A guy's toys

So it's Christmas and bonus time again. Orchard Road is jam-packed with shoppers lured by promises of seasonal discounts. Here are some of my fantasies, none of which are essential to life. They're just the things I look at while bringing and waiting for my wife and in-laws shopping. Pictured here are a Mont Blanc 149 fountain pen (1924 design), the Nikon DX 18-200 VR lens (retailing at $1,480/- at BEST), the Baume et Mercier Classsic Square watch ($2,200/- at the shops), the Moleskine plain notebook, made in Italy with acid-free paper and hard covers, Schmincke watercolours (a wooden case set of 24 tubes retails at $399/- at Art Friend, but I think the photo shown here is of the acrylic set) and Faber-Castell colour pencils (my Derwent set is so brittle; surely my art would improve with better pencils?) And on the internet, the landmark documentary 1975 series, "The World at War" is packaged into a 12 DVD set retailing at US$68/-, and since the Sing dollar is now 1 to 1.55 or so, why, it's beginning to look a whole lot like Christmas too! But these are things a guy looks at.

I asked some girls in my class if they will follow guys to look at things like that and they said no. Conversely, they would really appreciate guys following them while they try on clothes so we can give them our "frank" opinion. But how can we give frank opinion on fashion? Well, only 2 reactions is required, the fashionable student told me. No reaction means not good. The other reaction is a "Wah" exclamation, followed by an agape mouth. Then they'll know it looks good.

Fortunately, the shopping pleasure as far as I'm concerned is more internalised and personal. Shopping brings you back to the days when you were a kid in a toy store. Except as you grow older, the toys get more expensive. But it's still largely a solo activity. Last night, I looked at some fine leather pouches for pen that are sold in the Mont Blanc boutique in Ngee Ann City. It was between $130/- to $150/-. I do need a pen pouch, I reasoned, because when I keep it in my pockets, it is scratched against the keys and the coins (almost none of my shirt have breast pockets.) Ultimately, I did get one, but not from Mont Blanc. I walked upstairs and got a $15/- one from Art Friend. That will be the extend of my shopping for now... Have a good season!

Chup