Thursday 28 August 2008

My Date with Lady Luck

Almost 99.8% of the population residing in the Middle East especially UAE are great believers in LUCK. The remaining 0.2%, I assume, are either too rich to care or too poor to dare….

Out of the 12 months in a year, every Mall retailer devotes atleast
10 months to Festivals, Sales & Promotions. For every 200dhs the customers spend, they get a Raffle ticket for 10 Cars, 100 Diamond Jewellery Sets, 1000 Mobile Phones & 10,000 Home Appliances. Ok maybe I’m exaggerating a bit but the jist of the above sentence is clear.

One of the biggest crowd puller is the Dubai Shopping Festival(DSF). It’s a 1 month extravaganza in Dec-Jan with super sales promotions. It’s a win-win situation everywhere….u spend money, you win. Depending on your luck, you can win a Lexus Car or it can be a spatula.

The reason I mention a vague item like spatula is because I won this very same spatula on the very first year of my stay here. My father-in-law was almost delirious with excitement & when he saw me silently questioning his mental stability, he was like “I’ve been in Dubai 23 yrs & haven’t won a pin till today”. And believe me, he has never lost hope…he is convinced that the BIG Prize is just waiting for him around the corner.

Every one of us secretly believes the same. Oh yes we poke fun at ourselves but all the same, very dutifully fill up the coupons, slip it thru the slit on the rotating glassbox & spin it atleast once to scatter our coupons into different corners as to give them all an equal chance.

One can’t help but believe the hype coz almost every other day Companies publish the photos & details of people who have won prizes from their promotions. And I know friends & acquaintances who have won refrigerators, cameras & home appliances in these promotions. And when last counted UAE had 59,000 millionaires in 2005 & 1/8th of the prizewinners fall into this bracket by default.

My better-half loves to buy tickets from the Duty-Free. These raffle tickets are valued at dhs.500 & the prize is 1 Million Dollars(the prizes sometimes vary). He is convinced that he’ll win it ‘atleast’ once. Huh!!! I call it a colossal waste of money & tell him to donate it to the poor. Atleast a few blessings will come our way. He just grins & says “Ok we’ll give the poor & buy the ticket”.

I never believed in these promotions where you just pay money & get a ticket, I’d rather make necessary monthly purchases & get a raffle ticket. Or invest it in the Bank & draw some interest on it. Ofcourse anybody living here can confirm that the interest rates at the banks here are a joke. And I guess 9 years in Dubai has rubbed some of the stardust into my eyes too.

Every month, on the day I get my salary I pick up a Postcard Millionaire Pack. For dhs.30 we get 4 postcards of Dubai with free postage which we can be mailed anywhere in the world. If you are lucky you get to win 100,000dhs & if are not then you win other small stuff.
I have been buying these packs for almost a year now and I have won 3 Hamburgers from Burger King & a grand total of 900 cash points(dhs 9.00 which can be redeemed at certain shops).
My relatives & friends are quite tired of receiving the same “gheesi-peeti” Dubaaaaiiii postcards which by now they are quite sure I must be getting free from somewhere.

But I haven’t lost hope…I’m very convinced that sooner or later Lady Luck will come my way.


p.s – So do you believe in Luck? Have you won anything to reinforce your belief in the Lady??

p.p.s – Anybody want to send me their address???? I can post some marvelous postcards from here.

p.p.p.s – FYI: Dhs 1.00 = Rs.10.50 on good days.

37 comments:

  1. ah! how thoroughly delightful.. nah i dont believe in luck.. but i believe that god listens to me when I really want him to..
    For example.. when I was in 7th sem engg.. my dad was intermittently not keeping well and once.. I was the only one home and I had a "crash course" .. which was very imp as i had skipped almost a month of lectures due to my dad's health problems... So I had to leave but I didnt want to.. stupid as it seems now.. but I was somehow convinced that dad myt die if i was not there to look after him.. so I prayed to god that the class shud get cancelled.. and it did :D

    This is like the very sad case.. there r easy caes like i wud get movie tickets even if we reach theatre in the nick of the time...

