It's Tough Being A Woman

I was driving my way back home from lunch with Hubs whilst listening to a modern rendition of 

"Tiru Macam Saya" on the radio.

Let's just say it gave me a harsh/rude wake-up call. 

It was my first time listening to the song. Once hearing the clear warning/reminder/ lyrics of the song, pucat jugak. Orang dulu no joke, tunes, music and all sound jolly but the words...fuhh...pedas and direct!

Here are the lyrics:

Pandanglah, lihatlah,
Rupaku yang cantik dan
rambutku yang ikal,
marilah tuan-tuan dan nyonya
Sama-samalah pandang
perempuan yang cantik bikin hati goyang

Pandanglah, lihatlah
pinggang ku yang ramping
dan dadaku yang bidang
Inilah selalu menjadikan
Orang hilanglah akal
rumahtangga tak kekal
Gilakan bayangkan

Perempuan kalau tak pandai jaga badan
suaminya tentu lekas menjadi bosan
mengerbang rambut macam hantu dalam hutan
suami memandang hampir pengsan
Perempuan kalau sayangkan suaminya
Pandang sini, hai tirulah seperti saya
jaga bentuk,
jaga kulit dan jaga rupa
Senyum sayang kau berikan dia
Pandanglah...lihatlah....tiru macam saya........

Whoaaaa...

Sampai rumah terus watsapp suami, minta maaf for my "selekehness" at the moment. Delving in my books most of the time, I've been tying my hair so tight to discourage unruly hair but it doesn't seem to work. Just this morning I was telling my Hubs how I wanted to shave my whole head so that I wouldn't have to go through the hassle of managing my unruly hair. Huarghhhh! To make it worse, I tie it in "bunjut" style most of the time these days because of the heat. 

My clothes? Nowadays I don't venture beyond my T-shirts and simple blouses with jeans/slacks. Boring I know. 

I proceeded to assure him that I have not let myself go. Just that right now I'm a bit confused with my fashion sense suitable with my now slightly overweight body. Most of the time I get disappointed when shopping and not being able to get the right size or a nice fit. 

That, however, is being remedied with my consistent (most of the time) gym sessions. Thank god I still stick to my facial regimes. My hair though, thought it best to do it after my exams, but balik rumah tadi terus ask friends for recommendation in nearby area as my usual hairdresser is closing the branch nearby and moving to Publika. Definitely paying them a visit soon.

It's no easy job being a woman. So many expectations and burdens are imposed on us. Kena jaga looks, badan, laki, anak, rumah, masak, clean, career, etc. Even, perhaps, after meeting all those, ada ajer pihak yang use religious justifications to demean a woman's efforts or accuse you less of a mother,wife, etc. because of not meeting certain aspects to their personal standards. Frust jugak yer. 

My response on using religious justifications...it's time to stop. I am no expert but I don't recall the Qur'an stating gender specific roles on us. In fact, if ever, those cherry picking, know that it's the Westerners whom had imposed such generic roles. Husband= Bring Home Bacon, Wife= Homemaker. I recall whilst attending our Kursus Kahwin, the Ustadz and Ustazah explained how big this misconception is. 

I, personally believe, that you are to reach as far and to your fullest potential. Never stop. 

On not meeting others' standards? They are not you. You are not them. Keep yourself happy. It's not about you pleasing others. They pandai komen ajer so lantak okay. You know what's best. Each has their own pace.

Yes, senang cakap, susah nak buat when you have external factors persuading you otherwise. Try your best is all I can say.

The Financially Conscious Traveller

For most people, saving money is always of utmost importance whilst travelling or vacationing. We're always looking for the best deals out there. Cheaper flight tickets, best accommodation and etc.

I personally love planning for holidays. So much so that even if there's a last minute plan to travel,  I have a default checklist in my head before boarding my flight or continuing on that unplanned road-trip.

Advanced planning goes a long way in helping to save money. It's not always the case whereby you have to sacrifice that experience you were really looking forward to for the sake of saving money. 

Here are my 7 tips from my own personal experience and observations in planning that awesome vacation, saving money where you can and directing that extra bit of cash to where it really matters:

Deciding Priorities

What is it that you want to achieve from this trip? 

Yes, this sounds basic and logical but you'd be surprised how far this simple question can lead to either that awesome holiday or a disastrous one. This question applies across a broad spectrum and will very much assist in your holiday plans. From picking that location suitable in meeting your holiday expectations and budget to deciding when to travel, which hotel to stay in and whether you need a tour guide etc.

