Tuesday, September 02, 2008

[Brisbane] Little Hong Kong

Little Hong Kong
Market Sq Shopping Centre
Sunnybank

Little Hongkong @Market Sq
Tiny space with tables jam-packed together. It will be a torture to eat there in summer!

Char siew n roast duck rice
Mixed roasts rice AUD$12.xx

The roast meat were cold and tasted nothing spectacular. The rice even arrived less than warm. Sigh......

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Spring is officially here! But the rain came with it, orz......

So to celebrate the arrival of spring, I packed Princess into the car and off we went shopping jalan jalan.

First stop at Executive Chef in Southbank to pick up a 7" Kaiser springform cake tin and 4 flan/quiche tinplate. Early birthday gifts for meself, hehehoohoo *hyena laugh*.

Then made our way to Westfield Garden City looking for some fun (Princess not me). She went on the slide, played lego and we ate what else but Hanaichi, our all time fav.

Stopped at 'supermarket' to pick up mascarpone for some cake baking the following day.

BAD BAD choice. Should have just gone to another 'supermarket chain' across the road.

The girl with thin scarlet lips at the checkout was obviously having a bad day. It was fine when she didn't greet me (but she greeted customers before and after me). Threw my shopping around the counter and left them there, never once asked me whether I need a bag. Refused to open her mouth to me and pointed at the screen for the amount I needed to pay. As soon as I paid, didn't wait for me to gather my loose shopping or put my money away, she straight away scanned the next customer's shopping and straight they went into the plastic bags without the lady asking.

I then asked for a plastic bag, she put my stuff in the bag, hand it to me, without uttering any word.

A lovely day was officially ruined.

I felt like saying to her, 'good job, you deserve to be where you are.'

This is not the first time this kind of thing happened to me in THAT 'supermarket'. And I have seen other staff acted similarly to other Asian people.

There was one time I was at another branch and I saw a staff acted rather rudely (saying some abusive terms) to an Aboriginal family.

I never have such experiences while shopping at that other 'supermarket chain'. The staff are generally helpful and cheerful and warm. Even on sunday near to closing time.

What's up with the staff training there? This sort of things encouraged?

I am never setting my foot in any branch ever again.

If you're not European looking, I suggest you try shopping elsewhere. Unless you like the abuse and like being treated unfairly.

Next got me thinking, what will the world become if there is no 'Made in China'.

I may be of Chinese origin but I am not from China. But to most people here, if you're oriental looking, you are either Chinese or Vietnamese.

Imagine the world without, 'Made in China'.

That girl at that 'supermarket' counter might not even afford a tee shirt without saving for one. Might even have to forgo her kids' toys just to buy one plain tee-shirt.

From toothpaste to towel to sunglasses, our everyday needs intertwined with China. Unless everybody is able to afford Egyption cotton and Dior sunglasses. The cheaper options from China definitely does not burn a hole in most people's pocket and left most people with enough change to fulfil their other needs/wants like a holiday or mortgage payment.

Of course that's just a needle drop into a big ocean.

Imagine, just imagine, a world without 'Made in China'.

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