Usually, our family tends to avoid the chaos known as Boxing Day sales. The last time that we may have braved sale-hunting around Christmas Eve and Boxing Day was way back in the day when Chadstone wasn't that big and Borders hadn't made its presence known yet. And even then, parking was a gas-guzzling venture. However, I decided (or more accurately, Dad decided) to venture to Chadstone to see what sales there were on tablets like the iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy 10.1.
I've never been to Asia or any other place where population density is high. Though, I have a secret suspicion that Chadstone Shopping Centre on Boxing Day is the closest that I'll get to knowing the feeling of being so unpleasantly acquainted at close quarters with a complete stranger's rear side, and in turn, a stranger being so familiarized with my rear end. Having said that, I think it may have been more disagreeable to the person behind me since we ran to Chadstone and I had yet to steal a free spritz from the perfume counters at David Jones. Ah, first world problems.
Dog's breakfast aside, Chadstone managed to amaze me. Its tagline is 'Fashion Capital' but I beg to differ and propose to rename it as 'Stereotype Mecca'. It was as if every typecast imaginable had come out to play. There were the cashed-up bogans, identifiable by their small Guess handbags, big sunglasses and Havaianas-clad feet, who twittered about outside Tiffany and Co. Then the hoards of fob Asians made lines of 7m or so outside Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci and Burberry. In David Jones around Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss, the uptight upper-middle class suburbia was present too. The skateboarder/punk-ish teenagers with their long side fringes under caps flocked to Vans. Even the tweens and young high schoolers were out in their groups giggling outside Valley Girl and Forever New.
Turns out DJ wasn't having a sale on iPads and JB Hi Fi was way too crowded for us to have a proper glance at the Samsung Galaxy tablet (the Asian guy behind us showed his impatience by precariously hovering near us. His olfactory loss I suppose). So we may have been among the few to leave Chadstone without making a contribution to the economy. The magic of Boxing Day sales were lost on us but hopefully for all the others it wasn't. I mean, I would hope that they'd find something worth the parking havoc.
New Years sales anyone?
Monday, December 26, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Random Snippets On... Christmas carols
Probably due to my lackluster attitude towards Christmas this year, I haven't been keeping track of the dates that closely. So I was pretty surprised to find that it was already the 23rd (no wonder Box Hill was so busy), meaning that I only have 2 and a bit days to legitimately enjoy my favourite Christmas carols such as God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Carol Of The Bells.
I often feel guilty listening to Christmas carols during the non-December months (which is why I feel it's slightly ridiculous for shopping malls to play Christmas jingles in November. It's like premature... well, something untimely). It's as if I'd be sucking away at the Christmas magic, making the coming Christmas not as wonderful. A silly superstition I know, but I did believe in Santa until I was 11.
I must have been a gullible child.
Anyway, I think you should check out this video by The Piano Guys:
A warm Merry Christmas to you :)
I often feel guilty listening to Christmas carols during the non-December months (which is why I feel it's slightly ridiculous for shopping malls to play Christmas jingles in November. It's like premature... well, something untimely). It's as if I'd be sucking away at the Christmas magic, making the coming Christmas not as wonderful. A silly superstition I know, but I did believe in Santa until I was 11.
I must have been a gullible child.
Anyway, I think you should check out this video by The Piano Guys:
A warm Merry Christmas to you :)
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Mundane Happenings #6
- The above photo is the fruit of my culinary labours. It's supposed to be sujebi à la K.L. style but after looking at the image it really doesn't look like anything at all. But that's okay because it tasted freakin' amazing. And even though it may sound like self-flattery, my praises are actually directed to the one ingredient that makes anything taste infinitely better: sesame oil.
I maintain that sesame oil is the Asian answer to Nigella Lawson's "quarts of heavy cream" that she seems to add to dishes. Butter be buggered. Sesame oil can sizzle my saucepan any day. ;)
- Instagram is amazing. It makes pictures look better than they actually are. Proof? Above photo. The original really wasn't that appealing.
- Finally went to the dentist to have teeth cleaned. Is it awkward to stare at the dentist's eyes while having any dental work done? I mean, I find it quite fascinating trying to catch a glimpse at my own mouth in the reflection of the dentist's glasses. But then again, I guess it would be unnerving to have someone staring at you for more than ten minutes. Oh well.
- This site tickled my heart: HJ Story.
