27 September 2007

Shopping; A Man's Perspective

Let me get this straight; I don't enjoy clothes shopping, never have enjoyed it, and probably won't enjoy it any time in the coming future. My idea of clothes shopping is buying clothes for necessity, just to avoid having to walk around naked. Anyhow, with Eid moving closer, more and more women seem to be hitting the shops every day, armed with their cash and credit cards, ready to invade the clothes shops and strip them dry (my wife being one of them). I have so far managed to steer clear away from shopping malls and the whole "shopping fever" since Ramadan started, avoiding any confrontation with wifey as she goes shopping with her friends, family, and so on.

Phew.

But last night was different. After a heavy iftar with the family, and after watching a few TV shows, I got ready to sneak out of the house to avoid yet another night of relentless, ruthless shopping.

"Honey?" She said.

"Dammit!" I thought, as I tried to slip my shoes on and make a run for it. "I need to go shopping today"

"Umm, ok.. Don't you do that with your friends, or sisters, or aunts? (or your cousins, or aunts cousins, or cat, or anyone else in the world except me, I wanted to add, but decided it would be safer to just stop there)", to which I got the answer that somehow everyone else in the world was busy and the only person seemingly free enough to go shopping with was (sigh) me.

So here we are in the parking lot of Bahrain Mall about to walk inside. She's already invaded and conquered Seef Mall, Aali Mall and a few others, so it was Bahrain Mall for today; as it was Gerga'on tonight, it seems that a lot of the festivities have shifted to the mall. There were a few colorful characters in costume, that I think were supposed to represent Disney cartoons:


Thats just distasteful, really. However, children were actually standing next to this guy and taking photos! What a freaky memory to keep. This is the kind of character that can haunt you in your dreams, but this wasn't the worst of it.

There was some sort of dwarf character (as in Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs) giving out balloons to the children, but this guy was even scarier than the Makki Mouse character:


Damn. Anyhow, I managed to delay the misery of shopping for approximately 2 minutes as I stood around taking photos of these freaky, freaky creatures, but I had to face reality and follow my wife from shop to shop as she looked at all sorts of clothes.

Thing I don't understand is how a woman can spend so much time in one shop. Seriously, it's not just my wife; the shopping mall was filled with women, and each one seemed to spend unreasonable amounts of time looking at every single piece of clothing in every single store. How can they keep up their interest for so long?

In my case, after walking into a clothes store, i'm able to keep up my excitement for approximately, ermmm.. 12 seconds.

Funny that. So we're walking around from store to store, the shopping bags are increasing in number, and my credit card starts feeling lighter.. During this whole shopping experience, I came to a number of observations; womens clothes are usually smaller than mens clothes. Seriously, take a look at any t-shirt in the ladies section and compare it to the t-shirts in the men section; they're usually half the size. That should technically mean they use almost half the material to make, and should therefore be cheaper. Why do they cost twice as much as ours? :S My belief is that it's a conspiracy, with clothes companies not even bothering to create a seperate clothes line for women; just using the same clothes the made for kids and labelling them "women" and then charging ridiculous prices for them.

Bluh. Another thing; it seems the newer models and mannequins are trying to promote a "sexier" image, so they just keep them semi (or fully) naked. Ooh err.





While straggling around one of the shops (which are always filled with women, it seems, I was the lonely male there), I spotted another of my kind. He walked in with his woman, and was obviously subject to the same kind of agony I was going through. We glanced eyes for a milli-second. It didn't last long, but there was some assurance there; it's as if we were both telling each other, "hang in there, you're going to make it". Freedom is but a few hours away (it was about half an hour before all the shops closed), and then we can be free to run away to whichever gahwa our heart pleases and hang out with the guys.

Well, a little later the torture was over. The back seat of the car was filled with shopping bags and my wallet seemed much lighter. But hey, it was over. Tommorow, i'm making sure to sneak out a little earlier, or at least find some way of becoming invisible before I get spotted leaving the house.

31 comments:

Seroo said...

I got my man a gameboy for long journeys and shopping trips. When we have to go shopping for him, the only way he'll be interested is if I promise to buy him a video game that he can play as soon as we're done. Yup, I'm married to a 4 year old =)

Missy said...

awwwww ur married?! cute!! hehehehehe..

and how come u hate shopping?! :O like i hate shopping for 3eeed ;\ but i love shopping in general LOLL.

if u wanna escape today, invite someone for f6oor :P

Anonymous said...