    My friends say that I have the mythical "black tongue" whatever!

    btw I would love post cards from you.. provided you write atleast a line on it at the back :D :D

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  2. Well I`ve been extremely unlucky as far as lottery tickets go. Never ever won anything - not even in bday party games! Here`s hoping you do,one of these days. Then you can share it with me :)

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  3. nope, i just dont believe in luck, ( too poor to care). Forget winning, i dont even know of a real life person in or around my life who has won.. oh wait, now i know of someone who won a spatula.. hehe:)
    but seriously, i think my luck truly sucks.
    and are u serious? 1 /8th of the millionaires here are by virtue of winning the tickets?seriously? :-O

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  4. :D My foot good luck! I have never won even that spatula. And now I am too poor to care. I'd rather keep the lottery ticket money. And don't u tell me u haven't won anything woman! You win stuff all the time. And I am sure u'll walk away with a million bucks one day. And the money you pay me for keeping the faith will make me rich!!!

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  5. me too..blv in all this...but mera number kabhi nahin aata :(...i was once about to win 1000 bucks on a FM show...but cudn't get the answer right ..buhuhuhuu....i wud luv to hav the postcard :)

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  6. i sorta hvnt decided as yet if i believe in luck or not...i think in some corner of my heart i do...but m kinda scared to say it out loud...you see its not kool these days to have 'stardust in your eyes' - loved that line btw! :)

    i would love to visit dubai!! yes yes u can send me postcards! i looove getting postcards!! :D

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  7. very diffcult question:), I certainly believe in luck,but I have never won any lotteries, hough I win in most of the games:)
    I have seen many friends who are lucky and they always win whether it is Tambola or lucky draws.
    My family even if wins something it s always a small item.

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  8. this isn't meant as a comment. just sayin hi. sorry but didn't have your email id. practical exams still going on :| i'm on brb!!! they get over on the 2nd

    hope you ok

    *hug!*

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  9. winnie: have to agree with u here....if God is with U, then u r lucky by default.
    Pleasure to send u a postcard...Mail me ur address at lexaxel@gmail.com.

    piper: Ever heard of the saying "unlucky in lottery, lucky at love:-)

    ish: I'll forgive u for talking like this coz u r just a yr old in Dubai:-P
    Heehee I might have tampered a bit with statistics at this point but it is a fact that a % of ppl here are millionaires by default.

    bins: Dont exaggerate & give all my blogger friends the wrong impression:-o. other than tht spatula, i've won some books, thts it.

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  10. prakhar: Sheesh, I can just imagine. Never u mind where there is asha there is always nirasha ooops I meant paribasha...oh no I meant Abhilasha:-D. By now u must have guessed my hindi is not the gr8test nor am I a poet;-P
    will be pleased to send u a postcard...Mail me ur address at lexaxel@gmail.com.

    sunshine: I know exactly what u mean. Sometimes when I want something to happen badly, I dont talk abt it coz I feel talking abt it may make it not happen.
    will be pleased to send u a postcard...Mail me ur address at lexaxel@gmail.com.

    renu: Hey winning Tambola is great. this brot back memories..around 20 yrs back I won the 3rd prize Rs.30 at tambola, my father was so pleased he immediately bought all his friends thums-up for rs32;-P

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  11. yeah, the good old lady is very much in existence. For me it comes in very small portions. Like in a game of Tambola i will just win a line or corners to break even with my spending on ticket etc.

    My elder son has won a few items like watch, travel bag etc by entering some contests on telephone while watching TV. During the Oscar awards ceremony on Star Movies a few years back they were asking whether movie "Lagan" will win Oscar and he said NO on telephone. He won a big travel bag along with some computer accessaries.
    I am sending you my address on your mail.

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  12. ha Ha..You know I came to dxb during dsf and religiously filled all the coupons..i still do at all the duty free`s..but no million dollars or lexus or even a spatula!!
    and last i came i called the local fm station frantically to ans THE QS and win 600dh...no luck there too :-(
    Though must admit my daughter won a bicycle at a local mall...

