. . "8"^^ . "4"^^ . "2010-08-13T00:00:00"^^ . "8"^^ . . "* Good concept, but rules are made to be broken! *\n\nPicture this - rushed guy with 15 minutes between meetings to pick up a gift for a friend's son. \n\nEnter the store (no children in tow, looking franctic). \n\nGreeted by a very friendly and almost Disneylike staff. (It's a Small World music chanting away on the speakers in the background.) \n\nShe: \"Hello, is this your first time?\"\n\nMe: \"Thank you. Yes. I need to find a gift for a friend's son.\"\n\nShe: \"Ok, let me explain how everything works.\" \n\nMe: (internal voice) \"Oy,\"\n\nShe: \"First you pick your new friend, then you pick a star to make a wish and place it inside your friend, and we stuff your friend, and then you get to dress it, and then you build a passport and take the pledge.\" \n\nMe: (internal voice) \"I wonder if we can short circuit this routine and get out of here in the 15 minutes I have?\" \n\nShe: \"I'll let you wander around and explore.\"\n\nMe: (internal voice) \"This one looks good. Ok, deal.\"\n\nMe: \"Ok, I'm set. Can I buy this one please?\" \n\nShe: \"But of course. Now follow me to pick the star.\"\n\nMe: (internal voice) \"Oy.\" \n\nShe: (paraphrase) \"Ok, the first star is this....The second is this.....\"\n\nMe: \"This one looks good, thank you.\"\n\nShe: \"Ok, place the star on your forehead and make a wish for the recipient.\" \n\nMe: (internal voice) \"5 seconds on the head should be enough, right?\" (hand star to her)\n\nShe: \"Ok, now would you it like soft, medium, or hard.\" \n\nMe: (internal voice) \"Huh?!?!?!?! Am I getting a massage?\" (confused look)\n\nShe: \"Let's go to the stuffing machine.\"\n\nMe: (internal voice) \"Phew.\"\n\nShe: \"I recommend medium.\"\n\nMe: \"Sounds good.\"\n\nShe: \"Ok, now when I say go step down on the stuffing pedal.\" \n\nMe: (internal voice) \"Um....Can't you just do this for me and speed things up a bit?\" (external voice) \"Ok.\" \n\nShe: \"Now we place the star inside so your wish stays with your friend and comes true.\" \n\nMe: (internal voice) \"Ok, can we move to the register now?\" \n\nShe: \"Now let's build the passport for your friend.\"\n\nMe: (internal voice) \"I'm glad I bypassed the \"Dressing your friend\" part by picking a costume before approaching her to stuff the bear. But oy....What now?!?!?!\" (external voice) \"Do you think I can send them in with their son to do this activity as it seems he might enjoy it?\" \n\nShe: \"Oh, ok. I'll give you a voucher for that.\"\n\nMe: (internal voice) \"Did she think I would prefer to do that rather than letting the kid do it? Really?!?!?!?!\"\n\nShe: \"Ok, let's ring you up.\"\n\nMe: (internal voice) \"Yeah, I might get out in time to make my next meeting!\" \n\nShe takes my payment, I sign the slip, and am ready to go. Not yet though apparently.....\n\nShe: \"Ok, now you have to take the pledge.\"\n\nMe: (internal voice) \"WTF?!?!?!? I've gotta go!\"\n\nShe: \"Put your hand on your chest and repeat after me.....\"\n\nMe: (quickly repeating the pledge)\n\nShe: \"Enjoy!\"\n\nMe: \"Thank you.\" (internal voice) \"Can't they deviate a bit from the routine when the kid isn't with you and you seem like you are in a rush?\" \n\nOverall, a very nice store, which is set up to be a lot of fun building your own plush toy. They seem to have a party room in the back, which I'm sure could make a great children's birthday party where everyone gets their own toy to go home with which they built themselves. \n\nThe bright side - my friend's son seemed to like his new friend so it was worth going through the \"procedure.\""^^ . "15"^^ .