h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I loathe shop assistants that watch over my shoulder and as you say, pounce the moment I walk in the shop. Rather than being able to comfortably browse around and perhaps find something I'd like to purchase I make a quick getaway. It's terrible when people start doing the hard sell too and you have to make excuses why you don't want to buy what they suggest. At Xmas I went shopping with my dad for a stereo. Every shop I went in they asked my dad if he needed assistance and completely ignored me. He just let them know that it was me making the purchase and me they should talk to. It is, of course, equally annoying when you almost have to kick the person in the shop to get some assistance. But by far and away the worst shop keeper I've ever encountered was earlier in the year when I was trying to buy a ring. The ring I liked wasn't in my size and I explained this to the woman in the shop. She wanted to know why I didn't want a similar one that was in my size and couldn't accept that I just didn't like the ring she wanted me to have. Then she took me over to the display of small rings and told me to buy the same style but wear it on my little finger. I explained that I didn't want a ring for my little finger. By now she was getting really annoyed. She picked up rings, said there *must* be something I liked that fitted and started trying to ram them on my fingers. It hurt a little and I wondered what would happen if I couldn't remove them. Maybe this was her plan. Needless to say I haven't returned to that particular shop. I really hate shopping anyway.

Oops, ranting again. I must be getting old, all I seem to do is moan

My favourite sort of shop is book shop. Cosy, dry little places they are, and nobody ever pounces. I never know how to say, I hate that, please take it away, without offending the poor things. Perhaps it's just because they're so lonely. There is one shop that I don't mind shopping in (perhaps just because they make my favourite clothes ), but at least there they don't force you to buy anything, and they seem to be quite honest about telling you their opinion about garments. They don't often do the, it looks fantastis buy it now, gig, anyway. I don't really like talking to shop people. They can be jolly scary. I've developed an utter hatred for chain stores that are all exactly the same. Like, for example Macdonalds doesn't even bother to change its colour scheme anywhere it goes. Surely she would have liked that extra cost of finding your perfect ring for you!

I've just read over this and decided that it's quite muddled. Do you best!

GP

I agree, bookshops are the only shops I feel truly happy in. Second hand bookshops are even better. Old books have a wonderful smell and feel to them. It's exciting when you stumble on some old, forgotten treasure and there's an almost al, reverent atmosphere around books. I can't really explain it. It has a calming effect when all other shops make me If I've got some spare time to waste I'll often pop in a bookshop just to look round.

Chainstores are a strange experience. Once you've found your way around one you can navigate them all. Each store in each town not only has the same decor but also the same layout as all the other. I like the town I live in because most of the shops are small businesses, we only have a few chainstores and they can be avoided. The smaller shops are nicer with better stock and better assistants anyway.

I thought the woman who tried forcing rings on my fingers would have been more obliging too. How can she expect to make a sale if she's so rude? Most shop owners go out of their way to help a customer get what they want.

I was in a newsagancy today and someone rang up about some parcel or something, and the person in the shop was unbelievably bad-mannered. Very rudely just said, no, ring somewhere else, I don't have the number. Definitely not PR focussed.

There aren't a lot of small businesses round where I live actually. In fact, all the major shopping centres have exactly the same make-up. Unfortunatly not the same set-up, then I mightn't get lost so often!

GP

There aren't any major shopping centres where I live. The town centre is one road with shops either side and that is it. I love it I'm not one for shopping or lots of people, it gets me far too stressed. My local butcher sings to me

shweet!

Hmm, perhaps. Is it healthy to sing over raw meat?

Maybe it tenderises it?

Have a good Christmas, I'm going away for a few days I hope you've been good and that visits Don't shop too hard in the sales!

I had a very nice christmas, thankyou, and I hope you have a Happy New Year.

My cousins and aunt and uncle came over for a while, so I didn't go to any sales, as well because I was packing to go New Zealand. That was fantastic, I made lots of friends and was very sad to go.

Hope you had fund wherever you went

GP

Happy New Year! I had a nice Christmas, thanks. I visited my parents. It's lovely when someone else does the cooking I can imagine you had a wonderful time in New Zealand. Please excuse me while I go green with envy. I really should be writing some essays now I hate those first few weeks of the new year. Here's hoping this year is your best yet

Thankyou!

I had a fantastic New Year, being in NZ and all. But I miss everyone

It was my birthday the other day! A687107

GP

Happy Birthday What did you get?

I got these really cool socks that are like gloves, except for your feet!

They're very warm

GP

I've seen those. I thought they looked a little uncomfortable. Do they fit properly?

They're fantastically comfortable, and they fit in shoes too...toasty warm!

That posting made no sense to me until I went back and read the previous one. It was a little surreal taken out of context

How are things?

lol! I can imagine it might. Things are good, now that the school holidays have started! How's your life?

School holidays have started already? I'm green with envy. I'm currently stressed up to my eyeballs and finding there aren't enough hours in the day, days in the week, and I'm not getting enough sleep to be able to do everything I need to. Apart from that I'm good I'm not on h2g2 very often at the moment as I don't have time and it's too much of a disraction but I reply to all my postings eventually.

I'm looking forward to the next 2 months too as I've got some good things going on. I can't wait until May weekend. Only a few weeks to go. I'm ignoring the deadlines I have shortly after and I'm determined to enjoy myself. Hopefully we'll have good weather.

I'd better wade through some more backlog and then go to bed. I must write an essay tomorrow. It's a good job I bought a new jar of coffee and some chocolate today