A Happy Man

After anxiously waiting at the Internet Banking website to see my cheque succesfully turn into ready cash flow, I was off into a huff for the shopaholic ritual.

Before staring glazily at the numbers at my e-account, I actually sms-ed a few peeps to tag along as my shopping partner.

Apparently, EVERYONE WAS BUSY.

FWINE, nobody wanted to accompany me shopping to get over y-day flattened infatuation incident.

Vernon had something on, Eugene had classes, Wen Jun has job training, JM was slaving at NCC, Richmond & Clara has something on and Aaron & Irene had to write something defaming about how our school toilet stinks or something like that.

Well, on a positive note, no shopping partner is much MORE BETTER (trying to make myself feel better).

No second opinions to slap your hand away, no comments like "Are we done yet?" and "I need to go somewhere to look at something", no need to look out whether somebody is tired, thirsty or hungry and nobody to stop you from flashing your wallet openly to the various cashiers hungry for your moolah.

SEE. Shopping alone is so much more fun.

I shopped till I had to restrain myself.

Below are the full details of my shopping escapade:

My first destination was Sim Lim Square. The cowboy town for technological goods.

I walked up and down the escalators like 7 or 8 times, exploring all 6 (or was it 7?) floors before I made my purchase.

I got my 30 GB Hard Disk Drive combo. My first purchase. = )

Followed by a Logitech Marble Mouse and a Headset for JM.

I was then pondering should I go get an iPod, Creative's new Zen Touch or a Discman for army.

I thought precariously for 30 minutes. I was on the verge of getting the Zen touch after asking around for quotations (In Sim Lim, you need to ask around for the best prices) before I decided I needed to be practical.

I bought a Discman.

Alot of people will say I'm stupid. Now is the mp3 age. Discman is like SO 20th century. But there is an invisible law of the army where recordable stuff are not allowed, like CD-Rs and mp3s. Thus, I made a wise move. I feel. I'll get the Zen Touch when I'm bored of purchasing costly $15.99 CDs where only 1 track is only worth listening.

Leaving that place, I felt pretty pleased with myself as I restrained myself from grabbing Xbox games & nifty Xbox controllers and  Xbox accessories from the shelves.

As I had to teach tuition later in the evening, I proceeded onto Tampines.

This was where my mind went beserk.

It seemed that all the shop fronts were screaming "COME IN, WE HAVE A SALE, DUMB ASS"

The first stall that I popped into was Body Shop. I needed to get a body foam scrub for my dead skin tanned body.

They didn't have any but I was rather tempted to pick up a 500 ml bottle of Oceanus shower gel.

I behaved.

Next stall was Watsons. I managed to get a body scrub which cost 5 bucks but I uwittingly got a Nivea sun block lotion SPF 30 (swimming is tmr, that's why), a Breathspray (I don't know why I pick that up but it was 30%, itchy fingers me) and a pack of Mini M&Ms for JM's lil bro. 

Then, I mentally told myself. I should stop spending money. So, I made it a point that the Adidas concept store was my last stop.

Luckily, it had the old stock there so nothing caught my wallet's fancy.

I headed off to the direction towards the toilet, avoiding Isetan, Sportslink and Hush Puppies.

At the escalator, I saw the word SALE 50% off at Sports Connection.

I JUST HAD TO GO IN. I COULDN'T STOP MYSELF.

And fuck, I loved the items there. Most of the stuff there are like Deuter-type brands and backpacking items and I couldn't resist. $169 items were going at $80 plus.

I non-descriptly bought a pouch. But I'm going back again for a backpack either tommorrow or Saturday.

I just need a bag. Oh god, I feel like a woman lol. And sandals to go along with it?

Leaving Tampines Mall, I was rather pleased with my purchases. Who wouldn't be?

I was heading to KFC for dinner but I bumped into Lee Tat, old Hai Sing Catholic friend and the convo stop short my shopping fantasy trip.

But after a 10 minutes hiatus, I JUST had to drop into Challenger superstore to go look at some Xbox games and peripherals.

I gloss over the display with gleaming eyes. I so wanted to pick one game up and run out of there. What's worse, there is this mat where you lie on it and play Xbox games and the head cushion that supports your neck like an airplane seat will play surrond sounds and I SO wanna get that.

I folded my arms all the way, refusing to touch my perty wallet. And I left, with my wallet's ego intact.

So, I continued my way to KFC and I absent mindedly passed it because I saw a Game shop that was selling Xbox from afar. I'm such a sucker for shops with my straying eyes.

So as I ordered my sumptuous meal from KFC, which was a Satay burger meal, I investigated my purchases. I simply had NO regrets even though I've pretty much splurged half my cheque on this faithful day (or to be accurate, half a day).

I shall now list a breakdown of my guilt-free purchases from my cheque:

30 GB HDD Drive - $189
Logitech Marble Mouse - $49
Local Brand Headset - $18
Playworks (Xbox magazine) - $6
Sony D-NF600 CD Walkman - $190
Batteries for Discman - $10
Freebies like mug, post-it pads, calendar, 2 pens, a coaster - Free (duh!)
Watsons Body Scrub - $5
Pearlie White Breath Spray - $4
Bite size Mini packs of M & Ms - $4
Nivea Moisturising Sun Block Lotion SPF 30 - $16
Deuter X-Lite 300 Orange Pouch - $28
Newman magazine - $5

Not forgetting I pre-borrowed my father's credit card (Which I have returned him when I reached home) for a new line & Nokia 3120 with a 2 year StarHub plan - $200 (I paid him for 3 months bill in advance)

Total expenditure: $724

Wow, it is mind-blowing as I typed out how in half a day, I can exhaust what I have earned for working for 14 days as an account executive slave.

Before you think I'm going to stop there, I STILL have a shopping list.

3 good CDs from HMV
Dry food rations for army
Mini toiletries for army
Xbox controller
Xbox games (at least 3 which cost an average of $69 each)
Jeans (maybe...)
Slippers
Send a package to Holland to thank Kris (Must call Faith & Daphne...)

That is why I'm still going shopping tommorrow with Clara, June and Gwenne. I promise I will try to limit myself. But promises are meant to be broken. = )

On a side note, with regards to previous post, I've thought about it and discussed it with my best friend, maybe it is an infatuation because it's been so long since I really take a liking and had chemistry with someone and maybe I felt a strong affiinity of getting to really know her.

But then again, it's still pretty rare to hit it off straight with a stranger in a 15 mins conversation in a loud place right ? Also, comments like as long as she's not married, she's still fair game.

I just wanna say I don't subscribe to that theory but if I had spent more time with her, getting to know her inside out, maybe then, maybe I will then um, snatch it from her bf if she's slowly losing ground with her bf. What a fantasy if that happened. 

But then again, I had my shopping fantasy fulfilled today and nothing has OR will dampen my mood. One fantasy a day is enough. Thank you very much.

Happy preppy shopper,
Benjamin

P.S. Who said laughter is the best medicine? Apparently doctors don't go shopping.