Retail Therapy

After the Atheist meetup Pearl, Clara, Xianghong and I decided to shop around.

Best thing about Vivo City is its sheer size. You can spend the entire day walking in the mall and still be unsure if you have been to every shop. On the flip side, you can get lost easily.

And that was what happened to Xianghong and I. We followed the girls to the lady's department store and we fitted right in like bulls in a china shop. I still don't know why the colourful blocks of crayon on the rack didn't include yellow ones. The Lass rubbed it on her hand and said it's goldie (what's the difference between goldie and golden, or yellow-which they don't have?) I thought it'll be nice to use a yellow eyeliner though...

The clothes department was more fun. Drawing on his experience, the Teacher explained to us how to survive shopping with the missus. Judging from the approving nods of our female friends I think he's got it right. The fact that he's still alive and kicking also bears testimony to the effectiveness of his methods.

We tried to get the Lass to try on some dresses she liked, but no go. She said she would want to buy if she tried any on. I thought women like to try new clothes. Oh well.

Pearl asked us guys if we bought our clothes. Teacher said he outsources his shopping. We added that we will only shop when our clothes are in tatters. And yeah. Shopping for clothes for me is like, they don't have the right size. It's either too long, too short, too big and too short. Trials and tribulations of being a bloke.

Sometimes Pearl and the Lass would 'disappear'. Teacher told me not to panic. Said women can never get lost inside a departmental store. He's got a point. We were probably distracted from ogling the 'scenery' and lost sight of them as a result.

There was this mannequin in the lingerie department set in a provocative pose. 'She' was lying down and her arms were held above her head and one of her legs was raised. The Lass suggested that the brats running around nearby should use her legs as a slide. HAHA. They should. Might be worth the show.

Also learned something from the girls. The 'havoc-ness' ' of a girl is inversely proportional to the size of the bag she carries. Small handbags mean wild child. Mmm. Sort of like dogs. Smaller breeds like to bark more.....

Better stop before the hate mail starts coming.

We went to look at shoes afterwards. I was amazed at the heels on sale. How do you walk in these?! I mean, the sole is set at over 45 degrees and it's so high you are practically tip-toeing as you walk. Lass said it's possible. Then I saw some very high boots on the side rack. Asked the Lass why girls like to wear these things. To look sexy or to attract attention. She replied that it's because of the chic.

Killer heels. You can use these to fend off any perverts.

Chic? Personally I will definitely admire a leggy broad who walks around in a tight blouse, short skirts and these very high boots. Mmmmm. Sexy!

We went to Toys "R"Us next. While the Lass was somewhere in the aisles Pearl, Xianghong and I found ourselves astonished at the in-house barbers. Pay $18 and you can sit with your kid while he has his hair cut. There's music and cartoon in the background to guarantee you kid is distracted sufficiently to lose his hair. When we were kids, we only had the cheap haircut and Old Master Q's comics to read at the barber's. Kids are so pampered these days. The way parents splurge on their kids, it makes you wonder if there's actually a recession...

After much searching the Lass finally found her cube. One of those cubes that you can turn the faces and try to get an all colour (I have never succeeded at doing it.) Rather cute thingie I must say.

Had much fun in the toy store. Teacher and I couldn't get the Darth Vader mask to record "I am your father..." in Hokkien. Think you would have to wear it. Dang!

Lass came at me with a sword. Of all places, she had to point it at my navel. (must remember not to get on the wrong side of a woman). All we needed was a ring and it'll be 'my precious...' and a complete edition of a cheapo The Lord of the Rings.

The Transformers won't transform! Some transformers will transform at the flick of a button. Strange toys kids play with these days. Too damn lazy to even figure out how to transform a transformer and they will transform into our future without having ever transformed a transformer toy. So much for mutation and evolution. So much for intelligent design either.

We used to have real Transformers...

It's a pity Xianghong had to leave early. The three of us continued to shop.

It's my turn to get 'punked' when we found ourselves outside a men's clothing store. I was cajoled into going into the store and I felt ancient immediately. Pearl and Clara told me that I looked purrfectly fine when them T-shirts on. I said they make me look thinner and they said I look taller as well. The shirts at the bottom stand did look fine. The price -tags looked very 'nice' as well. Oh well, so much for my sense of fashion and dwindling treasury.

