Today was yet another shopping spree day! My goodness...I shudder to think about how much money I've spent today!
It all started with Karstadt...Karstadt Sport is moving out of its original building and they're having crazy sales. Well, not everything is THAT cheap, cos if the original price was 100 euros, then maybe you still have to pay 39 euros or something. I bought a new swimsuit. Fu Wei was like, "Huh?? Another one?" But she's right...I actually have 6 swimsuits in Singapore...7 but Sherry borrowed it years ago and I never ever got it back...and 2 here. This is my third one! Oops. I'd better go swimming more often this summer then! Make sure I wear the stuff I bought. Anyway, it was only 6.50 euros...and I also bought a bikini top for 1 euro. I figured I can wear it as normal underwear too...I don't have a bikini figure. And...I bought a cute top that says 'Chicks rule" and there are little pink chicks on it. Haha...that fortune cookie I got about me loving temptation is so true!
Went to the shoe store next door next, cos Fu Wei wanted to buy shoes for badminton..her current ones have a hole in them. I tried on lots of nice shoes, but 39.90 is not very cheap. Plus, after Friday's incident with the boots, I figure I'm not made for walking in heels. The nerves in my feet haven't died yet.
Then we walked along Prager Straße and I went to Colloseum and New Yorker. At New Yorker, I let temptation overcome me again and I bought 2 tops...even though they weren't on sale. But they were just too pretty to pass up! One's black and white striped. I don't usually enjoy wearing something everyone else is wearing, but the cut of the top is really flattering, so I just had to get it. The other one is turquoise and has a huge silver butterfly on it. I am a butterfly freak and turquoise is such a pretty summer colour..and looks great against the tan I got from tennis on Friday. When Mai saw it, she was like "Oh Samantha, that's so you!! It's perfect for you! You made an excellent choice!" And mind you, Mai is pretty critical when it comes to clothes...as in she doesn't tell you stuff looks good if she doesn't think it does. Like when I tried a cow patterned belt, she was like, "That's probably good for a fashion show, but not for normal occasions."
Fu Wei and I got back at around 1.45pm or so. Then we bumped into this girl who told us that Liu Jian was back and staying in her room. So Fu Wei and I went to see Liu Jian! Fu Wei had to go teach a class at 2.15, so Liu Jian and I continued talking for about an hour or so. It was like she hadn't left at all...
Then we went back down to my place so she could say hi to Phuong and Mai..and cos Mai and I were going to 2 Asian shops to interview the pple there and take a look at what they sell. It's part of our project...and it was actually kinda fun. I went to one of the places where I've never been to, and discovered a whole bunch of amazing stuff, like chendol, banana sauce (I kid you not - it looks like ketchup), blue ginger, buah keras, haw flakes!!!, etc etc. And the lady was super super nice! She answered all the questions we posed her. I decided to make chendol for Wednesday...the only problem is trying to get crushed ice. Sigh. How come I forgot all about that?? Anyway, I bought all the other stuff for it...and haw flakes...it cost slightly over 5 euros...and I was impressed with the orderliness of the shop! Oh, we forgot to bring our cameras...how silly!
Then we went to Karstadt (yes, AGAIN!) cos Mai was looking for a swimsuit for her mum. She ended up not buying a swimsuit and I ended up buying a new belt and a scarf, which I figure will be nice to tie over a plain tube. When we walked out of Karstadt, there was someone announcing a demonstration. I heard the words "racism" and "Hartz IV". I hope it isn't another neo-Nazi or anti-foreigners demo. And I hope it doesn't happen while I'm out on the streets. I mean in general, my life isn't in danger...as long as I don't walk right into the midst of them. But hearing random words might be even scarier than knowing what exactly they are saying. This is really why I don't like going out at night. Not that it's automatically unsafe, but really, why invite danger if you can avoid it? Still I really wish people would stop having the "us vs. them" mentality...but I guess being parochial really does give you weird ideas. Like these 2 guys sitting in front of Mai and me in the bus. They were working class dudes or unemployed, probably in their late 40s. We passed by this place..and one guy said to the other, "Wasn't there some Vietnamese working there previously? Now it's a 'Dönerbude'!" Dönerkebap is Turkish fastfood, for the uninitiated...and if you heard his tone, you'd know it was disapproving..and like "man..we are being overrun by foreigners". I wish this kind of thinking could change. I mean c'mon...are you sure that if your country had no foreigners, your life would be better? A lot of them do jobs that you don't want to do. If they left, it's not like you'd rush in do to their jobs...it's not just in Germany...it's in every country in the world. There may be cosmopolitan societies, but there isn't a lot of cosmopolitan thinking. People's mindsets have not caught up with the reality of globalisation.
