A Shopping Trip to Mid Valley Mega Mall

There’s a trite phrase for it. Retail therapy. It is not just a therapy, it is a lifeline – it is addictive, drains the wallet, submerges the wardrobe and gives me pleasant dreams for weeks. As the long summer holidays drew to a close - I badly needed the distractions of a mall to get away from CN and Nick at home. Mid Valley Megamall called out to me for an extended trip!



I was almost out of a few toiletery items and there was a good sale on at Guardian – that was the trigger for the trip.



As I crossed the optical store at Mid Valley, I realized there was a huge sale in frames and lenses. Now, for the past 1.5 years I have been thinking of having my eye checked and getting new frames. Somehow sitting at home – hasn’t made this as imminent as it would have been otherwise. I dropped in and soon found my eyes getting thoroughly checked by a London trained Optician. Of course to no surprise, there was a small power change with an increase in astigmatism. I don’t know how, but I soon found myself choosing a nice new titanium frame and making a small deposit on it. I had over over exceeded my budget before I had even really entered the mall!


I got my stuff at the Guardian with what I considered great savings. Those nice new knee braces which I was waiting to get at a sale came at a 40% discount for just Rm 14 – when I purchased items worth Rm 100. Pleased with myself, I got some grocery and other items, drooled over the MNG and Zara stuff and returned home.


The next day I had to go again to pick up my new glasses. I remembered about an upcoming Birthday and also got a toy at Toys R Us at a nice discount. That was when I saw the British India Sale. British India is one brand that I love. A bit pricey, so I have been eyeing their annual sale for some time. I had missed it last year – and I found I was at the fag end of their clearance this time too. How could I miss it?



I soon found myself trying out their stuff. I hit upon one – that seemed to have been left just for me. A nice lovely purple skirt at a hefty discount. It was just one size bigger – but almost neatly fitted me. I took it – I hardly ever lose weight and the skirt (at its price) was too good to be true. It looked a dream. As I picked it up – the saleswoman asked whether I wouldn’t like a top with it? So I looked and found a nice one at – again – 70% discount! The tunic was just a size short though. Well, all my efforts to slim down will soon bear fruits, I thought, as I bought it just before I was about to get out....


So went my retail therapy... (and what if it included a top one size short for a skirt one size big)

(Originally published at Xomba.com at http://www.xomba.com/shopping-trip-mid-valley. Mid Valley Megamall is one of the biggest shopping malls at Kuala Lumpur - and in my opinion the most diverse)

New Year Resolutions - Tips and Gadgets to Help Keep Your New Year Resolutions

Keeping New Year Resolutions are difficult - right? But if you have the right tools at hand sticking to your New Year Resolutions could be a breeze. Find out how to make the most of your New Year Resolutions here.

New Year Resolutions - Tips and Gadgets to Help Keep Your New Year Resolutions

Books, Thrillers and Murders

In the last two weeks I have gone through some books which are kind of Chick Lits. No, the books were more than chick lits - the authors classify them as thrillers - I would say they are chick lit murders.

I am a very safe reader. For my daily dose of reading, I tend to stick to Georgette Heyer, Judith Mc Naught or Jo Beverly for romance, Robin Cook, Archer, Grisham, Dan Brown for thrillers with a PG Wodehouse, Christie or Enid Blyton thrown in. I tried my hand a Dean Koontz and Stephen King - but while some of Koontz's books worked for me - I gave up Stephen King after one book. And I have given up Paulo Coelho after Alchemist - which I found incredibly silly. I know I might get lynched for saying this. In my defense, I intend to take up Coelho again - because everyone seems to love it - and I cant see why I shouldn't, if I pick up the right book!


Back to my chick lit murders - the first one I read was "A Rose From the Dead" by Kate Collins. It is part of a series called The Flower Shop Mysteries and you cant help liking the impulsive and irrepressible Abby Knight.

See the book here at Amazon.com

A Rose From the Dead

The next one was called Armed and Glamorous . The series by Ellen Byerrum is billed as Crime of Fashion Mysteries. The characters are funky, over the top and GLAMOROUS led by Lacey Smithsonian. Lacey writes on fashion and loves to dress in the 30s style gone modern. Her friends are Stella a hair stylist and Brooke an amazingly organized lawyer. One of Byerrum's book, "Killer Hair" has also been filmed. Take a look at Armed and Glamorous here at Amazon.com



Another thriller of the same genre called the "Code Busting Series" goes by the name of The Givenchy Code (sounds like Da Vinci Code or what?). The protagonist is the nerdy, brilliant, cipher and clue solver Melanie Prescott. In the book, Melanie lives a nightmare where her life depends on deciphering a cipher. Exciting? You bet! There are a few murders thrown in too. Melanie lives for Mathematics and shoes - haute couture shoes like say Givenchy! The book is by Julie Kenner.

The Givenchy Code

Unfortunately  there are two other exciting books I read a few days back whose names escape me. I generally pick up a book, read it and forget the name and the author - unless they are really well known. I remember the names of the above books because I made a point of noting them down before returning them to the library.

Can't wait to get my hands on more books of this kind!