- Christmas cheer hasn't hit yet. I'll be the Grinch for a little longer yet.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Random Thoughts On... Napkin hoarding
I find that one of the annoying things about washing clothes is the need to empty out clothes' pockets of their contents. More than once, I've had the misfortune of taking out my clothes from the washer and finding them covered with the telltale white confetti of a tissue left in a pocket somewhere.
One time, I happened to be checking my jean's pockets prior to washing and found a number of napkins stashed away in each of the pockets. These napkins were taken from a variety of fast food eateries and unassuming Asian restaurants that keep their pile of napkins out in the open for anyone to take. With such a plethora of free napkins out there, why would I ever pay for a pack of tissues like these:
I never gave much thought to my serviette-amassing activities until a friend asked for a tissue. Being an obliging person, I reached into my bag to offer what happened to be a serviette from Nandos. The "Are you serious?" look crossed the friend's face, followed by the "Anything but a Nandos serviette!" look when he realised that no one else had a spare tissue available. This brought me to wonder whether napkin-hoarding was really the road to take.
The only other viable alternative I'd recognise is carefully folding up tissues from a tissue box and storing them away because I point-blank refuse to buy a pack of tissues (above) that cost more than a whole box of tissues. But then again, the only difference between folded up tissues and folded up serviettes is that the latter may have some logo emblazoned on it. And the way I see it is that whenever I blow my nose with the serviette, I spend no extra money and I do some free advertising while at it. It's a perfect win-win situation.
I also refuse to believe that I'm the only person who does this. Ignorance is bliss.
One time, I happened to be checking my jean's pockets prior to washing and found a number of napkins stashed away in each of the pockets. These napkins were taken from a variety of fast food eateries and unassuming Asian restaurants that keep their pile of napkins out in the open for anyone to take. With such a plethora of free napkins out there, why would I ever pay for a pack of tissues like these:
 |
| via Listia |
I never gave much thought to my serviette-amassing activities until a friend asked for a tissue. Being an obliging person, I reached into my bag to offer what happened to be a serviette from Nandos. The "Are you serious?" look crossed the friend's face, followed by the "Anything but a Nandos serviette!" look when he realised that no one else had a spare tissue available. This brought me to wonder whether napkin-hoarding was really the road to take.
The only other viable alternative I'd recognise is carefully folding up tissues from a tissue box and storing them away because I point-blank refuse to buy a pack of tissues (above) that cost more than a whole box of tissues. But then again, the only difference between folded up tissues and folded up serviettes is that the latter may have some logo emblazoned on it. And the way I see it is that whenever I blow my nose with the serviette, I spend no extra money and I do some free advertising while at it. It's a perfect win-win situation.
I also refuse to believe that I'm the only person who does this. Ignorance is bliss.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Mundane Happenings #5
- As much as my parents like IKEA, I no longer find the novelty of the place that appealing. It might be because the food at IKEA is almost exactly like college food (meatballs and gravy anyone?). So it's not somewhere that I would particularly want to visit every week. But because my parents have held a fondness for the place ever since their twenties, they like to go there as a replacement cafe that provides free coffee. Oh so Asian.
Anyway, the parents decided to walk to IKEA today and I wascoerced gently urged to also go under the guise of 'family bonding'. The results are aching legs, a slight tan and horrendous hat hair. It's times like these when I'm secretly relieved that the chances of anyone I know driving past me are relatively low. I probably looked like the biggest dork ever.
- Berry picking! So so much fun and so so delicious! Truthfully, I was only interested in the raspberries but the blackberries were pretty good too. The drive to and from was quite hilarious as well, starting with J's 2 minute long struggle of leaving on his right-hand indicator (captured on video for posterity :D) and continuing with the GPS leading us to a 4WD-only dirt track instead of Miss Marples Tea Room.
- I'm obsessed with We Found Love by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris. Thank you J for your good taste in music. :D
- Hello summery days! Last week's weather was cold and gloomy :( but I'm glad it's warm and sunny now.
- Weeding apparently does wonders for the quads (Whittling away thunder thighs since the summer of '11!).
- G's b-day celebration was awesome and it was so good seeing (almost) everyone. My arms hurt from SingStar Dance. Clearly my arms are not conducive to dancing (as SingStar Dance seemed to agree with it's constant flashings of 'Awful').