Ok, this wasn't really what I was intending to blog about, but it disturbs me. I really cannot understand the lack of tolerance. No one's expecting you to go hug all the foreigners and shower them with love and affection...just don't hate them and try to kill them. They are foreigners in your land...but if you went to their country, you'd be a foreigner too...how'd you like that?? Erm...I guess this is an apostrophe to an imaginary racist person. But you know what the real problem is? If you really hate foreigners, I doubt reason will appeal to you. I can give all the good arguments I wish...you wouldn't believe me anyway. Sigh.
Anyway, Mai and I went to REWE and ALDI to buy groceries..I bought quite a lot. Am thinking of cooking Gulasch and Knödel...have been eating a lot of pasta and fried rice lately...time for a change. Anyway, my bag was super heavy after that...then in ALDI, I got a sports bag for travelling. I only have a small bag. And anyway, it was only 5.99 euros.
Then we went to the second Asian shop. I also bought quite a lot of stuff there, including wasabi peas, coconut milk, 2 kinds of tofu, zucchini and carrots. Then we went home...and honestly, I was relieved...we also managed to ask the interview questions...so it was a sense of accomplishment. Oh...and Mai and I ate ice cream too...the cone was super nice...
A full day of school tomorrow...let's hope I survive. I'm totally beat.
It all started with Karstadt...Karstadt Sport is moving out of its original building and they're having crazy sales. Well, not everything is THAT cheap, cos if the original price was 100 euros, then maybe you still have to pay 39 euros or something. I bought a new swimsuit. Fu Wei was like, "Huh?? Another one?" But she's right...I actually have 6 swimsuits in Singapore...7 but Sherry borrowed it years ago and I never ever got it back...and 2 here. This is my third one! Oops. I'd better go swimming more often this summer then! Make sure I wear the stuff I bought. Anyway, it was only 6.50 euros...and I also bought a bikini top for 1 euro. I figured I can wear it as normal underwear too...I don't have a bikini figure. And...I bought a cute top that says 'Chicks rule" and there are little pink chicks on it. Haha...that fortune cookie I got about me loving temptation is so true!
Went to the shoe store next door next, cos Fu Wei wanted to buy shoes for badminton..her current ones have a hole in them. I tried on lots of nice shoes, but 39.90 is not very cheap. Plus, after Friday's incident with the boots, I figure I'm not made for walking in heels. The nerves in my feet haven't died yet.
Then we walked along Prager Straße and I went to Colloseum and New Yorker. At New Yorker, I let temptation overcome me again and I bought 2 tops...even though they weren't on sale. But they were just too pretty to pass up! One's black and white striped. I don't usually enjoy wearing something everyone else is wearing, but the cut of the top is really flattering, so I just had to get it. The other one is turquoise and has a huge silver butterfly on it. I am a butterfly freak and turquoise is such a pretty summer colour..and looks great against the tan I got from tennis on Friday. When Mai saw it, she was like "Oh Samantha, that's so you!! It's perfect for you! You made an excellent choice!" And mind you, Mai is pretty critical when it comes to clothes...as in she doesn't tell you stuff looks good if she doesn't think it does. Like when I tried a cow patterned belt, she was like, "That's probably good for a fashion show, but not for normal occasions."
