Thursday, March 5, 2009

Chapter Two of NZ : Rise Of The Shopaholic


Be afraid. Be VERY afraid. 'cause apparently, I'd unleashed my shopping prowess on every major retail hub in the vicinity. By day 3, I'd changed one of my US dollar bills to refuel my wallet. And don't ask what bill that was, ahaha.


Botany Town Centre @ Botany Downs

NZ malls are sprawling, one-storey affairs. At the most, you get a cinema on the second floor and three floors for shoplots in the city centre. The reason for that is they simply have so much land, condensation is not needed (unlike in Singapore); and also, it would do good for those overweight shoppers to walk a little farther (end to end, instead of letting fat accumulate while riding the escalator). XP

We began with the nearest, Botany Town Centre, which is now the third largest mall in NZ. But I finished it in one and a half days; meaning it's smaller than our own One Utama. Talk about standard, weii.

Regardless of comparisons, within the first 15 minutes, I knew I was in for a great time. Generally, the shopping in Auckland is FANTASTICAL. The things sold there are just so pretty. Caution had to be exercised, lest I blow all my cash too quickly. Before I go any further, there is something to take note of :


1 NZ dollar = around RM2

Alrighty, now we've got that settled; it's time for show 'n' tell!




Denims. That's what I found myself buying the most of.
Curiously, the denim apparel sold in Malaysia have a hard time fitting me. Or rather, I simply have a hard time finding jeans that fit me here.

Thus, it was indeed a great joy to come across two pairs of jeans.
- One light, from Jeanswest



A cool 100 bucks.
The .99 is just to pull a little wool over our eyes, as usual.
With the new ruling, .99 only means paying more than you see.
Dumbness.



Well, you'd be out of your mind to think I'd buy simple pair of denims for RM200!
At the time of my visit, it was nearing the end of summer holidays. Which could only mean one thing... END-OF-SUMMER SALES!!!



This was how much it really cost.
A whopping 80% discount!
And a decent RM40.

Oyeah, say it; I'm goo0O0od~~ XD



The hot label that came attached to my model...
The Stretch Slim Flare.



- One very dark pair, with more intricate zip details around the waist.
Pagani appeared a little high-end, but it fit the butt; what could I do?



Westfield Mall @ Pakuranga


My cousins are lavishly supplied with books to read, by the bounty of public libraries at hand. They patronise 4 different libraries, and while they were in the Westfield one, I went... shopping. Oh shopping. =D



Pakuranga was where I found my denim skirt.
The stock didn't even have the sizes labeled onto the skirts. It so happened that the very first one I tried on, fit me. Like I was meant for you, honey. =)

Also, I walked into the store of Texan Art Schools. It was full of pretty things, all expensive. Lol, handcrafted by the students or some such thing. But I got so attached to a certain pair of earrings... and I lingered, trying to find an excuse to leave. There was none.



Every girl needs a pair of basic hoops. Mine aren't absolute basic, it has ridges all around. From Singapore.
Compare its simplicity to...



...this beauty.
Single-handedly the biggest splurge I made in NZ.
But oh, how the heart ignores reason at times!
I was so taken. =)



Painstakingly hand carved from wood?
Just look at the woodiness of it. Lovely.


Sylvia Park @ Mt. Wellington

This here mall... I only entered once to pick up the jeans I'd reserved from Botany. Botany didn't have my size; but when I tried on the Sylvia Park pair, the fit wasn't good enough after all. So the only thing I really did here was get my US currency changed at a proper money changer (there aren't many around, and the banks charge much higher).

Barely an hour or two later, we had to leave because it was getting late. And I never got to return. My first reaction was utmost dissatisfaction; c'mon, you can't DISALLOW your guest from doing what she likes (in my case, shopping)! But that's exactly what happened. My uncle actually thought I'd been shopping too much.

I don't cuss, but seriously, *WTH?!??* . T.T

Sylvia Park was (until very recently) the largest shopping centre in the whole of New Zealand; the equivalent of Malaysia's very own Midvalley Megamall. Imagine missing out on the massive shopping to be done over there! I was, to say the least, disappointed.

But a couple of days later I swallowed my resentment and grabbed every other opportunity that presented itself; indeed, it wasn't difficult, with my uncle dropping us off for a day of sightseeing and the 'sightseeing area' being littered with interesting stores... I still returned a happy shopper. =) Wanna see my pretty things? Hehe.



A postcard, two boxes of gifts, and the green-blue swirl you see is paua shell on wood.



A tablemat for my father, made purely of Kauri wood.
Kauri is their most valued tree over there; they've plenty of laws to protect the species from extinction and overfarming.