For example, often observed for those travelling in groups (family, a bunch of friends, etc.), due to trying to meet everyone's expectations, the choice of hotel wouldn't be as strategic as it can and should be.

So what to do? What I would do is choose a common theme. If you and those in your group prefer to have plenty of shopping sprees and there's a hotel that is located in the middle of all the main shopping areas, that would be the best option. This was exceptionally relevant to my friends and I when we were in Bandung, Indonesia and Kelantan, Malaysia. 

By choosing the right hotel, you can also estimate transport costs. For example, if you can eliminate transport costs because one or two of the places you intend to shop at is within walking distance, all the better. Don't forget that since you'd end up eating out most of the time, having a hotel near that "back-up" restaurant in case you get hungry but too lazy to travel far would come in handy.

Nonetheless, by choosing that common theme does not mean that holiday expectations for the others would go unmet. It just means that time has to be allocated within your travelling itinerary with estimated costs in mind. For example, when my friends and I were in Bandung, though shopping was at the forefront of our plans, we still managed to sample the local fares as well as squeeze in visits to selected tourist trails along the way.

By deciding what to do and determining the main aim you or your party aim to achieve from the trip in advance, you can plan your trip's itinerary. For example, for travellers coming into Malaysia, if you would want to make best use of your stronger currency over the Ringgit Malaysia and satisfy your inner-shopaholic, Malaysia has it's Mega Sales three times a year so you can plan your holiday around those times. If you want to experience culture without being overwhelmed by the usual holiday crowd, avoid peak seasons e.g. one or two weeks after the holiday crowd have gone off. The latter was what we did for our Bali trip.

Timing is everything

Avoiding peak seasons may be easier said than done. 

Peak season is usually where most can easily plan that getaway without interrupting with the children's school calendar etc. Frankly, this tip may not be suitable for everyone. 

For those who can though, it would be worth it. You'd avoid all that price-hikes caused by the high influx of tourists for that particular month. Sometimes, though not all the time, off-peak is due to the weather. However, in my case, I find it manageable. We were in Bali sometime in January, a few weeks after the peak season and everything was fine with a bit of rain here and there. In no way did the rain interrupted with our holiday plans.

As timing is key, so does picking the most suitable flight and route. There's no point choosing the cheapest just because your plane arrives in the wee hours but having to bear extra costs for airport transport due to your arrival time. Note, in most countries, there are extra charges for airport transport past 12 a.m.

A few of my relatives and friends also often opt for flight with stopovers. Not only it's cheap but you get to rest your feet at the airport, let's say in Dubai on the way to the UK. Personally, it's not something I'd prefer. You'd end up losing those precious time where you can recuperate your jet-lag at the hotel of your intended destination and the luxury of touring about without having to rush around wanting to fit all from your travel itinerary. Here, I'd say don't be afraid to spend a bit extra. 

One way is to buy the flight tickets months in advance or during promotions for cheaper flight tickets at rational hours. 

Be careful though. A few friends of mine bought tickets in advance to parts of Europe last year and with the unexpected weakening of the Ringgit, they couldn't back out of their holidays and were forced to go on ahead. They ended up just window shopping or spending most of their time in the hotel due to the limited budget. Yes, unavoidable. So, allocate extra EXTRA funds for destinations known to have higher and stronger currencies. Just be prepared and treat it as though that currency will increase further at the time you'd be travelling. 

Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone 

Let's say you are well aware that you'd be away from the hotel more often than actually staying in your room. You'd only be using the room in the morning and at night after going around town the whole day.

Rather than your usual comfortable or luxurious hotel, you can choose a moderate style accommodation or local boutique hotels, having regard to safety of course. Nowadays, local boutique hotels are inexpensive, covers the basic facilities and are usually located in busy areas and not too far off town. However, if opting for boutique hotels, check what type of facilities are covered as each country would define boutique hotels differently. A boutique hotel in Kuala Lumpur would be different from the ones in Paris.

That extra fund from where you usually spend extra on accommodation can then be directed to touring about your intended destination or just that extra cash for emergencies.

This tip also links to my first tip highlighted on deciding priorities. 

Research, Research, Research 

Know your destination.

How do I do it? Research. Yes, summon that inner-geek and extra enthusiasm to ensure things go smoothly during the holidays.

