It is winter, the season that allows the duck and me to stay in without feeling guilty. The only outside activity that we do enjoy despite the cold temperatures (fortunately there hasn’t been any snow yet as the shoes from the duck and my totally unsuspicious trip to Hikarigaoka two years ago have finally become leaky) is going grocery shopping: When I put on my newly holey shoes, don my 108 yen winter hat and grab my tote bags I’m already in a wonderful mood for food despite the prospect of having to go outside. Add a nice podcast to the mix (Reply All is my current favorite walking to the shops podcast while I’m waiting for the new season of Flash Forward) and there’s not much that can make my day any better, apart from a lack of rain and the opportunity to use a loyalty card or app for some nice little bonus points or discounts while I’m buying my chocolaty essentials. Since my phone is counting down the days until it can retire, the duck and I much prefer physical cards; there’s just something magical about scanning stuff (I have enjoyed working at a cash register way too much in the past! I think video games may have conditioned me to feel happy whenever I hear a ‘beep’ of success).
Look! The duck has found a few physical cards to pose with! In order to share with you just how much we love loyalty programs (there aren’t many airlines we haven’t joined the loyalty program of – I suppose we’re playing their game wrong), the duck and I decided to, once again, compose a beautiful piece of fauxetry (also because we so regret not having signed up for any loyalty programs in Japan because our Japanese skills were, and still are, horrendous). This time we decided to go with a free verse poem since we’re finally embracing our laziness this year and can’t be bothered with too many rules:
A loyal friend
The duck is obsessed with those machines that let you scan(!) your card, activate coupons and exchange points for shopping vouchers right on site!
When we go out to shop for food
we are filled with glee
when shops express their gratitude
and award our loyalty.
While we collect the things we need,
like cookies, oats, and tea,
we are thrilled when the receipt
shows we got points for free!
Be it for snacks, or jars, or flights,
we surrender readily
for vouchers, discounts: sheer delight-
our claim to privacy!
Our loyalty is not absolute
(for stinginess prevails)
but if a product’s price is good
the enticement hardly fails!
Now, dear reader, we’d love to know
what you think of it all:
loyalty rewards – yes or no
(rhymes are optional)?
The Duck in... side 