Shopaholic and Sister.

It’s not a big secret that I like to shop (as does my sister); ok love to shop… well why wouldn't I? I like clothes and shoes, I love doing up my house with unusual art work and pretty table settings, I enjoy running into the most unusual things and thinking I should absolutely have one of that; and it’s not just what I buy, it’s the whole experience.  

Whether walking through a nice shiny shopping mall or a quaint street bazaar, its 360 degrees of sights and sounds to take in. As you peer through the crowds looking for familiar brands as well as new stores with unlimited potential; the background music or the sounds of from people all around fall into your subconscious and let’s not forget the mandatory cappuccino breaks to look forward to. I think a small portion of my shopping is, I really need something and I have to go out there and get it; the remaining is really, I need to ensure my day is well spent so “Lets shop”!

It’s been said that every activity needs a partner in crime; similarly shopping is never any fun without K. I think it’s because of our similar tastes and lifestyle choices. In fact, I’m going to have to blame our upbringing for this cause as that’s the only reason I can think of at the moment.

So, K and me do annual shopping trips to Bangkok… yes, yes, Bangkok and yes, once a year. The city is also known for its wholesale bargains. Where else can you go to a store to buy a lemon green linen shirt for 650 Baht and via a series of negotiations through calculator and language (mis)interpretations end up buying 5 linen shirts in different styles and colors for 600 Baht. In Bangkok, it almost seems like the more you buy, the cheaper it actually becomes.  So every time either one of us needs a cheerful wardrobe update, Bangkok it is. It’s only a 4 hour flight away, almost like driving to work for some people!

If we’re looking for shoes, where else but to the home of Jimmy Choo! So, not all of us can afford stacking our shoe drawers with Christian Louboutins, Vera Wangs or Jimmy Choos, but we’re women and we need lots of shoes…. Kuala Lumpur to me has never been a disappointment when it comes to shoes and I think Vincci secretly loves me. Between the 2 of us, our KL trips mean at least 20 pairs of shoes. Of course we need that many, I mean there’s work shoes and regular day shoes, flat slippers and evening heels and weekend heels and let’s not forget my mums favorite, wedge heels for a lawn party.

"Sale" all the way to the New York, the land where it all started…. It has to have all started here, every high end brand and budget brand seems to have launched in this city or rather this country, there’s every kind of promotion event to attract the seasoned shopper, and there’s malls and factory outlets and street markets and so much layout variety; Shopping in the US is just overwhelming and I love the Cheesecake Factory lunches, the breaks for smoothies and chocolate shakes, the lets walk through the food court and nibble everything and then let’s get some more dessert after. With all that walking and carrying those heavy shopping bags, any amount of eating is totally worked off.  And then there’s the fact that all those essentials like shower gel and moisturizer seem so much cheaper in this country; thank god US trips have 46kgs of baggage allowance.

And then there’s been the stopovers in Dubai, Singapore and Jakarta just to add some variety and culture to those Shopaholic trips.

Yes, I couldn’t ever have this much fun shopping without K; In fact, I think it’s about time for Bangkok again!

Temples

When I think temple there's a few things that spring to mind; the sound of bells ringing, peaceful chanting, ancient stone architecture that's withstood time, perhaps an elephant, or flowers that add a dash of color...

... And, the reality is most temples don't really look like that. However, in the past week I've actually been to 2 different temples that reflect my views of what a temple should look like.

Sri Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple at the foot of Nandi Hills is a 9th century temple which I'd never known existed till Maya invited me for her wedding. We set off early Saturday morning and reached the place just 60kms away in a couple of hours; welll, we got caught in bad traffic along the way. Why? Because it was the muslim festival Bakrid and there were hundreds of people steaming down the streets towards the mosque.


But we needed to reach a Temple that day so we drove along, past the city, past the airport, past open countryside, past a railway crossing just as the train passed by and reached this ancient place. Being a wedding, the sandy stone buildings seemed to have come alive with marigold  strewn along the ground. The people around brought in a lot of color and between the priests and the musicians the much needed chanting began!



The Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, I've been to several times when I was younger. I loved the place and found it extremely fascinating with all the carvings of deities, elephants and other strange things. Also, being a world heritage site junkie, the thought of going to any one of the 962 UNESCO World Heritage Sites is a welcome thought any day. So, middle of a Friday afternoon here I was at this 7th Century Temple on the eastern shore of southern India overlooking the Bay of Bengal.

I don't know whats so special about this place... the intricate carvings; the fact that its faced sand, wind and sea for over a 1000 years and yet looks untouched; that its a comparatively small temple which manages to look overpowering;

Or, maybe its just the fact that its takes my mind on a journey through time as I think about this temple amidst ancient India.