The woes of online shopping

As I add yet another item to my virtual shopping cart, I realised something a tad bit too late. All my purchases over the Internet has always been driven by "Why not?" instead of wants, much less needs.

It's really bad. I could be adding a leather dress to my cart when it isn't even my style.

Do I have a problem? Well, maybe.

But then again, with the massive amount of goods that can be easily ordered over the bits and bytes - that know our online behaviour so well - it's kind of hard to resist any "Why not?" that pops up in my head as I get sidetracked while searching for a product I wish to buy.

This may sound similar to point-of-purchase displays in retail marketing, in which strategies in stores attempt to influence purchase decisions at the last minute for shoppers ready to pay for their items. Typically, this is done in your brick and mortars for areas near the cashier. Remember on those display shelves beside the counter, those $2 chocolate bars selling at $3 for 2 that you bought because "why not"? Damn. I know I did. I always fall for marketing tricks. *facepalms*

Well, in a way, it's way worse when you shop online (special shoutout: curse you Taobao! *coughs*). These surprise attacks don't only get launched on you as you approach the cashier - or in this case, the checkout button I suppose? THEY RAID YOU EVERYWHERE.

With every click, the e-commerce trash follows you, ready to pounce any second. All their "suggested for you", "items we know you would like *smirk face*", "trending items", "suggested search options" section hanging on the sidebars, sitting at the bottom of the page, etc.

Ahhh, these algorithms. They think they are so clever. Okay, um, I guess they are. Eh, not discrediting anyone here.

Between you and me, I am actually really delighted with Taobao's recommendation system. On their mobile app's home screen, they always make FANTASTIC suggestions to me, especially when they step on their own feet recommending items I have already saved, but sold by another seller at a way cheaper price (lmao).

But who is suffering at the end of the day?

No, definitely not just me. It would be unjust to put myself forward as the mere victim of this mess. My heart is simply collateral damage in situations like this.

You know who the biggest victim is? MY WALLET. Rumour has it that it has been weeping since I learned what online shopping it :'(

This is kinda a weird thing for me to talk about actually. Being someone who yawns within seconds of stepping into a fashion retail store, I don't know why I get caught up with Taobao so easily (other than it being significantly cheaper and I don't actually see my money going away physically when shopping online haha). It's a vicious cycle - I buy something, that something arrives, then I go back to the platform to look for more... rinse and repeat. Not even getting shitty products can stop me from going back.

Sigh.

Cheers to my wallet for braving all my stormy "Why not?" all these times. You have been a survivor, you adorable little Gryffindor. 

...and here's to hoping that the leather dress fits when it arrives. Hah.

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Why am I writing about online shopping at midnight? I have no idea man, I do things on a whim. I came here to complain about my bad habit shopping on the Internet but it turned into a full-length blog post lol. I'm so sleepy now and yes, I know I'm wasting my time but at the same time I'm pretty proud I finally made a proper post on this blog!

It has been a long time since I last typed so much about shits. Feels great :)

Song rec: 我不是神

我不是神 卻想給你陽光
讓妳的心長出新的土壤
讓愛 可以 重新在那裡綻放

我不是神 卻拼命到逞強
為妳驅散頑強的迷心降
就算 最後 妳愛的不是我 那又怎樣

2017 Singapore F1 Night Race (OneRepublic!)

Hmm before September ends, lemme just pop back here to update this dead blog I almost forgot about (coughs). Kindly note that the event in this post happened like two weeks ago. Updating late because my lazy ass was too busy rolling around in bed doing nothing (Well in my defence, I was swamped with school assignments and work too!!)

Last year as I was browsing my Instagram feed looking at all the photos of acquaintances attending F1 and enjoying the event, I told myself that I will definitely check out F1 the next year. Even though I know nuts about racing, all the hype makes me interested. In addition, I had previously worked outside the F1 venue as a surveyor for 3 consecutive years prior, so yea, curiosity really builds up over the years haha.

All is great this year, I got to attend F1! Wheeee.



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Starting the evening with a good meal :-) Ehhh, some salted egg seafood fried rice special, if I recall correctly. Just when I thought the salted egg fad is over, all these salted egg flavoured menu continue to pop up everywhere I go. Maybe it isn't a mere fad after all... hmm how formidable.


Aaaaand here.... my pretty F1 pass! Kind of upset that I lost it because it could have been a good keepsake :'(










The cars went by super fast! It was also kinda funny how people were trying to take selfies with those racings cars zooming by, it's almost like a challenge haha.



The crazy crowd waiting for OneRepublic...





Awesome performances! So glad I saw OneRepublic, really love their songs! :')


Faded temporary tattoo the next morning #cheapthrills haha.

Well, adios for now.

Where can I go, to sing and be happy

I started this blog to write! To!! Write!!!! But I am still overflowing with words simply because I am too lazy to type my thoughts out. Hopefully, I'll find the time and motivation to properly update this blog soon. I have a little too much to complain sometimes, not sure if they'll be appropriate but yupppp.

Meanwhile, I am (kind of) proud of these photos I took at work:






Also, here are my 战利品 (loots) from KBS Music Bank World Tour in Singapore on Friday! No, I didn't pay three hundred bucks and attend the concert. Still not sure if I still be sad about it or not because while I didn't have a wonderful experience like the concert attendees, I am not short of three hundred like the rest hmm. Okay excuse me while I try to make myself feel better.

Yea but anyway, I just couldn't stop myself from joining the hype with all the merchandise sellers and fansite giveaways. Went a little crazy my wallet started cursing at me. You, reading this right now, must be judging me huh. That is if anyone is even reading this at all (hah). Even so, isn't the joy of "chasing" celebrities part of youth? Maybe one day I'm gonna look back and be so embarrassed by the younger me, but right now, I'm just gonna indulge myself more and enjoy the fun of being smitten by *coughs* my boys.

Sunday Swelters

Tried BARI-UMA today! Had quite a high expectation because my friend has been saying good words about it. To my disappointment, the ramen was really salty. Okay just look at my blog title - I love salty food (haha), and even I found the ramen especially salty. Well, but we were probably just unlucky. According to my friend their ramen isn't salty like the ones we had today, so... may go back and try again someday. Like, it wasn't that bad, just that it was a bit tad too salty. If they had toned it down for my bowl of ramen today, I probably would have love it (?).

That said though, the char siew was really good! I really hate it when the ramen is all good but when I get to the meat it's just downright disappointing. I have had some in which the char siew just had to look and taste like a lame rubbery piece of fat instead of the juicy char siew it should be. But yea, the char siew at BARI-UMA is great!

Felt like 38°C

Tried prawning for the first time ever yesterday! It was an interesting experience, the feeling when you manage to catch a prawn is just thrilling. I guess I can kind of understand why fishing is a hobby for some now. Though I probably won't do it again unless persuaded, because I felt bad witnessing the struggles of those prawns as they fight for their lives after getting caught.

It's sort of relatable - we're all like those prawns. In life, when all we want is just survive and enjoy but shits hit us in the face. Sometimes we fight and win. But other times, it's just useless, no matter how much we struggle. Damn this is getting emo.







いい天気だね。

A new episode

Just an update here, I will be starting a new internship tomorrow! I'm filled with uncertainty and nervousness, but at the same time I'm excited about it. Here's to hoping that things would go well. Just ended a seven-month internship less than two weeks ago (it was a really, really long journey which had felt like it was never going to end), which makes me question myself on whether I am really up for a new role so fast... But it's a good opportunity for me to gain more exposure, so...

Not sure whether I am really overloading myself with a new internship, together with a competition I am in the midst of, plus the upcoming school semester. Also signed up for a singing club yesterday because I missed my choir days.

Hopefully when I read this entry in the future I would get to reminisce and laugh at how I was so unsure because the future me knows everything is just gonna be great. All the best to myself!!