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  13. Balvinder Singh: Seriously winning anything in our country is like...seriously lucky. More than half the contests put up by companies in India do it just for publicity & then conveniently forget about it. I myself have experienced it so many times:-S.
    Will be pleased to send u a postcard:-)...Mail me ur address at lexaxel@gmail.com.

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  14. my space: Really!!! Winning a bicycle is good, ur daughter must have been thrilled.
    But u knw, the FM contests work...I have a cousin who used to win all the 1st prizes at these Fm contests that they banned him from participating. The smart fellow that he was, he then made his younger brother answer the questions & WIN:-D

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  15. Hey nice post. I absolutely believe in luck. And I also believe that everyone is lucky. It just depends who you face, whether that person's luck is stronger than yours or the other way round.

    I have also religiously been filling out raffle coupons but to no avail.But I have to admit, I also won the first year in Dubai - a 1 gram gold bar! I got some shrugs from my fil who had to go all the way to the gold souk to get the prize! He spent more than what it cost at that time!

    I have also won a digi camera and a PSP(which I forgot to collect!-see easy come easy go). But I still havent won anything worthwhile - anything worth gloating about...

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  16. ah- you read my mind- I definitely want one of those postcards AND of course the chance to help YOU win the GRAND prize :)!!!

    A spatula-- great first prize- and it shows you have what it takes to win- me, I've won very few things in my lifetime- I think an extra fries or I think one time I won a ticket somewhere. I was at a banquet and it was the mystery prize- under my chair.

    Alright, I'll be looking for the postcard:

    Connie Ong
    7746 40th Street West
    University Place, WA
    USA 98466

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  17. yoo hoo Nance! I've never won anything either...haven't spent much on the lottery stuff either...so not sure if I'm lucky or not. But generally in life, I think I've been lucky enough! :) Have played lotsa tambolas where I'll always have the last number to cross out when someone wins the row or house or whatever!!!

    p.s. I'm back...thanks for checking up on me again...what with the vacation and some work after the vacation, not getting time to post anything.. :((

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  18. Well you never know when luck can turn your life around.It sometimes takes only a second for things to change DRASTICALLY--and I don't mean always for the good.
    I ahve won many things in promos like these--more than luck, they all involved some slogan writing (and I love doing that) :-)
    Cheers
    preeti

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  19. That was such a sweet post. mmmm.... i don't believe in luck at all. Infact against buying lottery tickets etc... but the only time i had been at the Dubai airport i filled out pages and pages of raffle ticket while we did the duty free shopping... so he he heeeee i know we all hope even the seemingly steady minded ones....

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  20. i got a black tongue...

    u r winning the next lottery u take...go for the big one..

    when u win...share the price..

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  21. deeplydip: Gold!!!better than a spatula anyday. Atleast when u tell people that u won gold, it has some weight.
    I'm sure its bcoz u believe in luck. more than 95% of the time I dont believe I'll ever win anything, I'm sure thats why LL also doesnt think I deserve to win;-P

    anjuli: aaaah my 'trademark' postcards are getting some long overdue attention;-P.
    One postcard from Dubai will reach u in 2 weeks time:-D

    zombey: Really!!! Thank U.

    wannabe: always edged out at the nth minute huh??? U r telling the story on my life:-P.
    And Welcome Back;-D

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  22. ps: yes it takes but just a minute for ur luck to change....sometimes for the worse. Actually I'm always aware of tht fact & at the end of the day never forget to thank God for the 'normal, boring days'.
    And yeah even me...I love these slogan writing contests...sometimes I think I shd have become a copywriter or something;-o

    preethi: ohhh yess, hope!!!!! We sometimes live an entire life based on this emotion.
    Happy to see u here:-D!!!!!

    tys: Thanks!!!!I'm overwhelmed with so much emotion that the Nirupa Roy in me is blubbering out "Beta, tere moo mein ghee-shakkar"

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  23. I think it is this country.....when my mum was in India, she never gave a damn about any contest, but a few months after living in the UAE, she also got all excited about it. So we tried at the supermarkets giving away the fancy cars, airport duty-free giving away even more fancy cars, the banks giving away millions, before finally settling on National Bonds (hey FYI, this is a good investment option too....best rate of interest in the UAE & if you're lucky :) a chance to win them millions!)

