The brand pyramid
17 juin 2010
The workshop has some charms. Behind the layers of grease and dust, one can find tools and spare parts.
We prefer using our own tools, new and clean. Nasser drives us to the tool market, a long endless street with shops one after each other selling all the same
products. How to choose...
In Afghanistan there are 5 categories to qualify products. Its common knowledge one should know when shopping for anything from electric appliances to cosmetics.
A very rigorous hierarchy, established according to the predicted life-time of the product. You need time to get to know how it works here are some tips to help you if you go there.
Chinayi (Chine) usually doesn’t work even before you buy it, the cheapest.
Pakistani (Pakistan) can work I for lucky at least one week max.
Irani (Iran) a pretty good deal comparing to what you find, be careful some are fake !!!
Allemagne (Germany) This word is gold that’s why people tend to put them everywhere to guaranty there goods. The Best product you can even think of. If it’s German, it will be obvious by the MADE IN GERMANY printed all over it in big font, which german companies would never do.
We decide to purchase the GERMAN wrench set, a hammer, pliers, files and other tools. twice the price of the Chinese version. But at least we won’t need to buy it again before we hit the road. We then go back to the workshop so we can start working. The nuts are a bit rusty but we should get them out easily with our German wrenches. One, two, three nuts out, four is the last one, the wrench just splits into two … Thank goodness I didn’t get the Chinese version … what would have happen ? The best thing to put you in a good mood...
Thinking there are factories designed to build products that last a few minutes puzzles me …but I am quickly back to reality when Nasser Calls my friend Landry for the 10th time asking him how is he doing…
The bus is totally naked now.
The end of the day is just stuning , the sun sets on the mountains sharply cutting the deep blue sky. When you are too tired of dust all around you just have to look up in the sky to enjoy the amazing afghan blue sky that’s a good little trick.
