端午節馬上就要到了。
昨天下午,精神抖擻地出去買粽葉,糯米,準備周末包粽子。以前我自己曾經包過,雖然是比較麻煩,但經濟,味好,特別是選擇多。我準備包三種味:白味(澆楓葉糖漿),豆沙,和臘腸。
很快就買好了材料。
買來的粽葉
打道回家的路上,去了一個Shopping Mall 的雜誌店,準備買本雜誌,再買張電話卡,晚上給媽媽打電話。
雜誌店是一對來自中國的夫妻開的,還帶著兩個小孩子,一個三歲,一個八歲。
我常常到他們那兒買點東西,每次都要聊幾句。聽他們講,很不容易。店小利薄責任多。雜誌和報紙有20%的利潤;糖果飲料,雖利潤大,但銷量小;還有彩票,銷售大,但利潤隻有6%。他們一周營業7天。周五,周六從早上8點,開到晚上九點。幾年來,我從來沒看到他們休過假。
三點過,商場內人不多。我高高興興地走進他們店,看見兩個人都在那楞起,苦起臉。
問他們出了什麽事?
女的說,她剛才被人騙了。
有個很瀟灑的西男子,戴個墨鏡,來買東西。先要 $100的 fido電話卡, 又要了兩張 $20 的長途電話卡。要付錢的時候,他說等一等,又去拿了7,8本雜誌,一瓶飲料。女店主高興極了。這對她來說是一筆很大的生意。然後算賬,$200多。墨鏡白男,摸了下口袋,說是錢包在車裏。女店主忙說,你去拿吧,沒關係。墨鏡男一去不複返,女店主半天才反應過來被騙了。雜誌雖然沒拿走,但是,墨鏡男把價值上百元的電話卡放在兜裏拿走了。
兩個人起早貪黑,勤巴苦做。賣一份報紙隻賺0。15,不容易啊。就這樣被人一下騙了上百。
傾聽了他們的故事,我去拿了本雜誌,一張 calling card,又加了瓶水。。。
其實本來我也不需要買電話卡的。家裏有專線撥中國,打加拿大全部 "free", 月費$8.99。聽他們說,生意越來越難做。煙,書報雜誌的銷量每年遞減。所以,我不時找個借口,到他們店買點小東西,給一點小小的幫助。
People
這是我買的 Style Watch,(People 的時尚特別版)。交錢的時候,雜誌在收款機上掃瞄的時候,我一下就看見,$4。99。在這之前,我看了價格是$6。99。 然後馬上就問她,上麵的標價是$6。99?你怎麽輸入的是$4。99呢。這樣的話,你每賣出一本,不但賺不到20%,還要損失約$5。5 哦!兩個人,欲哭無淚的。他先生說,經常變了價格,雜誌公司不會通知。自己又顧不上檢查每本雜誌。我聽得心都酸了。因為像這樣的話,每賣一本雜誌,不僅賺不到錢,還要倒貼。也不知道他們已經賣出去多少本了。。。
回家的路上,無獨有偶,車裏的音頻裏,依依揚揚,似訴似泣,漾起一首“Angels to Fly”,那是一曲 “紅燈女” 斷糧無居的悲慘世界;
窗外的道德世界裏,寒雨,淒切,冰冷
問一聲,天使,你飛翔嗎?
不過,至少我知,那份包粽子的心,悵然而飛了!
附Angels to Fly歌詞及分析(網絡分享)
White lips, pale face Breathing in snowflakes
Burnt lungs, sour taste
Light's gone, day's end,Struggling to pay rent
Long nights, strange men
And they say ;She's in the Class A Team
Stuck in her daydream .Been this way since 18
But lately her face seems ,Slowly sinking, wasting
Crumbling like pastries And they scream
The worst things in life come free to us
Cos we're just under the upperhand
And go mad for a couple of grams
And she don't want to go outside tonight
And in a pipe she flies to the Motherland
Or sells love to another man
It's too cold outside For angels to fly
Angels to fly Ripped gloves, raincoat
Tried to swim and stay afloat
Dry house, wet clothes Loose change, bank notes
Weary-eyed, dry throat ,Call girl, no phone
And they say She's in the Class A Team
Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since 18 But lately her face seems
Slowly sinking, wasting Crumbling like pastries
And they scream
The worst things in life come free to us
Cos we're just under the upperhand
And go mad for a couple of grams
And she don't want to go outside tonight
And in a pipe she flies to the Motherland
Or sells love to another man It's too cold outside
For angels to fly Angels to fly
An angel will die Covered in white
Closed eye And hoping for a better life
This time, we'll fade out tonight
Straight down the line And they say
She's in the Class A Team Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since 18 But lately her face seems
Slowly sinking, wasting Crumbling like pastries
They scream The worst things in life come free to us
And we're all under the upperhand
Go mad for a couple of grams
And we don't want to go outside tonight
And in a pipe we fly to the Motherland
Or sell love to another man
It's too cold For angels to fly
Angels to fly To fly, fly Or angels to die
Yahoo Analysing:
It's written about a girl who is vulnerable, hence the reference angel, but life has dealt her a cruel hand and she's now homeless living on the streets. She's got a heroin addiction hence the pipe ref and the stuck in her daydream is ref to the drug induced state she lives in. She doesn't want to but can't fight her addictions and is forced into prostitution. The worst things in life come free to us is either a ref to her upbringing or the things in life that have happened to her that weren't her fault, or if people seem to tell her that she's just a waster like she just chooses this life at no cost to herself. Not sure about that one, beautiful tragic song. And the cold is ref to her life on the streets and how her life is too desperate fo her to find a way out. Sorry if i've reiterated the other answer in places cause i cant see it as i'm typing! :)
另:
People 雜誌封底,(我用縮小圖放在左中位置)是Nicki Minaj 所代言的口紅廣告。言稱收款將用於愛滋治療。雖用心良苦,但卻感道德上,主題間的矛盾荒唐。
邇東姐的朗誦傳達的都是善良和優美。
端午節快樂!
聽他們說,就是因為太高興了,以為做了筆大生意,所以就馬虎了。有些人,騙術也高明。
謝謝你的建議。
謝謝豆姐的好建議。
過幾天,我一定把你的經驗傳達過去。也佩服你的聰明才智和靈活創新精神。
也許你可以專門發一篇博文,介紹一點經驗。不然的話,但願看到你這段評論,想幹點事的網友,能有點借鑒。
他們看起來的確很老實。希望他們下次警惕性高一點。也許吃一塹,長一智。
人,是不完美的;所以,製度也是不完美的。
謝謝正義!
大俠情懷!謝謝留言。
謝謝誇獎!
我剛才聽見論壇花姐說,洛杉磯還更厲害,屬於 “家常便飯”。 加拿大的城市也許還好一點。
周末快樂!
謝謝誇獎!
你也是最美的!
能讚賞他人的,就是高尚和坦蕩的。
西門兄不愧;俠義柔情
那個男的騙了他們一百多。
我買的那幾樣東西,估計能有$4的利潤。
我剛才跑到他們店裏去問了一下,他們說安裝了攝像機和警報係統。說是隻能用來防備大的偷盜,還講出了另外一個故事:)
善良就是美呀。
因為;成本=6。99-20%
所以,那本雜誌的成本就是約 5。6。他們的利潤是20%,能賺1。4
---偶算術不好,看不懂。