Friday, December 09, 2005
9th December 2005
This morning, I awoke just past the early hours of dawn, just as the sun began to smile across the blue skies, just before the light of the moon faded and the stars were no longer seen. Today I awoke early to help my sis prepare her lunch for she was to go on a 20 km hike around Singapore. Secondly, I was to meet my grandfather at the Singapore Expo today and I wished not to arrive late. Apparently, John Little is holding up some Mega Sale. Whew!
Ah but I do not usually bear much love for shopping, perhaps at times like these I may indulge in window shopping to while away the seemingly infinite time I seemed to possess these few days. I gazed into that panorama, dotted with people and carts laden heavy with their wares, stacked in such high piles that it seemed as if a puff of wind would send everything onto the floor with deafening crash. So many things and the space looked as if it were larger than a football field, still I knew that inside, I would not last an hour.
Still the sudden urge to window shop drew me a slight grin across the face as I thought of spending the next half an hour or so milling about in things of all sorts, from utensils and cutlery to clothes, wallets, shoes and even bed lining. I somehow had the suspicion that many of the things sold there were not of high demand enough to sell at higher prices and could only be gotten rid of at these "Clearance sales". Still there were things which grasped my attention and I found myself browsing through pillows and games. It has been a while since I went shopping without an agenda and still I found myself entertained for that thirty to forty minutes. I came, later than most shoppers and left earlier than they did.
I passed people with trolleys laden with goods. I passed running children with their parents hollering after them. Still I think that which amazed me most were the cashier counters. Pardon me if such a sight may seem unimpressive to some, but I have not seen so many, save at NTUC supermarts and yet here had even more.
If memory serves, I recall seeing a huge row of cashiers extending almost the entire length (or width, I'm not sure...the place appeared sqaure to my eyes) and more impressive were the the queuing stations. Long lines in which people were expected to queue in were woven by plastic chains connected to metal poles and I have only seen such a network of queue up lines set up at Bus terminals.
Within the queue, close to the counters, the management staff had cunningly set up great carts of wallets, ties, hankerchiefs and many other things, in a final desperate bid to tempt shoppers into purchasing several more items before they paid for their goods and left the Mega Sale for good.
Now I have no liking for crowded places which is why I loved my little trip down to the Expo today. Even though there were many people, they were split up and scattered over the entire area, on average leaving fewer people per metre square. I had the liberty to move about as I wished, without having to squeeze into small gaps between people and constantly hearing the words "Excuse me" escape from my lips. It was a good Friday morning and many potential shoppers were fortunately stuck up in their offices with their bosses keeping their noses to the grind stone. Perfect.
The queue lines were empty and the cashiers looked bored and filled the absence of bustling activity with chatting, joking and laughing. I was thinking then, that it would have been a rather nice place to work as a part-timer. I am however, not foolish and am well aware of the fact that it would not be a slack job during the peak hours.
With all that is said and done, I departed from the Mega Sale with my grandfather. He had earlier commented that there were few desirable items and nothing to be purchased which was a statement of considerable irony for then a man strode past us, pushing a large cart stacked to the brim and even underneath, with goods.
I placed the shopper's paradise behind me and drew out my book, "To Kill a Mocking Bird". Then I began to read.
Posted by The Inflamed at 10:53 PM
