Midnight Sale: The Joy of Consumerism
Yesterday was my last working day before the Ramadhan holiday. In Indonesia, Eid ul Fitr means a week holiday... Almost the same like Chinese New Year holiday in some countries (xin cia), when family gather and spend quality time together. Our office building was so empty, that it felt a bit weird to come inside. The management finally released us after 3 pm. Horaay! But wait... Since I'm not celebrating Eid, what should I do then? I decided to go to one of the biggest mall in Jakarta, and stayed the to check out the "Late Night Shopping" offers with my friends.
Midnight shopping has become a popular thing in Jakarta this year. With more than 10 big malls across the city (and counting!), people are really being pampered by those "discount war" and "sale invasion". Whenever you drive home late night and see line of cars at one street lane, you would know that there is a consumerism seduction at particular spot. Call it the year of recession, but when you notice those crazy cashier lines and shopping bags, it's kind of unbelievable to agree with that term. Sometimes, it's even unbelievable to say that this is the picture of a developing country. Well, maybe the gap between the capital and other cities are too just wide. Jakarta (and most of the people who live there) surely doesn't want to be left behind.
Nothing's special (really) about late night shopping. Sometimes, several stores might give additional discount to the customers, but often it is just about closing the parking lot later than usual :p I strolled with my friends to a shoe store (ladies are ladies!) and disappointed to know that my favorite boot was still standing snob on its original prize. I was waiting for more discount! Oh, well, anyways.. We ended up buying some women stuff at Mark & Spencer and the Body Shop. Do you find those stores in your country, too?
Last but not least, we stopped at Kinokuniya book store and spent like hours there. Apparently, my friends and I are all book lovers :) As I've promised, I am going to share the list of my favorit books. I think some of them would actually be in your favorite list, too. When I was 5 or 6, my parents gave me a Holy Bible, and that became my favorit book until now. After that, I begun to read the Sherlock Holmes series, Enid Bylton, and Arabian nights (tales of 1001 night). During high school, I read all Khalil Gibran's book and tried to understand a more 'sophisticated' piece like Moby Dick,The Great Gatsby, Saman, and Pramudya Ananta Toer's. The reading habit got crazier during college, but suprisingly slowed down once I finally working as professional. I guess now it's not easy to find spare time to read like I used to. My favorit books in my "adult era" are including "Life of Pi", "the Little Prince", "the Alchemist", and other works by Paulo Coelho. Does any of you enjoy his work, too? I have to apologize to him, since I've bought most of his books, yet still trying to make time to read them. Three of his latest books are still laying peacefully in my cupboard until God knows when. If you have any advice on how to motivate oneself to read book, please do let me know! Thank you, and have a great weekend.
PS. I'm still waiting for any of your poem. The one reply from Ukraine was so nice, thank you for sharing it with me. Thanks Nuala for making a limerick of me. I find the lyrics were cute and quite amusing. I hope I could think of some lines to reply it. Oh, and Willow is handsome ya! He's such a poser :) Hopefully one day we'd get our own pet. When I do, I'd show the picture to you.
Comments
Hi Shirley, I have such a lot of things to say reverting to this post. First of all, it's funny that midnight sales are allowed in Indonesia. Here, in France, a law allowed some shops in tourist areas or big towns (like Paris) to stay open on Sunday. You could not imagine what a scandal it has been to allow sunday work. Some people stroke, the gouvernment's opposition asked to give up the law, but finally, it works! Then, concerning your past-time, I am also keen on reading! When I was younger, I read all of Emile Zola's books. It is a french writer, and if you can find a translate version in Indonesia (or maybe you speak french???), I can only advise you to try this author. But, as you say, when you began working, it is harder to find time to read, but also sometimes, your mind is not able to do it. So, in order to keep on reading, I think that contemporary authors are easier to read. I am found of Douglas Kennedy and Richard Yates (author of revolutionary road, which is now a film with Kate Winslet and Leo Di Caprio).You will give me your point of view about that. Thanks a lot for your lively blog!
Hello, shirely! The quatrains here in my country goes on the rhyme like this a -b -a b. And i will try to creat one for you: I spent all ---the eve alone give me a call----what's going on BY the way have heard of the translation of AL-KHYAM quatrains by GERALD?If not goole(or ping) it and take a look. they are wonderful
Hi Shirley you mention a boook that I loved to read, its the great Gatsby..its was a long time reading and reading it again until I understand it better.. I still have some questions about it.I have to read it again.. its amazing the enourmous nunbers of readers of paulo coelho, its books really have a lot of lovers, there was a time that paulo coelho wrote song with one brazilian singer named raul seixas and their music were very good ones, the singer die and paulo coelho dicided to write books, which books of Paulo Coelho did you read?there is a documentary very interesting about him and his life. and about the shops the women seems to have something in common everywhere..isn´t? best wishes!!Ramilton.
Hello Shirley. I hear what are you saying about reading YOUR OWN books. I’m rather familiar with this phenomenon. As soon as I buy a book, I put it on a shelf. The reason is simple: there are a few another books, which are queuing to be read first because they aren’t YOURS. Have you read “Shogun” by James Clawell? It’s worth to spend time for.
I didn't like to read when I was a child. Then my mother led me by the hand to the children's library. It became a crucial point. From that time the reading is my favorite hobby. Shirley, my story is something like yours. I used to read a lot when I was a schoolgirl and a student. Now I work and don't have enough time for the reading. Some new books in my bookcase are waiting for their turn to be read. Last time I practice to read during my daily routine travel to work. Fortunately I get only one bus, which usually isn't too crowded. Among my favorite writers are Saint Exupery, Jack London, russian classics Chekhov and Dostoevsky, modern ukranian poetess Lina Kostenko. The Bible is my favorite book and I always try to find time to read it every evening.
Hi, I used to read some of his books as well such as the Alchemist, Veronica decides to kill herself and 11 minutes.. They were interesting to read and good, but some readers think his books are too commercial and I don't know about the literature much, though. I suffered from insomnia a few years ago. Since I couldn't sleep well enough during the night, I needed something to kill the long night. That was the reason I started reading books before going to bed. It worked really well, now I don't have any sleeping problems. So I recommend you reading books before you go to bed. It is the most relaxing and comfortable time for me to read books. What do you think?
That weekend when I was reading your post I though is incredible how things are similars in different contries even thouht when they are so far. And now I read all your the comments you get until now and are similar too. First of all speaking about shopping I'm trying not to buy things that I really don't need,this days it seems you can't be happy if you don't buy a lot of things, sometimes I can but sometimes I can't,consumerism...you know. On the other item you exposed to us, I used to read two books in a week when I was teenager nowadays I'm fortunate if a finish one of them in one or two months...Finally congratulations another time for your post is really catchy
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