A very pretty keychain I couldn't turn down.
It's times like this I just don't acknowledge my distaste for butterflies.
In real life, I find them menacing and threatening. In art, they're ultimately delicate and seductive.



This whisk keychain's for my fairy godbrother.
A perfect fit, since he's studying the culinary arts right now. =]



Market Days

Their regular version of flea markets; independent entrepreneurs peddle their hodgepodge of wares in rented halls. I'm all for the funky stuff you find at Market Days.


@ Karikari Community Hall




This was the bargain of the day!
A drawer liner, scented in French Lavender.
Initially, I was attracted only by its packaging. (I used to collect all kinds of boxes as one of my hobbies, and still do have an affinity for pretty ones.)
They sell this in Ikano for RM40-50plus! *Sputters*

While I got mine for only...


One buck. That makes two ringgit.
*Jawdropping*


@ Mangonui

This was a week before my return to KL. I'd been stuck with people for what seemed to be all the time and I was straining against it. While they were having the famous fish & chips in Mangonui for the second time, I took the chance to go off on my own to the shops. Oh, solitude and freedom. How I value you both.
(I actually ate fast to get away from them. Me?! Eating fast!! Ahaha =X )



The paua necklace I bought for my mother.



Some grocery store beside the butchery called The Mad Butcher.



The Original Rocky Road?
What does the fake one taste like, I wonder.



*Reads*
Reflex action : Curl my fingers around it and don't let go 'til I reach the cashier. XD



Looks like crap.
Ahahahha but tastes much better, really. I shared half with Angeline.
Whoever says that svelte girls don't eat... stuff a sock in it, alright?
=)



Eastridge Shopping Centre @ Mission Bay

Stopped by here one evening towards the end of our trip. My uncle and mom wanted to discuss some things in private, so I wandered off happily. Within 40 minutes I'd covered the whole place and came back to them. And got sent off again, not so happily. Not twice, but three times! Oh my, they do have loads to yak about. Ahaha, they have a right to yak. It's alright. I ended up reading a novel in front of a bookstore - which I usually don't favour doing, 'cause you obviously won't finish it all in time and then you have to leave it behind never knowing how it ends... which was precisely what happened. And I thought, it's alright, I can buy it when I get back. But it was written and published in New Zealand itself; can't find it in MPH. Gotta try Borders, and if that fails, Kinokuniya. Argh, the effect of reading a story halfway!



This is what I shopped for in Eastridge.
Bought 'em from video stores (yes, their video stores provide popcorn and snacks!) and the supermarket.



I never thought I was a chocolate addict or anything, but look at this here stock of
Yummy Looking Chocolate Stuff.



The name got me at once.
*Grabs it and puts it into the basket*
*Oh wait; I didn't think I'd need a basket, so I didn't have one, so I cradled them all in my arms.*



On my trip the NZ, I discovered afghans. I mean, I'd read about them in books but never thought they'd taste... so... goooood.
Remembering how I'd loved the texture of my first one, I took back this box.



Mouthwatering afghans.



All for me? Awww really, that's too sweet... ^ ^



What can I say, but...
Dig in, baby!


How to eat an afghan :


Place it in the center of a plate.
That is, if you have Beckham's disorder like I do.



Take your first sinful bite; and do try not to close your eyes.
*Why do people do that anyway, when something tastes good??*



DON'T RUSH.
Haste makes waste. You might drop a crumb on the floor and there goes your 0.02 cents.



Do not provoke the nut in the middle unnecessarily.
Just go about your own business, and it'll go about its own. That is, sitting squarely in the middle for your gastronomic pleasure.



*The walls are closing in on you.*



*Run for your life!!!*



*Missing your other half?*
By the way, I don't know why some of my pics are rotated the way they're not supposed to be.
It's a Blogspot error. =(



B-u-r-p.



Lastly, lick your plate clean, please.
Just kidding; I didn't do that. > < onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ipeuqccfevVXl9vubo_ug7Sem0yanrBb7vCSLjs6FiZJRETxlrUZW8XXGs3tw_5fia73ZR46zde8cEegMqHtWNrBbXbg5Mt2VcCV1BHfPuo5q62NNxUEIUM5OZQt0ahTEG7Y2oYuPZc/s1600-h/IMG_3652.JPG">
That's a real cool catchphrase.
It didn't taste that great, however. Three-quarter way through and I got a little sick of it.



I LOVE Starbust.
Not the common gummy whatevers they send to Malaysia, but the Babies and Jelly Beans.
Ooo yeaaa. XD



Willy Wonka is ever the attention-grabber.
I've got Gobstoppers that change colour as they melt layer by layer in your mouth, ending in a soft chewy centre.
Also, Fabulicious something which I haven't yet opened.