Where to stay? Things to do? Things to buy? Places to visit? Places to avoid? Staying safe? Time to travel? Monsoon season? Tax-refund procedures? How much is the airport tax? Hire a tour guide? Hire a supir/driver? Or not?

By getting as much information as possible, you get to manage your holiday better, save time and money. 

A recent example would be about staying safe. You can read more about what transpired recently to a fellow traveller here. I felt that if she had conducted a bit of research beforehand, she may have been able to choose a service apartment at a better location i.e. within walking distance of main shopping areas and places to eat and perhaps install a GrabCar/Uber app on her mobile thus avoiding the risk of being scammed by the taxi driver.

Another element of research is to compare prices for flight tickets and accommodation on various search engines. That way you can make the best decision suitable for you, your family and allocated budget.

Lately, circulating online, there are supposedly things you can do online in getting cheaper flight tickets. I cannot vouch for this as yet as I have not tried it. Maybe you can. Two examples which come to mind would be clearing your cookies before making that flight booking and to buy tickets online on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Worth trying I guess.

All Hail The Latest Technology

Yes, with many free apps at your fingertips, travelling is much easier.

Before reaching your destination, install the appropriate mobile apps on your phone which you feel will be useful. For example, if you wish to know more halal food places at your destination, there are many versions of halal-travel related apps available with proper maps and guides. This way you get to ensure that the place you want to eat is within your budget and you get to avoid that extra costs from taking the wrong bus or routes to the intended restaurant.

I would recommend that upon reaching your destination, get a local SIM card. That way, you can access your mobile internet at a better range i.e. minimal to no network disruption at local package (price-wise). 

Get to know the locals

If possible, don't get caught in the tourist traps. 

Yes, I know, most of the time that said tourist trap is the whole reason for that holiday in the first place. Try to find an alternative. Be it alternative attraction or alternative time to visit. Get your people-trail in order ( Get the gist of "people-trail" from tip number six in this post here). The locals would know the best time and places to go to.

If you know a local or a personal tour guide or driver, discuss with them on what's the best option in covering those tourist attractions scheduled in your itinerary. For example, I drafted an itinerary and then discussed it with our driver upon arriving at the intended destination. He then gave suggestions and after a fair bit of changes in the itinerary, we covered all those planned at a shorter time period than initially estimated. Before our holiday ended, we had an extra one and a half day for free and easy. With that extra time, we decided to cover more tourist trails further out from the capital.

Another benefit is that at times, when you buy souvenirs or local items with a local accompanying you, you'd get a better deal.

Try to blend in as much as possible. Having that local anchor helps.

Be Realistic

Finally, be realistic.

This final tip is merely a reminder in setting our expectations. 

You may have many things to do and places to see in your itinerary but not all can be met. Be flexible and don't rush to try and squeeze everything in. Being too regimented will totally ruin your holiday. That will just result in you being miserable throughout and regretting spending time and money for the trip. The itinerary is just there to serve as a guide. 

Also, don't set too high of an expectation in getting things cheap. For example, if you opt to stay at a luxurious hotel, don't count on getting it for the price you'd pay at a motel or 3-star hotel. Even those with loyalty points don't necessarily secure huge discounts.

Below is an infographic on financial travel hacks which I find very useful, courtesy of Personal Capital. It provides a quick and general overview on cheap destinations, ways to get cheaper flight tickets, alternative accommodations and others. This would especially benefit those intending to travel to the US. My fave bit is on the free spree. Definitely worth finding out if we have something similar here and other countries.

Leftover Women

I just had to share this video.

A video by SKII with a very strong message.

In my opinion, this sort of culture/routine/intrusive behaviour in pushing people into marriage will stop once marriage is not seen as the one and only achievement or main achievement for women.

We are smarter and stronger than we are led to believe.

Approach to the English Language

These days, I see there is still a lot of hostility towards the English language. On FB, comic strips on our community's approach to those speaking English, blogs, newspapers. It is indeed a sad state to see such things still happening in our developing community.

The way I see it, it's a form of change that will elevate us further. No harm in it.

Don't get me wrong. Bahasa Malaysia itu indah.

This post is not about one language being better than the other. It's about embracing both. It is one situation where we can have our cake and eat it too.

I was raised with both Bahasa Malaysia (BM) and the English language. We, my family and I, can speak both fluently, by itself respectively or 'rojak'. No problem. On my mum's side, English is the preferred language but we mix both BM and English in our conversations. On my dad's, BM is the preferred medium but again we mixed BM with English too. Uncles, Aunties, Cuzzies, all are comfortable with both languages.

