i have been busying myself these past 2 weeks with a most important activity: shopping! that's right, i've been making my humble contributions to the singapore economy in the department stores and christmas sales that just seem to be everywhere at the moment.

the exciting thing of last week was checking out vivocity, which is the perfect place for buying clothes and eating food. mark and i were likewise transformed into almost-perfect pigs at food republic, which i somehow think is nicer there than at wisma. maybe it's cos the ice kachang seems bigger! oh and vivo also has a chocolate shop which is incredibly well-hidden in their spanish corner, and i suspect it will become a Favourite Place in time to come. i think the 'hypermarket' is a disappointment though, i mean hello: only 1 aisle for biscuits/cookies?? clearly we are not in business here. otherwise i think the other shops are like a high-class version of far-east, accompanied by similarly high-class prices. the forever21 boutique is HUGE though, plus i got a free pocket mirror with battery-powered diva lights cos i registered on the first day. oh, the perks of shopping adventures!

earlier on, i was shopping mostly for myself due to a bout of selfishness, which i like to think was brought on by the 4-month period of repression which is the vibrant university life of an m1. my 'selfish' theory is very simple really; it's best to develop it during christmas because 1.everyone will be getting presents from everyone else and so they won't miss the absence of yours and 2.nobody will be expecting it and it's always better to strike when you have the element of surprise. contrary to the entire spirit of christmas i know, but sometimes something has just gotta give and you better be glad it's not your sanity. (coincidentally, i find that a very comforting and needless to say, convenient, excuse for most of my shortfalls.)

anyway, i'm sure everyone will be pleased to hear that my christmas cheer has since been revived, and i've discovered that i also acquire some satisfaction in finding the 'perfect' gift for someone other than myself. unbelievable, i know! of course the joy of possession is compromised, but hey, you get to carry it home in a shiny shopping bag and fondle it lovingly while you wrap it up. there is like, a hidden meaningfulness in the whole season of giving. i should be a regular santarina!

all in, i must say that re-acquainting myself with orchard road has been an invigorating exercise, but has come at a price though. so i'm glad i'll be coaching for the next 2 weeks cos that'll cover my losses adequately, i hope. and apart from a very tight left tibialis anterior, my only other gripe is the severe lack of comfort in our public transport system.

in conjunction with that, i have also realised a newfound hatred for short people with fat licey hair (SPWFLH). this is why: the other day i happened to be squashed in the MRT right behind one of aforementioned SPWFLH, and i was cursing everytime the train drew to a halt and inertia sent the woman's thick bush of dry hay right into my face, thereby smothering the living daylights out of me. apart from the obvious hazard of suffocation, i think it's hard to imagine how truly traumatising it is to be caught in such an impossibly unfortunate position. a hairy situation indeed, and a dry smelly one at that. i think women with bushy, invasive hair should at least have the courtesy of conditioning it before forcing it into someone's face. PEOPLE, THIS IS SO UNGLAM! i definitely have a new thing to add to my list of Annoyance Factors.

anyway, i have been thinking about how i can avoid similar situations in future, and i've thought up a number of ways of ensuring you don't have to stand on the mrt. the best option is to beat off old people and pregnant women to get that last empty seat, although ideally you should go for the elderly first because pregnant women can give you dirty looks which are amazingly penetrating and difficult to ignore. i bet it's all the water retention and swollen ankles! but don't worry, they could probably do with the exercise anyway. plus, some other young punk will surely give up their seat soon enough and avert any unpleasant/guilty episodes of them keeling over and fainting. just remember: it need not be you!

merry christmas, everyone :D