LOL, OK Very funny. i think everone hate EID shopping but they do it any way.

Goodluck for today.

Maybe you should covince your wife
to take the cat.

Mrs Dynamite aka Lorena +Wonder Women... said...

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahaahahaahahahahahaahahaahahahyyyyyyy .. Amaro you realy make my laught today ! (hugs) you really make my day .. i havent laught for past few days but today you really make my day ... I just cant stolaughting about your post ! thank you !! .. By the way thank you for sharring this .. I wont take sara to Giant to be scared about mikka LOOOOOOOOOOOL

Redbelt said...

Ammar

I will allow you to pay for Ghabga today if you want to escape. :)
Then I'll teach you tricks! Think of it as paying for a course.

And Seroo
I bow before your wisdom. This is an excellent plan that my wife should use as well.

BTW, We are no more 4 Years old than you are. Why do you think everything packaged for women is either shiny or glitters? Just like fish to a bait. Its very easy.
Go to Sephora for example and see for yourself.

Anonymous said...

Awesome post ! lol ! cant stop laughing , poor You ! Good luck for the remaining days of Ramadan..

Missy said...

tawnii yaait :P i've seen LOTS of bored husbands hufffing and pufffing hehehehehe

Anonymous said...

Man I hate shopping! I would go with friends to get my opinion! But I hate it still! I don’t like spending money if I didn’t earn it myself! I also hate taking cloths off and put them on again trying those cloths! I just give a fast look if I see a colour I like then I’ll check it out! My view of a day shopping is going to 2 cloths stores, 1 or 2 shoe shops and maybe 1 or 2 accessories 9which usually I look for something for my daughter’s hair)! And between visiting those shops I have to have a snack (ice-ream or so) and at least 1 coffee!

What shopping I like is Motorbikes and Cars! I can spend 2, 3 or even 5 hours just looking at different cars and bikes! I don’t even mind visiting a motorbike’s and car’s accessories shop! :P

I don’t know if all that makes me less of a woman, but my husband complains that I don’t spend enough money shopping, and I don’t like jewelries! I’m glad he loves me enough to not leave me for one that does! :D

Dr. Shale bin Agnon said...

Just imagine being in a huge DIY store, in which you can try all of the power tools out on sample pieces of wood and metal. Drool.

I say this, even though I know, when I actually have to work with power tools, I find it to be just plain old hard work.

Anonymous said...

the last two pictures are funny :D

ana 3aksek.. i love shopping :D

Pearls said...

lool chenik raye7 ri7la mo shopping!! :p and i hate hal sha5seyat they freak me out! :'(

Reem B. said...

the pics are SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD lol

and i guess I agree with Missy... I LOOOOOOOOOOVE shopping but not when for Eid. It gets hectic rather than a lovely enjoyable thing.

You know how you guys go to the gahwa when you want to escape your homoom and your ma2asi ? :P We ladies go SHOPPING . *try to understand* :( LOL

Islander said...

you still get brownie points for going and being a (kinda) good sport about it :P

Anonymous said...

lol! your wife rocks and I want to go shopping with her. I did not understand your perspective on this issue but I enjoyed the story thoroughly ;)

Anonymous said...

I can tell for sure not all women like shopping that much. guys, make it a condition when you're trying to find a wife! but then you might never find one, hehehe.
My sister and I hate shopping. we only do it when necessary (when we have nothing good to wear that is).
and I also lose my interest quickly. I simply pick up what I like from the first shop I enter and go for the next item. I'm a bad shopper for a woman I know, but what can I do!

June said...

YES, the dwarf is creepy! Last time I was in Bahrain Mall he was there and I swear he was staring at me through his mouth and moving towards me all menacing like. I took a picture of him too so I could use it to identify him in case he tries anything funny.

