Probably hoping I would go on my merry way. But dang it, I was right, and I knew it. That doesn't happen very often to me in Belgium. So I said again, "But the sign said two stamps." (Well, I sort of said it. My French isn't as good as it should be.) She called for back-up and started ringing up the next customer.
The guy answered her page, she quickly explained "the problem" and he went all the way to the far back corner of the store to look for the alleged sign. Several minutes later, he returned and held up two fingers with a nod. (I did an imaginary fist pump in my head. Yes! I was right. I knew it!) She tore off two little Christmas tree stamps from her roll of about 320 and handed them over.
Sometimes, you just have to fight for it when you know you are right.
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