The Diary of Anne Ku
10 August 2000 Thursday no rain at last!
SHOP UNTIL YOU DROP
Those of us who grew up buying things only during a sale are vulnerable to summer sales. Even if we don't want or need the item on sale, we are conditioned to thinking that we should buy it.
It never occurred to me that I was exhibiting this kind of behaviour until I became aware of the newness of the clothes and shoes that had never got worn. They sit, idle in my closet. I am filled with guilt if I throw them away. I am filled with remorse if I give them away. So they stay in my closet to remind me of my impulsiveness.
In Singapore, shopping is everyone's second favourite hobby. The first is, of course, eating. Window shopping is, I suppose, everyone's second favourite sport. The shops seem to collude - never all having a sale at the same time. Therefore, there's a reason to go shopping every weekend. I became a shopaholic - shopping until I dropped. I could never find the perfect suit for my job or shoes in the perfect size. But I bought whatever I could find -- on sale. I went shopping when I was happy, tired, sad, angry, upset, depressed, joyous, ... I even bought a pair of bright red Valentino shoes that didn't fit. I tricked myself into thinking that I would grow into it one day.
I finally fixed my shopaholicism when I returned to school. As a poor student, I could only window shop. After awhile, I couldn't even afford the time to window shop. What happened to all those things I bought in Singapore? I gave them all away. Shopping has strangely become a chore, particularly during summer sales.
ex-colleagues in Singapore at a company event where I modelled beach wear - can you see me?