Old Friends

Not friends who're old hor.

I actually wrote this down last night on a pen an paper, because I didn't have computer access and I didn't want to forget about it. But ironically, I didn't bring that piece of paper because I couldn't predict when I'll be in front of a computer blogging about my gathering last night.

I didn't have very high expectations of dinner. I knew it would be fun, but you know, I felt that as people got busier with their career and family (er this time the word "family" includes spouses lor...), inevitably things will never be the same. But I was wrong.

Met with TJ first. As usual, he was the most punctual (although also a little bit late.. but so was I hehe). We went shopping for a little bit, while heading to look for food. Somewhere a little quiet. But it was Saturday at Suntec... quiet? haha.

"It generally gets more quiet the more expensive the place is." TJ remarked. It was true, I had to balance quietness with cost... Anyway, he suggested Outback Steakhouse, so we went there.

Then I got a call from C, "Eh where are you all ah?"

"Oh, we're heading to Outback Steakhouse. At Millenia walk"

"Oh ok, see you there"

Then TJ and I went on walking along Millenia Walk randomly window shopping while talking about all sorts of stuff. Then he remembered this shirt shop, "Raoul" and brought me there. I was very pleasantly surprised with the shirts design and materials. Even the cuff links were cute and stylish. Its nothing like the shirts I find in London.

In London the shirt quality is quite good. Even a normal, simple white shirt can have so many different types, I realised. Say the cut.. even when they look the same from the hanger, it can look different on a person. The collar, the shoulders, the waist, even the way the sleeves hang down your arm. I'm not a designer nor am I an expert, but after wearing shirts of various brands, I can say the G2000 shirt cuts and the Zara shirt cuts are quite different. hehehe. Then the material.. Even a white piece of cloth can have so many types. Got those stripped patterned white, got those thinish almost see through white, got those cloth with horizontal/ vertical/ diagonal/ herringbone patterns that you can't see until you go up close...

But Raoul had them all. I walked into the shop and got drawn immediately by one particular red shirt, whose sheen was so lustrious, it looked like... er... the red fabric they use in advertisements... I don't know how to describe it. I would never wear that of course, I was just amazed that they actually had made a shirt of this material. And then there were so many more. From the classy party-going rich kids kind of shirts to the classy client-facing investment bankers kind of shirts....

Then C called, "Eh where are you ah?"

"Ah? You're at Outback already?"

"You're not there yet?!"

"Ah ah, coming!"

"Win lor, like that"

I found that particular short conversation very funny for some reason. "Win lor"... it doesn't make any semantic sense, but it just felt so familiar.

Anyway, after meeting up with C, TJ and I brought her back to Raoul so I could finish looking at the shirts. I very impulsively decided to buy 2 shirts, and tried them on for size. And C spotted some really cool looking cuff links. One pair was "Guilty" on one side, "Not Guilty" on the other. Another pair was a bottlecap on one side and a bottle opener on the other. I bought the pair that was super hilarious, the English Pound sign with bling bling.

The restaurant had called earlier to say that seats were now available... So I wanted to finish it up quickly and get to the restaurant. I told the salesgirl I wanted the two shirts and the cufflink. She very cleverly suggested that I break up the shirts with the cufflinks on separate receipts, since on any purchase above 200, I get 20% of that back as a gift card, that I can subsequently use to purchase the cufflink. Great! I was happy with that.

Then a complication. The salesgirl was like, "Sir, the giftcard is 50 dollars. The cufflink, after discount, is 48 dollars."

Not seeing anything wrong, I was like, "sure, no problem. Please go ahead."

Then C practically started screaming at me, "Its 2 dollars!!! What do you mean go ahead?"

"Its only 2 dollars!"

"Its 2 dollars!!!"

"Err..." I turned to the salesgirl.

"You can purchase some boxers? Or socks?" the salesgirl offered helpfully.

I was in a hurry to get to the restaurant right, so I was like, "Nah, its ok, just do it."

"NOO!! Its 2 dollars!!", C screamed. "Why not give it to TJ, since he's also going to be buying some?"

Hmm, can I do that? I thought. "How about I leave the card and the cufflinks and spend that extra 2 dollars on his purchase?"

TJ: "Er, then am I eligible for a gift card too?"

Salesgirl: "Er... no."

As you can imagine, how much precious time has passed by with this discussion over 2 dollars which isn't really REAL 2 dollars. (I have more to say about this, but lets not distract from the story) And we're back to square one.

Knowing C will scream at me again for giving up that 2 dollars, I ended up buying 2 pairs of socks extra. And I had to pay 5 more dollars of REAL money for that.

Then fastforward to dinner. JH joined us with his wife-to-be. Then D joined us with his wife. And we joked and talked crap and C was relentless in suaning. She didn't let anyone off, except TJ, for some reason. Why?

I felt so comfortable with them. Even with insults hurling all over the place (I accidentally er.. attacked a significant other.. sorry...) people were laughing and enoying themselves.

At the end of the gathering we were thinking of a place to meet again. So grateful that this bunch of friends are considering this gathering before I leave again.

I think I'm starved of friends in London and HK. Its good to be home.

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Anyway, I did ask D and JH whether they would have given up that 2 dollars. Apparently, they would have done the same as me! Hrumph!

C tried to justify her stand with the true story of a Singaporean woman who couldn't afford to feed her kids, she had to buy soft drinks for them so that they could sip it through the whole day. But this is like the "Africa argument" (if you've never heard it before, it goes like this: "Don't waste food, think about the people who are starving in Africa") - regardless of whether I bought the extra pair of socks or not, the 2 dollars isn't going anywhere.

Now, here's my argument. The 2 dollars is sunk cost. It shouldn't ever be considered anymore, as it doesn't add any value to any decision making. The only thing I have to consider is that I can buy something else at a 2 dollar discount. So, socks that cost 7 dollars would now cost 5 dollars. And this is the issue, do I want to pay 5 dollars for a pair of socks?

For the sake of argument, if there were socks of as good quality selling next door for 4 dollars, what would you do, head over next door, or pay 5 dollars for socks so that you get to "use" that 2 dollars? Obviously you'll head next door right? So obviously, that 2 dollars doesn't count at all right? All you're considering is 5 dollars vs 4.

And as to why it isn't REAL money, its easy. You can do whatever you want with real money. But what can you do with a gift card? Can you get cash back from that gift card? Thats precisely the reason why a 50 dollar GAP voucher can't sell in Ebay for 50 dollars. Thats why I say it isn't real money.

But I gave in to C. She just felt so strongly about the 2 dollars, I had to get myself that pair of socks. And actually, I really do need them (I forgot to bring socks back! lol!)