The three of us went to a bookshop and browsed around before going up to the third floor. We went in a store selling all kinds of stuff. There was one section Pearl and the Lass didn't want me to go. Err....... Anyway, we wandered around the place and we talked about kids and the frivolous Mother Nature. No kids allowed! Well, Mother Nature might yet make a comeback to the Lass! The Return of the Queen.

Lost Pearl after a while and spend the next 20 minutes searching for her. She was outside waiting for us. D'oh.

We finally settled at the top level of the mall. Pearl told us that we could be too intellectual as a group. We are behaving like we are fighting a war and that we are too belligerent in our 'war' against fundies. At this rate, we will gain and lose people very fast. The turnover rate will very high because all these intellectualism is too impersonal and eventually people will get tired of it. As a group, how much do we actually know about each other? How much can we talk freely about ourselves, share our lives and help each other out? People turn to religion because they are lonely, nobody wants to help them and listen, and then suddenly there's God. Why should we not interact on a more fun, personal basis instead of sitting down for intellectual discussions? The Lass concurred.

Powerful speech. Pearl has very good points. In the shop, they asked me how many female members we have and I was racking up my brain to find beyond four. Not everybody is an intellectual and wants to engage fundies in debates. Most people would rather want to have fun. Women are naturally less aggressive compared to us blokes. When a bloke is driving and some idiot cuts him off, he will swear at the fool and might chase after him to get his own back. A woman is likely to just dismiss the jerk and continue on her way.

Yes, I suppose evolution makes us blokes more competitive because we have to fight and win to get mates. Women can afford to be passive and let us idiots kill each other for their hand. Thankfully, women tend to be more emotional so that means she might give even a not so superior male specimen a chance if he can somehow make her laugh. (Mother Nature throws us losers a lifeline.)

But I am digressing. I don't think women are less atheistic or intellectual than us. They just don't see the point of engaging in long, drawn out intellectual battles - to win - when they can just do something else more interesting.

Same for us blokes too. Some of us at least. Many people are not truly intellectual and would rather not think too much. I am not an intellectual, although my peers and my enemies as well, think I'm one (I am sooooooo misunderstood). I would say most guys like to have fun and while it can be engaging to sit down and discuss philosophies, there's only so much entertainment you can get from Kant, Dennett, Nietzsche in the end.

All the philosophies in the world - they are male and frustrated.

I fully agree with Pearl and the Lass, that we should engage people on a more personal and affective manner. Have some activities other than discussion. I think we should rethink what we are doing.

With that in mind, we settled down alfresco next to a pool where kids are wading about. The Lass and I waded into the pool. Nice water and I'm delighted I didn't actually slip and drown myself.

So we sat and spend the next few hours pleasantly talking. Talked about everything that came to our mind. Now I know why women like to talk on the phone with each other on nothing in particular. (Any female reading this can just put the hate mail in my C-box thank you.) And it's - I must admit - invigorating in a way. (Dang. At this rate I'll become some sensitive new age guy, ubersexual, metrosexual or whatever.)

Lass said she will organize the next meetup. It'll be strictly non-intellectual and we will focus on eating and playing with non-intellectual objects. Balls and Frisbees. I'll be in perfectly natural surroundings and we'll see creatures and NOT talk about evolution. I'm all for the idea. I do hope people will come and make this event to remember. If it rains, we'll hit a cinema and catch an equally non-intellectual show (but still, no Paris Hilton in it please.) Our very first meetup that Atheism is not discussed. Wonderful! It will be momentous. Entrance fee is by-invite, no books allowed. Payment via fun.

Smile. Don't think so long. Just throw!

Anyway, the day soon turned into night. There was jazz (I think) in the background and it made for a nice soiree. I think we should learn to be Atheists without killing ourselves going at wingnuts and I hereby declare I'll outsource my running feud with the fundie. I'll announce it on singaporeatheists later.

So it's just waiting for our show to start.