Only when my family moved to Kuantan I knew how profound the general hostility towards the English language. Luckily, neither my siblings suffered any damage in their personal development of the English language.

I spent my final two years of high school in Kuantan. In that brief time, let's just say I was "whipped" into their perspective.

"Tak leh cakap Melayu ker?"

"Ko nih benci kaum sendiri yek?"

"Speaking ajer"

I didn't get it at that time.

I injected more BM in my daily conversation as I was sensitive to the fact that most don't speak English in school. I didn't want to come off as a show-off. Of course, when I forget myself, there was a bit of English here and there but again mixed with my BM. I didn't pay too much attention to it anyway. It was too petty. I had a group of friends whom were comfortable with me, English/BM speaking and all. So no love lost and still among the top student in my subjects including both languages. Proof that regardless of the language you speak daily, it's no guarantee to you scoring higher than any other native speaker.

Fast forward to today.

I was chatting with a friend. At one point, somehow, the topic of the English language came about. Supposedly, the English language is the culprit in causing us to forget and lose our roots.

EH HELLO!

You should embrace all the languages including your own native language. In my case, I speak both BM and English hence naturally blessed being bilingual. My friend here is even more lucky. She's tri-lingual!

The way I see it, it will not be the cause to "forgetting or losing your roots" unless you yourself make it that way. Wouldn't it be awesome that your children can converse in both BM and English with no problems? Native English speakers are generally limited to their own language whilst other languages are optional. We, on the other hand, are a step ahead in that aspect. We have the language that we were born into.

So, please, stop criticising those attempting to speak or already fluent in English. Maybe it's your own insecurities rearing its ugly head. It's OK if it's broken for now but at least try speaking it for yourself first before passing judgment. You will learn in time.

We are all in the same boat. We are always learning and won't stop learning.

No need to be hostile to those more fluent in either BM or English than you too.

Friend FREN okay?

To those fluent, don't you dare be ashamed of your own capabilities.

#buatderkajer #haterswillbehaters

A Disappointed Tourist

Hi Peeps. Hope you are all well.

Remember at the end of my previous post on Sale Shenanigans (read more about it here), I mentioned that there is a further story I'd like to share? A continuation to the day itself.

Well, here it goes.

After paying for our sale items, we made our way to Pavilion for brunch/lunch. I can't recall whether we had breakfast that day. All for the sake of chasing after the good stuff during sales, huh?

There were many people at the Food Court. When there's a huge crowd, it's normal to have to share your table especially when it's just us two at the moment. So there was this woman who shared our table. She wanted to switch seats the moment I came with my food (Hubs was already seated and busy tucking into his Mee Curry) but I assured her it was totally OK to continue sitting with us. We didn't mind at all.

At first instance, I thought she was one of those rich housewives who just came for the sales as well. She was little in stature, around her 40s, well dressed, was carrying a Tory Burch handbag (nice...you know the black one with the gold chain) and decked moderately with jewellery. She looked SUPER STRESSED. She was sitting right next to me. I felt that if she could curl herself up into an even smaller ball, she would. Upon guessing that she's probably not local, we both introduced ourselves and started chatting. Midway in relaying to us what had happened to her not but an hour before, she teared up.

Just a heads up, she didn't ask us for money, she didn't beg us for help, it wasn't one of those scams.

She just arrived in KL that morning. Upon checking in at her service apartment, one located in KL, she decided to go tour around the city. The reception at her service apartment assisted her in flagging a taxi. That was when her trip came to a premature end.

She wanted to go to Jalan Alor to eat. I am not sure if the stalls are open in the afternoon. In fact, I've never been there but I think stalls are only open at night. Even if they aren't, she can always walk to one of the nearby restaurants.

The thing is the Cabbie that she got into claimed he didn't know where was Jalan Alor. So she was driven in circles for over an hour. When she told him to stop, he didn't. She actually brought the window down and yelled for help from passing motorists. Only then he stopped.

You would think the terror would stop there. It didn't.

She was forced to pay USD100.

She just paid and ran out of the cab. She was lucky no knife was pointed at her.

Somehow she got herself back to her service apartment. The staff helped her by bringing her to Pavilion where she can eat and perhaps calm herself down. She was supposed to spend the whole weekend in KL. However, she decided to burn all the money spent for the service apartment and return ticket and buy a new flight ticket home to Vietnam the next morning.