Boysenberry Jelly and Lemonade Jelly.
I am, classified, a jelly addict for sure.



Also got this BagTag for my luggage. One packet holds two Tags.
I excitedly attached one to my suitcase for the return flight with my details all written neatly inside.
When I landed, the Tag was gone. I haven't gotten any freak calls yet, not to worry. =]

Only thing is, I'd planned to give the other one to Lynette - she's an ex-ballerina. But now that I only had one, I couldn't anymore. =(



I'm sorry, dear.



Howick Village

Simply named, it made for a pleasant day of walking, with rows and rows of shops to explore. A prominent feature in this village is the presence of antique stores. Having never been inside a genuine antique store, I found much to interest me.



Many-hued decorative bowl.
Fill it with sweets, and you've got a perfect party centerpiece.



An English-looking washbasin and pitcher.
I think I got this love for English-looking things from my father. O.o



The ribbon colour is rather very-pretty, dontcha think?
Like a shade before teal.



Pleasing to the eye, that's what simplicity's all about.


I never understood how some women go about collecting and displaying chinaware in glass cases at home. I mean, plates... are for eating off, no?


But this changed my mind. It's really a painting that happens to be trapped on a plate! We can NOT disgrace this work of art by dumping stewed chicken feet on it.
Man, the colours are really something.



Another attractive piece.


Fear not, I'm not turning into one of those plate-collector grannies. =D I saw other things of interest, too.


Bubble-bubble-bubble.



I don't really know what it's for.
Or rather, *Uhh... I reli dono wat it is for.*



A mini gong, complete with the sounding wand.
(I made that up, I dono wat the stick's called.)



Red marble clock for the mantelpiece.
A classic.



Oh look, a blue bottle!
The prettiest part about it is the ribbon tied at its neck... =X


*Let's see how much it costs.*



Holy cow.
Splurge much?



Ye olde cash register. NyekNyek.



Pay cash, for a place to put cash in.
Obviously only for those with cash to spare. *Wink*



Brush and mirror set, looking elegant this side up.



Mirror : Alright not bad just fine. =P
The brush : Looking like something I'd never use in a million years.



A rose oil lamp.



Alone in its glass prison.



Metallic vanity.



Genuine dominoes!
=]



Chick's magnet.
We make our own sense. Teehee.


Walking into a partyware store, which miraculously stocks the range of items I've been dreaming of owning.
Ive only seen these fairy products online, marveling at how dainty they were.



Seeing this was deja vu.
I still remember saving this picture on my computer. Of course I snapped it up on the spot.



The range : Flower Fairies.
Yes, I think fairies are dainty, graceful creatures and I admire them for being so.



A pretty mug to brighten my mornings?
Why not, ahaha.



Newmarket


The town of Newmarket was where I discovered that I already had two favourite brands in NZ; Jeanswest and Supre. I have a few items each from both brands. =)

Jeanswest is stocked with sensible pieces, as well as trendy ones, whereas Supre is half filled with apparel trendy to the point of being jinjang; while the other half consists of simpler (and in a way, prettier) clothing.




Man on the street, with the Fender. XD



Owned by Tom Kroon.



Acoustic or classical, I wonder.



So true.
Ahahahaha.


The star buy of my trip was... a pair of shoes.
Really didn't expect to get shoes there, much less this type.

In Eastridge, I first spotted it being sold in a pharmacy. So I didn't take it seriously; but it appealed to me so much that I walked over and tried it on. Too small. =( I left it.

In Newmarket, I saw it again. Then did a doubletake when I saw it was in a Crocs store.
I never did like those regular Crocs. Hideous thingymajiggies.

But these were different; merely related in name.

The Santa Cruz.



Available in denim blue, faded olive or plain black.

I ruled out the black immediately 'cause it wasn't that nice. Then I cracked my skull choosing between the olive that first caught my attention, and the blue that was becoming increasingly attractive.

Blue won.

At the same time, I struggled with my conscience : To buy or not to buy?

If I did, it'd be the most exorbitant purchase of mine, there. Felt very guilty.



The price :
Worst thing was, what if I came back and found it cheaper here?
The odds were against that, however, so I screwed shut the Guilty Conscience part of my brain and paid up. Blue it is; and it is minE!

Upon returning, I saw it's selling here for RM209. And since I paid about RM120 for it...
I more or less saved RM90.
The best buy ever!
No regrets, certainly.



And that was how Nicole got her first pair of Crocs.

2 comments:

  1. Hey thanks for commenting! I was going to go for wine red but then if you think about it sunburst will go better if i'm going to mix and match pickguards XD oh and I can't help but wonder, how did you find my blog?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nah I found your link on Lynnie's blog so you must have found mine through hers :P So you're a drummer then?

    ReplyDelete