I work hard for the ££

When they say London is the most expensive city in the world, they're not kidding. In a good week I spend less than $250--that's with penny pinching, lots of ramen (my discovery of a Vietnamese supermarket was a Godsend, as if angels descended from heaven to build a dingy alter for cheap msg-laden food. Hallelujah), and carefully inputing my every expense into an excel spreadsheet, even that 19p swiss roll from Sainsbury. Last week, however, was ridiculously expensive--ridiculous because I didn't really do that much.

Well, I went shopping on Picadilly and Oxford Circus. It's like the Fifth Avenue of London, well times two since that darn old exchange rate (actually good news, well not so much for Englanders but for us Americans its fantastic, the British ecomony's tanked more than the American one so the pound's depreciated more than the dollar, sweet exchange of $1.91!). The streets and stores are packed on the weekends, filled with tourists getting their shop on. As one of them, I couldn't disappoint. After being introduced to Topshop, apparently existing only in London, I had to buy something. Now you're probably thinking, Leang, why in the bloody hell would you spend money on clothes that 1) you most likely don't need 2) don't have the luggage space to carry back since you've packed two huge suitcases filled with all the clothes you already have (and bought right before coming to London) and 3) can't afford? Well one of the essentials for a gentleman is a proper suit: for cocktails, meetings, formal occasions. And you can't do better than an European suit, or at least an European cut suit. Their slim fit turns the suit for formalware to casualware with the right outfit. I saw it simply as an investment for day and night. Plus it wasn't too expensive. How much? I won't say, but the mass-produced tailoring of Topshop made it a steal.

So after dropping a few quid on the nonessential essentials Joyce (my Europe partner in crime) and I went shop to shop looking for a dress for her Brother and Sister's joint wedding (they're marrying other people, no incest here). Four hours later we found it. I had never seen so many dresses before, nor do I want to for the rest of my life. But she will look gorgeous for the wedding and I have a brand new suit!

I still haven't been to Harrod's, but it's on my to-do list. No not shop; I'm not insane and all of you know I'm not rich by any standards, well maybe Zimbaweian but with 100,000% hyperinflation (if it's that astronomical they need a new word, like supercaliflation) the term wealthy means a nonsubsistance income. I just want to oggle at the absurd prices people would be willing to spend on material items since while I do like to indulge once and a while, I would never spend someone's income per annum on a blouse.

Ok enough materialism. Time for me to work. Tallyhoo!

Edit: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/06/22/zimbabwe.main/?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail
Horrible, Zimbabwe's chance of getting out of an economic crisis caused by corrupt government officials crushed. I read an article a couple of days ago how the current government kidnapped and tortured thousands of Tsvangirai supporters. I guess Mugabe's intimidation tactics worked. Congrats, you've maintained your throne at the expense of millions.

"Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely"