TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY

"Starving..!"
I left home rather late, and arrived at the local shopping mall 2 hours after my normal lunch break. To my dismay, the only restaurant in that small complex is KFC. Hmmm.. determined not to spend money there, I walked around and saw a small shop selling waffles, operated by a Malay lady.
"Give me a waffle, please.." I ordered, and again, my heart sank when I saw the price list.
Shopping is not my favourite way of spending time unless I'm loaded with money. Yet it's a necessity when the fridge is empty.
And this time around, I made a conscious effort not to buy anything from a company that has been proven to support the Israelis. It's quite easy for me because I seldom drink Coca-cola and Nescafe. I don't use Colgate and seldom wear the branded US-made clothes, make-up and perfume anyway. As a consumer, I believe I've the right to choose whichever brand of items I want to buy, and I'm leaving the US-based products on the shelves.
The Chinese shoppers were busy loading festive stuff into their trolley. I looked at the decorative items on sale and remembered how I used to add those items into my collection each year. Well, there won't be any decorations on the wall of my house other that what's necessary.

Sigh! Chinese New Year is only 2 weeks away but I'm not in a festive mood this year. I haven't prepared anything for the Spring Festival. Some plans for this year's Chinese New Year has to be postponed as I'm still stuck in my present dwelling. I pray that next year I'd be able to celebrate this festival in a better condition and make it as a form of dakwah to others as well. I'd need my husband's support for this to happen. (Sometimes I have to remind him that he's married to a Chinese and his in-laws are still Buddhists, huhuhu).

At the cash counter, the Malay couple in front of me bought a hamper of food stuff, which I assume, is for their Chinese friend. I'd done the same too except for the thought that perhaps some of the food items wrapped in the hamper might not be 100% halal or are near their expiry dates. It's really hard work to handpick suitable items to be wrapped for a hamper to be given to a Chinese family as I can't give non-halal items or items that I know they don't eat (my family tradition requires married women to give foodstuff to the older generation as a sign of respect, in replacement of the regular red ang-pau packet).
Guess next week I'd have to go out again for the festive shopping and hopefully, be able to get my mother some new clothes and foodstuff. It'd be like looking for a needle in a hay-stack because there aren't many suitable clothes an old woman can buy from the supermarket rack nowadays. If only she would wear a baju kurung that comes in only 3 sizes... shopping would have been so much easier, huhuhu.

note: sorry, something wrong with blogger. I can't post any pic