Pollyana Cowgirl

Outing with PSW

A glorious Saturday.

It started like an ordinary Saturday until the clock struck 1130am. I was excited and bounced downstairs to meet Pak Wandi (my driver for the day) who was tasked to figure out where exactly the long-long-lost Kindred Spirit (K.S) will be waiting. Armed with a map and my self-professed expert topographical map reading skill that was perfected during my JC days, Pak Wandi and I were ready, set and GO!

Roads were clear and it was an extremly sunny day... barely 15 minutes in the car and I spotted the first landmark, the exit toll road. Turned left, turned right... and the Sheraton Hotel started to appear, in the distance. I quickly sent K.S an sms to ready him to look out for my car. The plan was for him to jump into my vehicle without stopping. It seemed possible in my warped mind, but I soon realised that I was way wrong. I saw K.S standing at the bus-stop outside Sheraton with a huge bag, I flung the door open and he stumbled in.

*LOOK! STARE! GRIN! SMILE!* Finally!

K.S could have just passed off as Santa Claus. In the huge bag, *surprise surprise* was a survival kit of sorts. Peach candy, Chelsea sweets, packets of Japanese Senbei with NUTS, two Jay Chou CDs and two skirts that he bought when he was in Hong Kong. K.S actually went shopping for ladies clothes! Which is more unbeliveable? Him shopping? Or him knowing how to shop for a female? Touched but more concerned about the SENBEI I unbashedly started snacking on them right away! My favourite!

We yakked and we kept smiling like two crazy goons who had not seen each other for years. I had my first taste of Jakarta's jam. The jam was crazy, it was human and traffic jam. Dusty roads and people everywhere between vehicles, getting on and off. Soon enough we arrived at Mangga Dua Mall... it is like MahBoonKrong (MBK) in Bangkok. Level after level of shops selling clothes and bags and shoes... where bargaining is the norm. We did not buy anything, partly because it was so crowded and partly because I was making mental notes of which shop to bring Mal when she comes to visit in March. There are loads of funky clothes and shoes which are Mal's kind of stuff. The human traffic was getting to us, and K.S and I decided to proceed to Plaza Senayan. After spending 15 minutes trying to find Pak Wandi and the car, we got out of the mess and sought refuge at a more hospitable mall.

Well, it was an unexpected expected situation at Plaza Senayan. K.S and I were going through the different menus of the many cafes and restaurants, trying to decide what we were going to have for dinner later. I told K.S that I was not going to buy or shop for anything as the plan for the day was to chat, catch up and eat (Japanese food! Sushi and fish were my crave yesterday!) ourselves silly.

Then, well... something caught my eye. I casually suggested going into one boutique to check out the prices. I wanted to 'compare prices', that was ALL. Guess what happened? No actual need to actually guess. The clothes were yummy, beautiful and I saw a dress and a top that I liked at FIRST GLANCE. K.S was baiting me to try. I thought, what harm could come out of trying, simply trying some clothes. Just try, and the dress, a lovely blue number was oh-so-nice and the top, a casual-funky number was oh-so-irresistable. K.S said that the dress was weird but K.S and I do not agree on everything. Fashion is one of the areas of casual disputes. K.S for your information is rather straight-laced and regards my fashion sense as 'avant-garde' when I am very sure I dress rather normally.

So there, I went shopping. I bought them. No regrets. I am determined to wear the blue dress when I go out with K.S again, just to make a point.

Going out with K.S yesterday made me realise that it is not very easy to find someone who is patient enough to wait for me to change in and out of many outfits, hem and haw about the 'nicer' colour, the 'should I buy?' for the umpteen time, who understands why I must get the 'new piece' all the time. K.S helps me carry my bags of stuff, K.S understands why drinking soup is important to me, K.S laughs at me, K.S is sarcastic but never hurts, K.S laughs and runs with me and K.S coined 'walking paradox'.

Saturday should not have ended. But it did. After shopping for some groceries and giving K.S a quick tour of my abode, it was time to bid K.S goodbye. I hope we meet again soon enough. Long lost remember? I hope K.S reads this blog soon enough. K.S, thank you for reminding me that I will never grow up to be an elegant woman, for making me come to terms with my innate corny ways and for making the day a wonderful one.

It was a happy Saturday. Happy, I am told is a cliche adjective. But, happy I was yesterday and happy I am 'usually' when K.S is around. That is what real friends are for. Another cliche.

posted by Poot @ 2:35 PM