Sunday, December 21, 2008

Why?

Why did my relatives choose to live in one of the coldest big cities of America? Of course I arrived just in time for the coldest day of the year! It is minus four degrees.

I suppose I should be thankful that my flight was relatively uneventful and only had a slight delay.

On the upside, I am rather proud that on the morning of my flight, I was able to make time to grab a Vietnamese sandwich, shop at the Opening Ceremony sample sale, and stop by the Muji store to pick up last-minute gifts.

Also, for the first time in my life, I changed tops in public at a sample sale. I saw both men and women changing in public! I remember being a little mortified seeing women change in public at a Barney's sample sale last year, but somehow it didn't look as psycho to me this time.

Maybe this sale was a lot calmer than the other one, so it didn't feel as desperate of a situation. Maybe seeing both genders exposing themselves this way, with such shopping determination, made it seem like less of a free show. Maybe I didn't see any saggy old butts at this one, so it was less scary.

So I just faced a corner and changed tops. It wasn't so bad. But I couldn't get myself to change back out of it, (especially because a hetero couple was chatting and discussing what to buy behind me and wouldn't go away). Luckily I did want to buy the top, so I just left it on.

A girl in the checkout line ahead of me said, "That's a really nice top, I didn't see that one!" so that made it all the worthwhile. (This happens a lot when I shop – female strangers telling me something looks great on me. It's to the point that I almost wonder if they're planted by Marketing people, to convince me of buying things.)

I have yet to change bottoms in public, but I have considered it in crowded stores. I saw a woman at this particular sale wore a long sweater, specifically so she could try on jeans, which was rather smart for cold-weather-sample-sale-shopping.

But I think the best wardrobe strategy for attending sample sales is wearing leggings with a tank top or tube top and skirt. And maybe even swimwear, or at least very flattering underwear with good coverage. I'll have to remember that in the future.

Is public clothes-changing one of the rites of passage toward New-Yorker-hood? Or is that just a statement about not caring as much what people think now that I'm older? Or is it a statement about having nicer underclothes? Meh, I'm just glad I have a cute new top... that I can't wear until the weather gets warm again, in at least 3 months.

Anyhoo, my nephew in Chicago is still redonkulously cute, even if he does prefer playing with boys over playing with girls and asks me to draw the one type of toy I'm not good at drawing (construction vehicles). I'm sure that will change eventually.

For now, I will enjoy his toddler antics, such as screaming at the top of his lungs arbitrarily to see how we'll react, obsessing about "bee-doo"s (his word for bulldozer), taking my hand to show me things, not being able to pronounce "s" sounds, and smiling adorably at everyone with a twinkle of mischief in his eye when he wakes up, like it's always time for fun.

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