Ammaro said...

seroo; good one! we need something to keep us occupied otherwise we lose it.

missy; of course you love shopping! all you women love shopping! aaaaah! dont worry, i managed to escape yesterday, im trying today too

bluedress; lol, yeah, the cat might enjoy it more than me

dynamite; yeah, dont take her! those things are scary!

redbelt; ill pay for my own food thank you :p and yes, everything women buy seems to be shiny! bluh!

grey; thanks dude...

nora; thats perfect! stay the way you are

shale; power tools... yummy... but i still dont spend hours and hours in them!

rekoo; youre kuwaiti! all you kuwaii guys love shopping too!

pearls; ee, they are freaky la?

cancarian; i do understand! but we dont take you to the gahwa, so dont you take us shopping!

sunshine; brownie? yumm... 4 hours till iftar...

so be it; you can take her shopping! gives me room to escape!

moon-light; thats not a bad shopper, thats a GOOD SHOPPER!

june; seriously, stay away from these places. they've become more dangerous than new york alleyways on a dark night

Reem B. said...

looooooooooool ammaro goood point about the Gahwa.

5ala9... i'll talk to your wife if you want. I'll tell her to give you a break... ONLY if you agree to give me your credit card and let me go shop with her.

Anonymous said...

i hate shopping too.. i only go when i have to and it's mostly a drive by event! i walk in, do a quick scan and leave.

one thing i dont understand, why do they wait to do their eid shopping till last minute? didn't they know eid was approaching? shop early (especially since there was a sale not long ago) and relax during ramadan!

Shionge said...

Whoa shop till you drop huh :D I never like to shop at the mall especially during festive season..having said that..I LOVE to shop when I travel overseas kekek.

SwaRwaR said...

oh i heart Shopping but it depends on my mood ...
plus i love men's t-shirts ..

Anonymous said...

Hey, that was pretty funny
who hates shopping?, all you need is a wallet full of money and leave me running from store to another .. thats all i need in life (not really).

thanks again

Lamya said...

I guess it depends on who you shop with.I can browse for hours with my mom,but with nobody else.The rest of the time I hit and run.. I guess its because I know my mom loves browsing through stores. I mean she really truly loves it.And i dont see my mom that often so its a real treat.

Ammaro said...

canc3rian; get your own credit cards!

msb; yes. good point. WHY DAMMIT, WHYYYYYYY?

shionge; well, shopping overseas is a given. not always for clothes though, just everything else.

sarwar; you like wearing mens t shirts?

icon; its easy to please you women huh. a wallet full of cash and off you go! its like those little bunnies where you turn the thing at the back a few times and just let it run around :p

lamya; yeah, well then you're not shopping for "shopping", youre shopping to spend time with someone, which is nice :)

KJ said...

mihmihmihmihmih

Have iftar with the guys - tell your wife she needs to rest a day for cooking and you sneak out to the guys.

Or.

Hire a driver. It is worth it trust me.

Anonymous said...

Sooooooooooo funny! I was having tea while reading ur post and i almost spit it out on the screen of so much laughing!!! i like these differences between men and women (about shopping for example) and i love to see how men don't understand us sometimes (most of the time?!?). The same goes for us, i personnaly can't understand what u men find so attractive about cars... ;)
anyways, thanks, it was a great post!

i*maginate said...

Have a fun time shopping, I know you like it :P

At the same time, I understood the underlying tones of this post hehhehe

Funny

Keep shopping :) but not too much heheheh

Have fun :)

Um Naief said...

this is really funny. i have to agree about the mickey. he's really odd looking! the drawf... well, to me, he looks a little better, but has weird eyes!

i hate to shop. i can stand it for maybe 30 mins, but that's about it. i like going alone, but not w/ anyone because i'm not one of these girls that likes to linger at each place.... like so many you describe.

why go everyday? why not get what you need in one swoop? i'm not one for waiting for a few days to get what i want. i'm one for going in, getting it and getting outta there. i hate lines and i hate crowds. ;)

anyway... love the post.

have to agree w/ seroo and her man.... sounds like me and hubby. he pouts if he has to go for long w/out getting something for himself. then and only then is he a happy camper. :)

Heba AlSamt said...

LoOl Hilarius loved ur comparison of Micky :p am a women but not a big shopping fan so here u go :p

Anonymous said...

I think one of your advertisements caused my internet browser to resize, you might want to put that on your blacklist.

6491976 said...

Why are you still married to a woman that you clearly don't have much in common with?
I hate shopping with my female friends because they do exactly what you described. I personally like to take a panoramic look at the store and if I see something that I like I just take it.