Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Consumerism - all aboard...?

I wouldn't call myself a shopoholic, infact i hardly step into a store to the extent i'm rather clueless about all the "in" and new places around town... not having worked, i do have restrictions when in comes to my piggy bank, and i'm constantly running on the rim so there is no point in me going even to window shop, i avoid ending up wanting things i just can't buy.

So it seems like i cannot be categorized as a consumer.. However, a recent incident made me think twice about all that. My God mother who spoils me silly is gonna be coming down for a holiday and she asked me what i wanted, and i said i don't want anything cos she got me a very expensive watch the last time. However she insisted that she gets me something this time around for finishing my degree (results unconfirmed). So I said I'll think about it and get back to her, and not long after, found myself surfing the internet superhighway looking for something good, and what do you know, i saw a watch i really dig(one should note at this point that I'm a watch freak) After much thought & consultation I decided on the colour scheme etc and told my aunt. Since i was checking out watches i thought I'll continue to drool at all em lovely watches.. Suddenly something caught my eye, another watch,same brand but way cooler than the first one and better, and a bit more expensive..

Now i had a problem. You know how ones mind gets clouded when one is lusting for something and wants it badly, and when one develops a certain attachment to something it's hard to let go... yep i wanted both!! so i did a quick assessment of my finances and decided the first watch should be available else where for a price i can afford, it's gorgeous and got some handy functions, and I'm not gonna give it up! I came up with this plan of how my aunt will buy me the other and i would buy this for myself as a treat for myself.. I indicated this to my aunt and the feedback was not too positive (quite understandably!!) i was asking my dad to choose between two colour schemes and he was like "why do you need another you already have one" and he went on to point out that he's been using his good old watch for yonkees years! (at this point i must mention that i have a number of watches-though some of course are not of the long lasting kind).

Suddenly things started to hit me.. why do i want or need two watches? I already have some classy ones and the second watch my aunt is supposed to get me is a pretty dam cool watch.. I did a reassessment of my finances and realised that in fact though i can buy the thing, I have some other investments requiring that money and that i really can't afford it..
What was i thinking???

Wanting something one does not need- is it consumerism or just plain human nature ? Can i point my finger at the excellent bit of marketing? See in my recent travels out of the city to remote areas, (some without electricity) people live a very simple life, they are content with what they have, and the life they live.. Yes they may want things etc, but definitely not to the extent of us city folk.. For example you may have come across the motorized shaver, you know the one that looks just like a normal shaver but it has a motor and uses batteries. People ARE buying it! WF FOR?? i mean it's not that hard to put a good ol shaver on yr face and drag it across and voila! The point is we can sometimes buy (or want to buy) the most unnecessary things and we don't even realise! Definitely Gonna watch myself in the future!

Friday, August 24, 2007

I have arrived!

After sort of hijacking a friends blog, and bein given the subtle cold shoulder, i decided maybe i should get my own blog, where i can write about anything i want to, do anything i wish to, and visitors can say any thing they want to and write for as long as they want to(if they want to that is..)
Though tempted, I never wanted to get a blog cos of time constraints, and nothin interesting enuf to write about.. though i do have another where i upload pictures -photography is more my thing.
I don't really have the time to juggle a flikr, 2blogs, a face book and a hi5 though hi5 seems like it's gonna get the boot.. but i felt the need to have my own space specially after the above mentioned incident and the blogger actually wishing to block me - LOL!! Visitors can say and do anything and your quite welcome.. (provided you don't piss me off -yeah thats an exclusion clause =) don't think i'll be writing much cos i'm a lazy ass and i may not be bothered, but hey, i have contradicted myself in the past, therefore only time will tell. I don't care if no one reads... this is just for kicks..  it's al abt my pleasure =D