    Lady Luck still hasn't smiled, or even glanced at us, but Mum still waits :D

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  24. I believe you make your own luck.

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  25. shalom: In India we are all aware that quite a bit of these raffles is rigged, so there is no expectation.
    But here the scenario is different. while I'm not saying that there r no raffles which r not rigged, u have to admit there r more chances to win out here. Cant blame ur mom 1 bit for believing in Luck.
    Yes, National Bonds are a good investment:-D.

    agnes: Aaaah....a non-believer!!!Suppose u went to the supermarket & bot some groceries. The next day they call u & say u won a car.....
    what do u think?????
    That u got lucky, right!!!!!
    I mean 1000's of people bot stuff but they didnt win...u won.
    So is tht luck or what????

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  26. Hi Reflection,

    Iam visiting your blog for the first time.,. So thought why not reflect my thoughts on your reflections ;)

    Ok about the Lady Luck,i like to quote some quotes.

    "“Luck has a peculiar habit of favoring those who don't depend on it”"

    Its like the more we are hanged on to something, it will seems it is evading us. Hence the real secret is to not to be madly behind it.,. :)

    And the part about ,spending money for poor people is a welcome thought. An anon-saying,

    “A person does not seek luck; luck seeks the person”.

    Hope the above attitude will indeed bring u some unexpected surprises :)

    Ok as for the postcards, i would be glad to get them... As a well wisher !! :)

    Would love to hear your comments about my blog !!

    Keep Getting Luckier !!

    Cheers.

    Prashant
    *+

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  27. come to think of it, we have won suitcases, music system, and many cash prizes also like best dressed man and woman,best dancer by my daughter.many of my letters also have brought me lot of prizes like from Femina,Filmfare etc.and i alwyas used to win the party games.
    so may be I am lucky in that:)

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  28. prashanth:
    “A person does not seek luck; luck seeks the person”.
    Oh yes, totally agree with u. But the same logic goes with ill-luck also;-P
    Will be glad to send u a postcard. Mail ur address to lexaxel@gmail.com

    Renu: Aha....U lucky, lucky person!!!! Seriously, if everybody thinks hard enoff, they realise that there have won a lot in life. its just that we human beings have a tendancy to focus more on the ill-luck favouring us rather than the luck.

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  29. I don't know if i have to say Welcome to the club of believers or admit me in your club. Though I have won prizes thro fm channels but not one thro raffles.

    Hope you are not dropping coupouns where I am dropping!!!!LOL! Anyways all the best!!!!

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  30. i believe in circumstance, not luck :) i also believe that your chances of winning the lottery are roughly the same whether or not you actually buy a ticket :|

    address? not on here. email address(es) on my profile tho :D

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  31. hey nancy, long time, nothing about your two little angels?

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  32. maddy: Hehe a lil bit of both I guess. All the best to u too:-D & keep me posted if u win anything...

    g-man: aaaah look whose back!!!!! its a plane....its a .....
    Noooo its g-man!!!!
    [Note: this sentence is inspired by a post from ur blog]
    The circumstances u are talking about is favoured by luck.

    renu: so sweet of u to ask but its been a terrible week:-o. will be posting today if I find the time in between office work;-P

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  33. Reflections, LOL.

    I do believe in luck! I just think your luck might have something to do with you.

    But I am all for winning that car in the supermarket!

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  34. Agnes: Ofcourse Luck has everything to do with U....
    I'm keeping my fingers crossed for u:-).....for THT car

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  35. LUCK = Laboring Under Correct Knowledge.

    Destination Infinity

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