Complementary Goods

I'm back in Singapore and staying with Nss this weekend. Nss lives in the red light district, which I thought to mean up-and-coming. On its way to gentrification.

Wrong.

This afternoon I went for a stroll, in search of a shop that sells eye makeup remover. Couldn't find any. But there was plenty else on sale. Too much actually. I'm feeling a little nauseous to be honest.

Anyway, I picked my way through the women-infested pavement, avoiding car doors opening and closing, trying not to interrupt any business transactions. And then came across the flea market of complementary products.

Men sat crouched over their dish cloths with their goods laid out. I took a closer look at the red pills on display and asked one of the chaps what it was for. He curled his hand into a fist, nodded and said, "very good." I nodded back, trying to look knowing and holding the same expression I would have if I were buying melons. Seeing that I was a potential customer, he opened up another cloth to reveal even more pills and other accessories and, oddly enough, gold watches.

Clearly somebody had done some careful market analysis and realised that gold watches and blue pills go together like pencils and rubbers ..erm.. erasors. Perfect complements.