The angmoh diaries.

The angmoh diaries.

I'd expected queues, but not quite those we experienced outside the Crystal Jade outlets at lunchtime today. Our dim sum plans were foiled, so after an unremarkable lunch at Fish & Co, we set about window shopping in Paragon and Takashimaya.

B's a huge fan of luxury watches (and all things luxury actually), and we set foot in stores that I entered only when i was interning at a fashion magazine two years ago and never thought to visit on a usual shopping day. I'm not fond of anything pretentious, and that includes nightspots, restaurants and boutiques. Honestly, I don't see the point of setting myself up to be judged upon stepping through those doors and into a world where only money talks. Still, I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Beyond the extravagant and exclusive exteriors, the sales assistants really weren't as judgmental or intimidating as I had imagined them to be, and there were more Singaporeans in flip flops than manicured tai-tai's milling around.

Ceci once quipped, after I told her how I didn't want to go to a particular place with B as it was kinda attas and I didn't want to dress up - "But you have a French man on your arm, and that's your best accessory!"

So, were the sales people nice only because my boyfriend's white-skinned and therefore assumed to have wads of cash to throw around? (Honestly he doesn't because he's a student like me, haha.) Or have the service standards in Singapore improved drastically since two years ago, when I suffered contemptuous glares as an intern picking up stuff for the fashion shoots? I'm inclined towards the latter, and I don't blame them. Before I started dating B, I too used to assume that all Caucasians shopped in LV, had champagne brunches and lived in landed property. Perhaps it's karma, haha.

Service discrepancies and twisted world views aside, I felt a brainwashing mechanism creeping in after our third luxury store. Having seen watches that cost S$61,000, those that cost S$1,800 suddenly seemed reasonable. And I suddenly found myself looking wistfully at the clever window displays of leather bags, chic heels and smart dresses and thinking how nice it would be to own a closet full of them. Seriously, the blur of boutique-visiting screwed up my perspective. The amount I pay for a single item would have bought me a diving certification, surfing lessons and two beach holidays. Phew. Today was definitely one of the rare times I was actually glad that my bank account was as dry as the Sahara, and that I didn't have a credit card to whip out.

And on another different note, am I the only one who feels like there's nothing to do in Singapore but to eat, shop and watch movies?