Here’s to the season of toys
When big men morph into little boys…

Whoa the Holiday Rush
When moms lose cash in a sudden gush…

My budget can feel the holidays already. I try to think of my frugal way of living as a big dam holding most of the water from a raging river. I spend most of the year mending cracks, only to have the whole thing breaking and tumbling down during the holiday season. We went to tiangges (bazaars) earlier this week and I felt the familiar urge to rent a stall, sell anything from gift boxes, gift packs and santa packs.

The entrepreneur in me could not resist the cheap stall rates and the hordes of people milling around. I have had experience selling in a tiangge in the past, and I caught a glimpse of the politics of buying. A lot of “Santas” went by my stall then… looking for baby stuff and asking for other sizes. My selling style then was eclectic as I wanted to target every single family member. Baby clothes, mommy shades, girly accessories and even old gaming collectibles for the teenage hobbyist.

One time, I saw one “Santa” bring out a list from a Prada bag and browse through it before asking me the usual questions of “how much is the last price?” and “give this to me for a lower price please?”. The list she got out was loooong and I managed to read through it when she gave it to me … she couldn’t understand what Tamiya was and she needed guidance. Tamiya is the brand name for the battery operated cars that boys and their dads build for competitions or for fun.

This particular ’santa’ is very hip and slender. With big super star shades and a designer wrist bag. She could easily pass for a diet pills model.

I was single then so I could not help but hope that I can manage to be as pretty as this ‘Santa’, when I turn into one myself.