Pre-shopping: a discourse

"i think i'll do some pre-shopping."

i bet marlon was struggling not to raise an eyebrow when i told him how i was going to spend my afternoon. over lunch with him today, i realized i've come to take my annual singapore shopping jaunt (it can hardly be called a spree) very seriously. i'm a victim of the impulse buy and queen of the bargain find most of the year, except for this one time that i get to go shopping with no expense to marlon or myself.

it all starts with a set of department store vouchers, which marlon gets from the office for some reason or another (christmas bonus, work-related award, what have you) and promptly informs me about. we blather back and forth briefly about who gets to use the vouchers, and i graciously allow him to convince me to blow the whole wad on myself. i then draw up a wishlist, a thought process that is supplemented by a brief survey of my closet and dresser.

then, when i get here, there's pre-shopping. pre-shopping is a solo trip to the store in question, where i scout the goods -- just scout. no actual shopping is done, which might strike you as a waste of time and effort. but really! pre-shopping serves quite a number of worthy purposes, such as:

• budgeting the vouchers, thus preventing any embarrassment from running out of vouchers and/or cash
  
• allowing me some of the pleasure of shopping alone, which i actually prefer
  
• allowing marlon to preserve his patience and his sanity without having to give up the puffed-up satisfaction of being able to take me shopping (i'm serious! guys love to feel that they can spoil us without actually spoiling us!)
  
• preventing cranky afternoons and potential arguments, thereby keeping our relationship in relative bliss!

last year's shopping jaunt at robinson's took three days of pre-shopping, since i was a bum and had so much more time on my hands. this year, though, i spent only one afternoon scouting the goods at takashimaya.

it was an interesting experience. taka is more upscale, so they had all these... mommy brands. estee lauder, chanel, dior, clinique, bobbi brown. thought balloon: ack! i don't want to turn into my mom yet! i was pining away for the "younger" brands that i wanted to stock up on, like nars, mac, paula dorff, alison raffaele, plus my favorite, bourjois.

plus, only one of the makeup brands (estee) carried one of the items that i want, which is bronzer. most of the other makeup ladies politely turned me away and told me to come back "when the summer line comes in." which is in june a.k.a. philippine rainy season. ano ba yun? i felt so provincial with my two-season outlook on life. basta march, summer na! dapat may bronzer na kayo!

i also got much less attention (read: ignored) than the predominant types of takashimaya shoppers: badly sun-damaged caucasian women and reed-thin chinese women with very big logos on their bags. perhaps the tricycle on my team manila shirt is some kind of symbol that translates to low priority.

well, whatever. i'm going back tomorrow with marlon, and i more or less have a plan. let's hope i stick to it and don't blow my vouchers on a single pair of shoes from nine west. that would just be a total waste of pre-shopping.