Anyway, the parents decided to walk to IKEA today and I was
- Berry picking! So so much fun and so so delicious! Truthfully, I was only interested in the raspberries but the blackberries were pretty good too. The drive to and from was quite hilarious as well, starting with J's 2 minute long struggle of leaving on his right-hand indicator (captured on video for posterity :D) and continuing with the GPS leading us to a 4WD-only dirt track instead of Miss Marples Tea Room.
 |
| via waywardwandering.com |
- Hello summery days! Last week's weather was cold and gloomy :( but I'm glad it's warm and sunny now.
- Weeding apparently does wonders for the quads (Whittling away thunder thighs since the summer of '11!).
- G's b-day celebration was awesome and it was so good seeing (almost) everyone. My arms hurt from SingStar Dance. Clearly my arms are not conducive to dancing (as SingStar Dance seemed to agree with it's constant flashings of 'Awful').
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Random Thoughts On... No Ps, no anxieties!
Despite how certain people bag me out about the possibility of becoming a 21 year old without any working drivers license, I find that there are a number of benefits to my current situation.
#1 The Health Benefits
Not being able to drive anywhere means the utilization of the often-forgotten medium of transportation: walking. Need to get somewhere <8km away without any particular sense of urgency? No problem! Just walk there! Walking to your destination may just work off the heavy lunch you ate (which you tried to justify as brunch). Sure, it may be a little degrading when fit geriatrics overtake you when going up that not-so-steep hill, but act all nonchalant and as if it's only by choice that you happen to be walking at that slow pace. After all, slow and steady wins the race.
Let's also not forget that walking to your destination may just work off that heavy lunch you ate (which you tried to justify as brunch). With summer here, you might need all the help you can get. No beached whales here!
#2 Getting In Touch With Nature Benefits
What better way is there to get in touch with local flora and fauna than to walk? By walking, not only are you able to better appreciate hayfever-inducing pollens, but you're also able to observe which birds species have a tendency to swoop (For the record, Noisy Miners seem to be audacious enough to swoop at humans). And imagine, you can better enjoy any inaccuracies of the Bureau Of Meteorology's weather reports. Those safely-cocooned drivers may not even realise the sudden temperature drop until they arrive at their destination, but you'll know when it happened exactly. Ah, how lovely Mother Nature is.
#3 Saving The Planet Benefits
Any walker will be the hero of any die-hard environmentalist. I may take longer than three minute showers, and I may not recycleat all very much but at least I'm saving the environment by walking! That's right, I'm doing it in the most inefficient way possible but that's alright. Every little bit helps okay?
My sad attempt at defending my license-less self clearly fails. Furthermore, chances are that I probably won't get my Ps this break. So I'll just take the teasing like a man whenever some people may feel it's necessary to bring up. But don't worry, I will be sure to make fun of you in some other way in retaliation. :D
#1 The Health Benefits
Not being able to drive anywhere means the utilization of the often-forgotten medium of transportation: walking. Need to get somewhere <8km away without any particular sense of urgency? No problem! Just walk there! Walking to your destination may just work off the heavy lunch you ate (which you tried to justify as brunch). Sure, it may be a little degrading when fit geriatrics overtake you when going up that not-so-steep hill, but act all nonchalant and as if it's only by choice that you happen to be walking at that slow pace. After all, slow and steady wins the race.
Let's also not forget that walking to your destination may just work off that heavy lunch you ate (which you tried to justify as brunch). With summer here, you might need all the help you can get. No beached whales here!
#2 Getting In Touch With Nature Benefits
What better way is there to get in touch with local flora and fauna than to walk? By walking, not only are you able to better appreciate hayfever-inducing pollens, but you're also able to observe which birds species have a tendency to swoop (For the record, Noisy Miners seem to be audacious enough to swoop at humans). And imagine, you can better enjoy any inaccuracies of the Bureau Of Meteorology's weather reports. Those safely-cocooned drivers may not even realise the sudden temperature drop until they arrive at their destination, but you'll know when it happened exactly. Ah, how lovely Mother Nature is.
#3 Saving The Planet Benefits
Any walker will be the hero of any die-hard environmentalist. I may take longer than three minute showers, and I may not recycle
My sad attempt at defending my license-less self clearly fails. Furthermore, chances are that I probably won't get my Ps this break. So I'll just take the teasing like a man whenever some people may feel it's necessary to bring up. But don't worry, I will be sure to make fun of you in some other way in retaliation. :D
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