Gearing up for battle

after just a few months of living in singapore, i think i know why everyone goes stark raving bonkers during the great singapore sale. it's because everything here is so goddamn expensive. if you were surrounded by hundred-dollar price tags all year round and suddenly things were going for $19.90 (the $0.90 seems to be a singapore retail trademark)... wouldn't you rush out and buy stuff too?

i wonder... does everybody really go stark raving bonkers? or could it just be all hype? every article i've read on the upcoming g.s.s. uses some kind of battle metaphor or other to denote complete and total pandemonium, with "seasoned shoppers" even flying in from other countries to join the fray. the g.s.s. website even has a section on special offers and coupons that will only be "unveiled" on the sale's opening day "due to the sensitive nature of this content". ooooooh-kayyyy.

to assuage my curiosity (and to possibly score a marked-down pair or two of pants), i have decided to venture out on may 23, friday, the first day of the g.s.s. and if i really will have to fight off the supposedly significant number of singaporeans who have been hungrily waiting to pounce. the only piece of sale advice i'm arming myself with: don't go on a weekend. it'll be quite perfect, since i'll be leaving for seoul that weekend anyway.

the places i plan to hit: orchard road to check out high-schooler meccas far east plaza and the heeren, as well as wardrobe staples at wisma atria; a peek into the mac store on wheelock place, also on orchard (i'm itching to replace lulu, who turns three this june); and bugis junction, for super-discounted accessories at my new favorite bijoux place, diva (where the counter girl, margie, is pinay). might squeeze in a trip to sim lim square and see if they have better deals on a macbook over there.