7 times richer...

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I have concluded that women (to some extent male counterparts too) in Hong Kong can shop with a frenzy that is unmatched to what I have seen in India. Although this could be attributed to the fact that the city is presently hosting its annual sale & discounts seasons. Tourists, like me, gape in awe at all the HK shops while locals hound the shops after work.

One of my daily routines in HK is to get myself a Starbucks coffee, find a corner to sit and watch the upwardly mobile women folk rush to Central (the posh commercial district where international brands retail their wares) where along with tossing their husbands’ lifetime pensions into a shopping black hole, these women can see and be seen. Every time I see these women walking out with a clutch of bags in their hand, I cant help but sigh and sip some more of my Starbucks.

The mother lode of top-drawer brands in Hong Kong is the trio of Landmark, neighbouring Prince’s Building and the stylish Chater House where you can have your unhurried fill of Armani, Prada, Dior, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Max & Co, Polo Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Celine, Ermenegildo Zegna, Escada, Gucci, Versace and so on.

Believe me the stores are not like anything we have back home. These are sprawling stores with umpteen wares to check out. The sales people are friendly enough to let you shop on your own and do not pester you with "May I help You", though they are are always in close proximity to assist you in your shopping.

Last evening when I shared this little observation with my hubby, he gave me this piece of gyaan.

Hubby: They would be spending more baba...you know an average HK household earns 7 times more than an Indian?

So, that was a logical explanation to my dilemma. And now every time I see a local woman with Prada, Gucci and Marks & Spencers bags in her hand, I quickly remind myself that she (or her household) is probably 7-times richer than I am. That helps in putting all my feelings in place.

PS: But only I could get my husband to buy me a Chanel bag and Prada shoes, I would never envy anyone again. GOD PLEASE!!!

Author: Priyanka Joshi | Published Aug 11, 2009 | 03:23 PM

A journalist by profession, I love my work (yeah!) and enjoying every moment of being in Mumbai...

http://vgossip.blogspot.com/