Sunday 16 August 2009

My shopping Spree

Well I think I probably have bought enough things as special treats for the children for the time being.

My first visit to Primark was successful. I found a lovely blue t-shirt with red parrot, as in Peter Pan.It costs £2 each. It was a very reasonable purchase x8. The quality is surprisingly good, on par with Bhs and the like. The only anxiety I have is the sizing. The Nepali children are quite petite for their age except one . Its the new girl who is aged 11. I have a horrible feeling that the largest child size might still be a bit too small for her......

I have managed to find miniature talcum powder X8 in M&S. I have bought cocoa butter and talcum powder for Uma as well. My sister is also sending 6 sarongs from M'sia, hopefully in time before my departure on 2/9.

When I was in Vancouver Library, I came upon some big paper clips They are obviously used as bookmarks as well. They have such beautiful animal faces attach to them. Guess what, I now have in my possession giant animal paper clips x8. They are really lovely , of walt disney proportion. I nearly bought one for myself, then promptly chided myself that I am almost a pensioner, too old to have childish things like that. However, I have always maintained that I have had a very deprived childhood in terms of all these ingenious toys and gadgets the present young generation is fortunate enough to experience. All the same, I feel sure the children would love them .

When I first arrived in Kathmandu last year, it was quite intriguing to see the older Nepali women sitting in the doorway, clad in the familiar looking sarong, just like Malaysians do. Ditto yours truly but only in the summer.I then saw Uma wearing one occasionally while lounging at home. We compared notes about it. So I thought it would be a good present for Uma , as well as the women I'll be working with in the orphanage later on.

I am trying hard not to go near any confectionery store now. I just cannot seem to stop buying sweets and choccies when I come across them.I have bought Jelly babies x4 large packs, some maple syrup sweets and honey comb crunch from Canada. Nearer to my departure ,I probably will buy, at Gill's suggestion, a couple of bags of miniature choccies/sweets .They will be better than biscuits, not easily breakable. And no, I won't be taking any digestive biscuits with me for a change. That's only because I have found a shop which sells the stuff. And its the real thing, McVities no less. The grocery shop is just round the corner from where Uma lives.So the umbilical cord to home in Beckenham continues, thank god!

I was up in town the other day in Oxford street.I went into a souvenir shop (as one does). I came upon some souvenirs in the form of very ingenious pencil sharpeners.They come in the form of a red mail box, a red telephone booth , a black cab and the old fashion double decker bus. 8 pencil sharpeners later,I said to myself that enough is enough, no more purchases . At this rate, the luggage allowance will be breached with no room for my personal stuff

Interesting enough, I have not bought anything new to take with me this time.Having experienced Kathmandu the last time,I am going to be very disciplined (famous last words ) in what I will be taking away with me.The only other thing I have yet to buy is a couple of 'tabards?', something one wears over one's clothes while working with children.I need to find a suuplier locally. The one I know in Croydon is no longer open for bussiness unfortunately

I guess this is the sum total of my purchases for the moment, and hopefully thats it !

2 comments:

Tee said...

aunty see! I wish i had logged onto your blog earlier ... all those nice stuff. I would have enjoyed shopping for stationaries for the kids ... we have quite nifty stuffy here too ... and I look for every opportunity to check out stationary stores (one of my geeky pastimes)

T

Siau Qwei said...

Well, the next time I shall ask you to help, but thank you . Sounds as though we have fairly similar childish inclinations eh ?