Akuzange kuthathe intatheli ephenyayo ukuthola ukuthi kunezinkumbi zezivakashi zakwamanye amazwe e-San Francisco kuleli hlobo. Yehla ngo-Market Street futhi uma ungezwa okungenani izilimi ezintathu kumabhulokhi amabili, mhlawumbe kufanele ushintshe amabhethri kusizo lwakho lokuzwa.
Futhi, abakona nje ukubona indawo. Njengoba idola lixhuga ekushintshanisweni kohlobo lwemali, abathengi bamazwe ngamazwe bahlwitha amadili emashalofini, ngezinye izikhathi ngenani elinguhhafu.
"Hamba uzungeze i-Union Square," kusho uLaurie Armstrong, iphini likamongameli wezokukhangisa nokuxhumana weSan Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Uzobona abantu abakhuluma izilimi zakwamanye amazwe bephethe inqwaba yezikhwama zokuthenga zabaklami. Yinto enhle lena.”
Impela kunjalo. Kuhle kakhulu.
Yebo idolobha liyayibonga imali engenayo kulezi zikhathi ezinzima zomnotho. Futhi, ngokuqinisekile, akekho noyedwa ophatha kabi abangani bethu bakwamanye amazwe ngokusizakala ngezinga labo lokushintshisana nge-bonanza. Phela kwakungakabi kudala ukuthi idola laliqinile futhi abantu baseMelika babedabula ezitolo ze-Europe.
Yilokho nje - kuhle, kunzima ukungawuzwa umhawu omncane, akunjalo?
Thatha uKimberly Peinado, umqondisi wezentengiso ohlala eduze kwaseGolden Gate Park Panhandle. Yena nomyeni wakhe banomngane, umfana omuhle, okwenzeka engumshayeli wendiza waseBrithani. Lapho ezovakasha, uPeinado uyavuma ukuthi kufanele alwe “nomona wezivakashi.”
“Ungumuntu ojabule, othanda ukuba nabantu esimthandayo,” esho, “ngakho kungizwisa ubuhlungu ngaso sonke isikhathi uma ngizithola ngibala ukuthi ubiza kancane kangakanani uma siya esidlweni sakusihlwa.”
Ungazihluphi kangako Kimberly. Kuyenzeka.
UKevin Westlye, umqondisi omkhulu weGolden Gate Restaurant Association, uthi ziyadlondlobala izindawo zokudlela ezisendaweni yezivakashi. Abathengisi ukudla okubizayo kuphela, kodwa nabavakashi abazigodli nama-oda ewayini.
"Bonke bafuna ukuzama elinye lalelo wayini elihle laseCalifornia," kusho uWestlye. "Phela, ibhodlela lika-$150 lilinganiselwa ku-$90 kuphela (ku-$1.54 nge-euro ngayinye)."
Ngesikhathi esifanayo, uWestlye uthi, abantu bendawo, ngenxa yezikhathi ezinzima zezomnotho, “banciphisa, baphuza amawayini ashibhile.” Ngakho-ke ngeso lengqondo abantu baseMelika abahluzekile, beqhabula i-chardonnay yendlu, etafuleni elilodwa, kuyilapho iqembu elijabule laseBrithani, elishintsha imali ngenani elicishe libe ngu-$2 ngepondo ngalinye lesiliva, likhipha enye i-Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
Hhayi ukuthi kukhona obabayo, khumbula. Kulezi zikhathi ezinezinkathazo idolobha kufanele libe nesibindi ukuze libambe abantu abaningi abathenga izinto eziningi kakhulu.
“Kucace bha,” kusho uWestlye, “ukuthi siye sakhuthazwa yizinga lokuhwebelana eminyakeni embalwa edlule.”
Kujabulele ukukhuthazwa
Ngokwemvelo, izakhamuzi ziyakujabulela ukujabula. U-Doug Litwin ka-Noe Valley ukujabulele ukuqasha ifulethi eliyisipele ezivakashini ezimbalwa ezivela e-France, okuvele ukuthi zingabaqashi abakhulu.
Kodwa nakuba wayengabhekile ngempela ukuthenga kwabo, uLitwin akakwazanga ukuzibamba kodwa waqaphela wonke amabhokisi angenalutho avela ku-Pottery Barn, Macy's kanye ne-IKEA emgqonyeni kadoti.
“Nangempela bathenge ifenisha yale ndawo base beyishiya,” kusho uLitwin. "Ngicabanga ukuthi bacabange ukuthi, yini, imali ehlekisayo."
Kodwa umzuzu owahlaba ngempela kwaba yilapho izivakashi ezimbili zimemezela ukuthi zizoqasha imoto futhi zilibangise eChicago. ULitwin, ezama ukusiza, wababuza ukuthi bayaqaphela yini ukuthi igesi ingaphezu kwama-$4 ilitha.
"Bavele bahlehla bathi, kubo, i-USA kanye nentengo ye-gas iyimali yangempela," kusho uLitwin. "Yilapho-ke 'umona wezivakashi wamazwe ngamazwe' waqala khona ngempela."
Kungcono ukujwayela. Ezokuvakasha zamazwe ngamazwe zisendleleni ekhuphukayo kuphela. Ngokusho kwe-California Travel and Tourism Board, cishe abantu abayizigidi ezingu-5.2 abavela phesheya bavakashela eCalifornia ngo-2007, futhi abaningi bayeza. IJalimane, i-Italy kanye ne-India wonke abone ukukhuphuka kwamaphesenti angamadijithi amabili ngo-2007, futhi lokho akubandakanyi i-United Kingdom, eyahola wonke amazwe ngabangaphezu kuka-760,000. Kulo nyaka uwodwa, phakathi kukaJanuwari noMeyi, abahambi abangu-82,128 abavela e-United Kingdom bafike eSan Francisco International.
Futhi uthini wonke umuntu lapho ebuyela ekhaya? Nokho, mhlawumbe lokho uKatherine Grant, waseWaterford City, e-Ireland, angitshela khona ngezinga lokuhwebelana.
“Kuyamangalisa,” kusho yena. “Sizoya kwaTiffany nakho konke. Sithenge ifoni yePrada kanye nezibuko zelanga ze-D&G (Dolce & Gabbana), ebesingasoze sazithola e-Ireland.”
Oh yini heck, konke kuyathengiswa akunjalo?
Ngaphandle uma uhlala lapha.
Izinhlamvu zemali
“Bahlale benemali eningi,” kusho u-Peinado ekhuluma nomngane wakhe ongumshayeli wendiza waseBrithani kanye neqembu lakhe lasendizeni. "Ngimangele ukuthi ingakanani imali abanayo."
Okuyikho nje izivakashi ebezikulindele, ngokusobala. UBruno Icher, unkosikazi uLaure nendodakazi uMargot balapha bevela eParis. Beza behlela ukuyothenga izinto ezinkulu futhi abazange badumale.
“Wonke umuntu eYurophu, ithelevishini, amaphephandaba, nomagazini bakhuluma ngendlela eshibhe ngayo e-United States,” kusho u-Icher.
Eqinisweni, uMargot, osemusha oneminyaka engu-16 osemfashinini, wenza uhlu lwalapho ayefuna ukuya khona nokuthi yini ayefuna ukuyithenga ngaphambi kokuba afike lapha. Wayefuna ukuvakashela i-American Apparel, H&M, futhi athole isigqoko se-madras. Oh futhi enye into.
“Isikweletu sedola esinesithombe sikaBritney Spears,” kusho uMargot.
Kubo, cishe lalibukeka njengedola langempela laseMelika.
