Horrible experience at Pepper Plus Wisma

Went shopping with my colleague yesterday. I had wanted to get more of the shorts from Pepper Plus as the last pair I got were a really good fit.

I tried on a black pair and then was going around deciding which colour and which pattern I should go for. There were quite a few and I must say, it was not easy to decide as most of them were nice.

When I have finally decided on the pink number, the salesgirl actually told me, in a tone that only teachers used on their students, "But once you take that one huh, you cannot try anymore ok?"

I told her I understood, paid for the item and went on my way, but I was quite cheesed off to say the least. At first, I had thought it was because of the way that I was dressed and that she might have thought I was a young thing that could not afford to pay for anything (I often get that look and that sort of attitude from salespeople).

It was only at night, just before I went to bed, that I realised that it could probably be because I was speaking Mandarin with a China accent that she might have taken me for someone from there. You see, I take to accents quite easily and hanging around my China Chinese friends have made me speak better. That made me boil even more.

For the first time, I felt discrimination of a different kind in my own home country and it brought me back to the times when I was back in Oz. Of course, in this situation, it was a lot less life threatening (she did not drive past in a car and hurl insults and threaten to kill) but it was definitely a lot more condescending.

I was also mad because if my stupid little brains were fast enough, I would have told her that I have decided not to buy from her anymore. Well, rest assured now I would not. I will go back to the Toa Payoh branch where the staff are much more friendlier and professional.