Fu Wei and I got back at around 1.45pm or so. Then we bumped into this girl who told us that Liu Jian was back and staying in her room. So Fu Wei and I went to see Liu Jian! Fu Wei had to go teach a class at 2.15, so Liu Jian and I continued talking for about an hour or so. It was like she hadn't left at all...
Then we went back down to my place so she could say hi to Phuong and Mai..and cos Mai and I were going to 2 Asian shops to interview the pple there and take a look at what they sell. It's part of our project...and it was actually kinda fun. I went to one of the places where I've never been to, and discovered a whole bunch of amazing stuff, like chendol, banana sauce (I kid you not - it looks like ketchup), blue ginger, buah keras, haw flakes!!!, etc etc. And the lady was super super nice! She answered all the questions we posed her. I decided to make chendol for Wednesday...the only problem is trying to get crushed ice. Sigh. How come I forgot all about that?? Anyway, I bought all the other stuff for it...and haw flakes...it cost slightly over 5 euros...and I was impressed with the orderliness of the shop! Oh, we forgot to bring our cameras...how silly!
Then we went to Karstadt (yes, AGAIN!) cos Mai was looking for a swimsuit for her mum. She ended up not buying a swimsuit and I ended up buying a new belt and a scarf, which I figure will be nice to tie over a plain tube. When we walked out of Karstadt, there was someone announcing a demonstration. I heard the words "racism" and "Hartz IV". I hope it isn't another neo-Nazi or anti-foreigners demo. And I hope it doesn't happen while I'm out on the streets. I mean in general, my life isn't in danger...as long as I don't walk right into the midst of them. But hearing random words might be even scarier than knowing what exactly they are saying. This is really why I don't like going out at night. Not that it's automatically unsafe, but really, why invite danger if you can avoid it? Still I really wish people would stop having the "us vs. them" mentality...but I guess being parochial really does give you weird ideas. Like these 2 guys sitting in front of Mai and me in the bus. They were working class dudes or unemployed, probably in their late 40s. We passed by this place..and one guy said to the other, "Wasn't there some Vietnamese working there previously? Now it's a 'Dönerbude'!" Dönerkebap is Turkish fastfood, for the uninitiated...and if you heard his tone, you'd know it was disapproving..and like "man..we are being overrun by foreigners". I wish this kind of thinking could change. I mean c'mon...are you sure that if your country had no foreigners, your life would be better? A lot of them do jobs that you don't want to do. If they left, it's not like you'd rush in do to their jobs...it's not just in Germany...it's in every country in the world. There may be cosmopolitan societies, but there isn't a lot of cosmopolitan thinking. People's mindsets have not caught up with the reality of globalisation.
Ok, this wasn't really what I was intending to blog about, but it disturbs me. I really cannot understand the lack of tolerance. No one's expecting you to go hug all the foreigners and shower them with love and affection...just don't hate them and try to kill them. They are foreigners in your land...but if you went to their country, you'd be a foreigner too...how'd you like that?? Erm...I guess this is an apostrophe to an imaginary racist person. But you know what the real problem is? If you really hate foreigners, I doubt reason will appeal to you. I can give all the good arguments I wish...you wouldn't believe me anyway. Sigh.
Anyway, Mai and I went to REWE and ALDI to buy groceries..I bought quite a lot. Am thinking of cooking Gulasch and Knödel...have been eating a lot of pasta and fried rice lately...time for a change. Anyway, my bag was super heavy after that...then in ALDI, I got a sports bag for travelling. I only have a small bag. And anyway, it was only 5.99 euros.
Then we went to the second Asian shop. I also bought quite a lot of stuff there, including wasabi peas, coconut milk, 2 kinds of tofu, zucchini and carrots. Then we went home...and honestly, I was relieved...we also managed to ask the interview questions...so it was a sense of accomplishment. Oh...and Mai and I ate ice cream too...the cone was super nice...
A full day of school tomorrow...let's hope I survive. I'm totally beat.
posted by Samantha @ 9:14 pm
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