Poor woman.

She lives in Sweden. Her husband and teenage daughter are still back in Sweden. She decided to take a detour to KL from her visit back home to Vietnam. She was in Vietnam to attend prayers for her mother who passed away a year ago. She heard from her cousins how they enjoyed KL immensely and how it was a shopping haven. So she decided she might as well spend a weekend in KL for some retail therapy. Unfortunately her trip didn't go as well.

We were angry for her behalf. And here, not a few days before we met her, the cabbies were protesting in BB area because of the UBER/ GRABCAR issue. It's these sort of cabbies that give other cabbies an even worse reputation. I personally believe that not only airport and hotel staff but cabbies are the first line of ambassadors for our tourists. You, SIR, are an ultimate fail! Shame on you for taking advantage of tourists! Perhaps cabbies should monitor themselves and make sure there will be no further "highway-robbery" such as these occurring again. Maybe then people will trust them again and rely on the usual cab services. For now, most of the locals prefer UBER/GRABCAR. Safe, efficient and worth it too.

Back to the story.

After a short discussion, Hubs and I decided to help her. We wish we could do more but she declined. We drove her to KLCC and pointed her to the hair salon. One of the things she asked for whilst in Pavi was if there was a hair salon. She wanted to do her hair. Of course there were. However, she may have problems going back to her hotel later. Taxis in Pavi are notorious. At least from KLCC, if she were to take their regulated blue cabs, though slightly expensive, it's safe and no way are they going to charge her USD100.

I offered to stay and show her around KLCC but again she declined. In front of the salon, she bowed and hugged me repeatedly. I was already embarrassed at this point. The hairdressers and staff in the salon were already staring openly. I could see tears whilst she hugged me repeatedly. She also ran towards my husband who was already heading towards Kino to shake his hand and bow again. Many times she offered and pleaded to allow her to buy us gifts. We declined of course. The way we view it, we can at least make some part of her trip right for her.

Before we parted ways, we exchanged numbers.

That night I asked how she was and whether she was OK. She got back to the service apartment relatively OK.

The next morning, I received a whatsapp from her asking where she could get breakfast. She was absolutely famished. Supposedly after her trip to the salon, she went straight back to her service apartment and didn't get anything to eat. It was still before 10 a.m. back then so her choices were limited. When her cousins reserved the service apartment for her, they didn't get the one with the breakfast option. They told her it was better to eat at the shopping malls and explore local food outside.

I briefly gave her some options. The best would be one of the coffee franchises nearby her place. Again, she thanked both my hubs and I. She also informed that her flight back to Vietnam was that evening and that she will be leaving for the airport that afternoon. I also persuaded her to not let this particular trip discourage her from coming back to Malaysia. Next time, if she ever comes visit, I'd be glad to show her around.

This was indeed an unfortunate turn of events for this particular woman. A trip which could have been a great first impression of KL for her turned sour. A particular aspect of our Malaysian taxi services we have to further look into. Yes, these sort of things have been happening for a long time, are occurring daily and most likely will continue unless we put a serious halt to it. The way I see it, the authorities have and can only do so much. It's the cabbies themselves that have to monitor their colleagues. After all, ferrying passengers around town is their bread and butter, right? The majority wouldn't want these kind of people ruining their already notorious and bad reputation. Bad enough those who are actually trying to earn an honest living from cab fares having to shoulder this sort of perception from others.

Dear Red and White Cabbies. #timeforchange #getcleanreputation. Don't shoot yourselves in the foot. I suggest self-monitoring among cabbie communities. Only then you can start competing with the others again.

Pablo, the neighbourhood cat that eats anything

Started off my morning by chatting with my neighbour.

He was stroking Pablo, his cat, who was busy rolling about on the ground and contently purring away with all the attention.

"He looks happy"

"Yeah"

"By the way, Kakak (in reference to his wife) was right. He would come over so long there's food. Even if he just ate he will come over and eat some more. The other day I had to shoo him away when I was putting out dog food for the strays."

"Hahah...kan? He will eat anything. Hiro ada muntah situ (point to one specific area) and he (pointing to Pablo) dok makan muntah Hiro"

-______-" (Haiyooooh Pablo)

To end the conversation, Pablo looked at me to somehow proudly verify that what his owner was relaying to me was indeed TRUE.

