Mood: Tired. (Squirt started belly playtime at 4:45am this morning!)
Quotable Quotes: Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers. --Daniel J. Boorstin
The Squirt Countdown: 103 days.
POD:
Back To School Sale in Jordan
About a month ago, I got a letter in the mail saying that the issuer of my Mastercard has decided to discontinue my particular type of credit card "for business reasons". Ok fine. As a result, I've been on the prowl for a new Cash Back Mastercard or Visa to replace it and *thought* I had found the perfect one. I say "thought" because I received my new Mastercard in the mail yesterday and called last night to activate it. Here's an almost word-for-word transcript of what took place:
Me: Hi, I'd like to activate my new credit card.
Mastercard Man (MM, obviously an Indian dude trying his best to speak in an Amreeki accent): Can I first just say what a lovely voice you have?
Me: Um, thanks.
MM: Can I ask you to speak a little louder please? I'm having a hard time hearing you?
Me: Oh sure, no problem. Sorry about that.
MM: Oh ma'am, please don't apologize. I'm going to be the only one saying 'I'm sorry' during this conversation, ok? (little did I know how true that statement would turn out to be)
Me: Um, ok.
MM: So how is the weather over there today?
Me: It's been fine. (I feel like I'm making it pretty clear that I'm really into anti-social credit-card-activators, but he doesn't seem to be understanding this.)
MM: My computer seems to be slow coming up with your information, so please be patient.
Me: No problem, I'm not in any hurry. (Why oh why did I have to say that???!)
MM: And how have you been today?
Me: Fine thanks.
MM: Ok, your information has finally come up on my computer screen.
MM: (verifies my identity with a slew of questions)
MM: Your card has now been activated.
Me: Thank you.
MM: Please delicately (yes, he used the word delicately) remove the sticker from the front of the card.
(loooooong pause...)
Me: Um, ok.
MM: Now please slowly (yup, slowly) turn the card over and sign the back of it.
(another loooooooong pause...)
Me: Um, ok.
MM: I'd like to take a moment to tell you about our Credit Card Protection Program.
Me: That's ok, I'm not interested in that.
MM: No please, it will only take a moment of your time.
MM: (Seriously goes on a 5 minute schpeal about all the wonderful features of the program, without taking a second to breathe, therefore not giving me any opportunity to interrupt and stop him.)
Me: No thank you, I'm not interested at this time.
MM: "At this time"? Does that mean you may be interested sometime in the future?
Me: Um, maybe, but not today. (Again, my stupidity...)
MM: So if you might be interested in the future, why are you not interested today?
Me: Because all I want to do today is activate my card, nothing else. Thank you.
MM: Can you give me a reason why you aren't interested in this program?
Me: I'm just not. I just wanted to activate my card.
MM: Come on, just give me one or two reasons why you aren't interested.
Me: Because I'm not interested.
MM: See? You can't give me a good reason.
Me: (At this point, my blood was boiling and I was tempted to just hang up... but I didn't because I didn't know if my card would be fully activated if I hung up mid-conversation.) Listen, I'm tempted to cancel my card during this phone call because I seriously feel like I'm being harassed by you. I just want to activate my card and nothing else.
MM: Oh I'm so sorry (see?!). I didn't mean to make you feel like I was harassing you. That's the last thing I wanted to do. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. Ok?
Me: Ok.
MM: Can I take this opportunity to tell you about our Identity Theft Protection Program?
Me: (Thinking... WTF????!) No.
MM: Ok, your card has been activated. Thank you.
Me: Bye.
(Click!)
Typing all that out, I'm still stunned that conversation even took place. WHAT WAS UP WITH HIM?! Did he seriously think I was playing hard-to-get with the whole Protection Program? That if he asked enough times and proved that I didn't have a good reason to say no, that I would change my mind? And then having the nerve to ask me about the Identify Theft Program?!
I felt like I was back in Mumbai, with vendor after vendor chasing after me practically begging me to buy a "Bag Madam? Bag? Bag Madam?" Sheesh.
Lastly, one of my recurring dreams happened again last night. I had my ostrich dream. The one where I wake up (in my dream) in the middle of the night and there's an ostrich staring at me and then the ostrich starts running around the room like a madman (madostrich?) and I have to figure out a way to get it out of the room. My new solution is to (still asleep, but now in real life) shake Shehrzad awake and yell, "You have to get the ostrich out!!!" He was so confused, especially when he opened his eyes and didn't see anything resembling an ostrich anywhere in the vicinity of our bedroom.