Hahaha...

Sale Shenanigans

Last Friday, Hubs took a day off for some quality time with moi' i.e. Lovely Wifey.

It was all planned in advance of course. In the few weeks leading towards the planned day-off, we received e-mails on Anya Hindmarch's as well as Valiram's sale to be held on certain dates. So the day-off coincided with the first day of those sales. To top it off, our trip to BB area has been long overdue with Hubs needing to do some minor repairs to one of his dress watch and the service centre is located in the same row as the locations for those sales. Great! Perfect.

Anya's sale was great. Deals were definitely good. At first instance, I felt that the sale collection available were very limited. Macam tak ikhlas almost. Nonetheless, those who love Anya still kept coming in. We almost left if not for the usual Sales Assistant we usually engage with informing us of a different location for regulars. Better collection for sure and a lot more choices. I know some may argue that it's not fair. On the other hand, I can see the benefit from this method. This gives their regulars preferred treatment and ample opportunity to view more of their collection. Perhaps they had received many complaints from their regulars beforehand from their previous sale whereby they didn't get the chance to view or purchase the previous sale collection.

Then off to the Valiram sale. It's our second time attending one of their sales. Previously, we went on the second day and many of their items were already sold. This time we managed to get there on their first day. 

Oh my gaaaawddd, soooo many people. 

Take a look at the pictures below. These were taken before 12 noon yer. Itu pun ramai dah hold items while they tour other booths and some even already made payment outside.

REMINDER: 

THESE PICTURES ARE MINE. NOT TO BE CIRCULATED OR REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON OR OTHER PURPOSE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. PLEASE REFER TO SIDEBAR FOR DETAILS.

But please yer, not the "rempuhan and minah menjerit-jerit to get a number and buy a certain type of tudung" kind of crowd. There were lines going in. All coordinated and organised. The only "berpusu-pusu" was done and concentrated at the many different booths. Especially those selling Tory Burch and Kate Spade. Crowds were civilised and decent. Have not heard of anyone terjatuh or kena pijak kepala or injured to get to the items.

The discounts were awesome, ranging from 50% -80% sales. Branded items from Tumi, various luxury dress watches, Giuseppi Zanotti, Michael Kors, Victoria Secret, Bath & Body, Godiva, TWG and many more were up for grabs. I didn't even bother looking at Kate Spade and Tory Burch. Next time lar. I was not in the mood in getting my toes stepped on further, or worst, rolled on by those on wheelchairs. There, Alhamdulillah, dapat lar rezeki suami beanie from Tumi. Hubs also got a steal from Mont Blanc. 

We didn't want to spend too much time at BB area. So we quickly made a bee line for the cashiers outside the ballroom. I like standing in line and observing what people purchased. Like the last time, I can see many had borong for resale purposes or maybe made multiple purchases for their large families, to which Hubs doubts on the latter. Maybe next round I nak borong and jual jugak lar. Bring in my own 'rempuh' gang and spread out at different booths. I siap ckp ngan Hubs I'm gonna place two at the front, two in the middle and one at the back and attack each booth. The bigger ones should be placed at the front. Easier to infiltrate. Hihih. 

In line, I also observed many had purchased Tory Burch and Kate Spade as well as MK bags. What's up with MK yer? I really have to make a closer inspection of its appeal the next time round. All the women in line had at least one MK in hand. Am I missing something? Not forgetting those VS cosmetic bags with mini perfumes or shower gels. Must not miss them next time.

Many would take these pictures and argue "Kata ekonomi gawat!". Well, that's one way of seeing it. Another view would be pasal ekonomi gawat lar orang tertunggu-tunggu for these sales. Good branded quality items at extreme discounts, mana hang nak dapat? When I shared these pics on my watsapp group, of course ada yang excited and asked for location, dates, etc. and there are those commenting "oooh, people living beyond their means and shopping based on wants rather than need bla bla bla". NORMAL. DON'T WORRY. TEPUK DADA TANYA SELERA. All are entitled to their opinion of course. 

By the way, the sales weren't just for us mere mortals yer. I saw one Puan Sri and children in tow as well as high ranking execs there too. They know when to snap a good deal when they see one. Everyone is allowed to be frugal where they can be. They just have to be smart about it.

That's the end of our sale shenanigans.

There's actually a continuation to our day off post-Valiram. A different one totally unrelated to shopping kind of post. Look out for that one.