Daily Dose of Lubna: Another pediatrician class tonight!
Quotable Quotes: Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers. --Daniel J. Boorstin
The Squirt Countdown: 103 days.
POD:
Back To School Sale in Jordan
About a month ago, I got a letter in the mail saying that the issuer of my Mastercard has decided to discontinue my particular type of credit card "for business reasons". Ok fine. As a result, I've been on the prowl for a new Cash Back Mastercard or Visa to replace it and *thought* I had found the perfect one. I say "thought" because I received my new Mastercard in the mail yesterday and called last night to activate it. Here's an almost word-for-word transcript of what took place:
Me: Hi, I'd like to activate my new credit card.
Mastercard Man (MM, obviously an Indian dude trying his best to speak in an Amreeki accent): Can I first just say what a lovely voice you have?
Me: Um, thanks.
MM: Can I ask you to speak a little louder please? I'm having a hard time hearing you?
Me: Oh sure, no problem. Sorry about that.
MM: Oh ma'am, please don't apologize. I'm going to be the only one saying 'I'm sorry' during this conversation, ok? (little did I know how true that statement would turn out to be)
Me: Um, ok.
MM: So how is the weather over there today?
Me: It's been fine. (I feel like I'm making it pretty clear that I'm really into anti-social credit-card-activators, but he doesn't seem to be understanding this.)
MM: My computer seems to be slow coming up with your information, so please be patient.
Me: No problem, I'm not in any hurry. (Why oh why did I have to say that???!)
MM: And how have you been today?
Me: Fine thanks.
MM: Ok, your information has finally come up on my computer screen.
MM: (verifies my identity with a slew of questions)
MM: Your card has now been activated.
Me: Thank you.
MM: Please delicately (yes, he used the word delicately) remove the sticker from the front of the card.
(loooooong pause...)
Me: Um, ok.
MM: Now please slowly (yup, slowly) turn the card over and sign the back of it.
(another loooooooong pause...)
Me: Um, ok.
MM: I'd like to take a moment to tell you about our Credit Card Protection Program.
Me: That's ok, I'm not interested in that.
MM: No please, it will only take a moment of your time.
MM: (Seriously goes on a 5 minute schpeal about all the wonderful features of the program, without taking a second to breathe, therefore not giving me any opportunity to interrupt and stop him.)
Me: No thank you, I'm not interested at this time.
MM: "At this time"? Does that mean you may be interested sometime in the future?
Me: Um, maybe, but not today. (Again, my stupidity...)
MM: So if you might be interested in the future, why are you not interested today?
Me: Because all I want to do today is activate my card, nothing else. Thank you.
MM: Can you give me a reason why you aren't interested in this program?
Me: I'm just not. I just wanted to activate my card.
MM: Come on, just give me one or two reasons why you aren't interested.
Me: Because I'm not interested.
MM: See? You can't give me a good reason.
Me: (At this point, my blood was boiling and I was tempted to just hang up... but I didn't because I didn't know if my card would be fully activated if I hung up mid-conversation.) Listen, I'm tempted to cancel my card during this phone call because I seriously feel like I'm being harassed by you. I just want to activate my card and nothing else.
MM: Oh I'm so sorry (see?!). I didn't mean to make you feel like I was harassing you. That's the last thing I wanted to do. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. Ok?
Me: Ok.
MM: Can I take this opportunity to tell you about our Identity Theft Protection Program?
Me: (Thinking... WTF????!) No.
MM: Ok, your card has been activated. Thank you.
Me: Bye.
(Click!)
Typing all that out, I'm still stunned that conversation even took place. WHAT WAS UP WITH HIM?! Did he seriously think I was playing hard-to-get with the whole Protection Program? That if he asked enough times and proved that I didn't have a good reason to say no, that I would change my mind? And then having the nerve to ask me about the Identify Theft Program?!
I felt like I was back in Mumbai, with vendor after vendor chasing after me practically begging me to buy a "Bag Madam? Bag? Bag Madam?" Sheesh.
Lastly, one of my recurring dreams happened again last night. I had my ostrich dream. The one where I wake up (in my dream) in the middle of the night and there's an ostrich staring at me and then the ostrich starts running around the room like a madman (madostrich?) and I have to figure out a way to get it out of the room. My new solution is to (still asleep, but now in real life) shake Shehrzad awake and yell, "You have to get the ostrich out!!!" He was so confused, especially when he opened his eyes and didn't see anything resembling an ostrich anywhere in the vicinity of our bedroom.
Daily Dose of Lubna: Another pediatrician class tonight!
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