The Shopping Epidemics & the Science of BUYology

I am a lecturer.  My field is Business & Marketing.  So, when people talk about marketing tactics and strategies used by marketers to capture the desire of the customers..I 'should' know all those because that is what I been telling my students....those are merely tactics to induce sales..I used the word 'should' here because, since I knew it then i should have not fall into the trap...I learn all the theories but paradoxically I often found myself go home with armfull of shopping merchanidises that I labelled as 'must have', 'no harm buying', 'good price'..or..'the price is as much as my one time visit to the salon'...there you go..I'm making a comparison..when i start to make my comparison analysis, it means...DANGER

I'm always poorer by hundreds of ringgit everytime i step my foot out of the house..and now its even worst..i dont have to step out of the house, staying in bed with my ipad is good enough to empty my pocket..its not my fault..blame it to the technology :)  My husband teased me 'if there is a shopping olympic..you will be the athelete" ! nahhh...amekawww

I'm just...just vulnerable and fragile human being whose heart is full of love..love for shopping..heehhh...but its true though, research in brain scanning technology explains that we responded to marketing/shopping activities the way we do because we are driven by our fundamental human urges of survival procreation (Reader Digest, Dec 2011).

Wokey let me share with you some of the interesting points i found in Reader Digest, December issue..its all about what inspire us to empty our wallets and spend money..

According to this article, shopping can be an almost 'religious' experience..it has been described as the new religion and the malls its cathedrals..wuhuhuhu...interesting new terms

Martin Lindstom a marketing guru in his book 'Buyology' discussed his study about our brain cells - Mirror Neurons, that works in tandem with dopamine - one of the brain's pleasure chemicals which is also associated with food and sex...so, when we shop, the pleasure is the same as when WE ARE HAVING SEX....oooppss.  The reason is because in shopping our brain will flushes with pleasure and before we realise it, we have emptied our wallet or swapped our credit card.  When we left the store minutes later and the feeling fades we will suddently asked ourself  'what on earth have i done"!!

Women are generally love love love shopping...agree? yessss...We utilised our 5 even 6 senses when we shop.  We touch, we taste, we smell, we carefully look & check, we hear and sometimes we even dream (that is what i meant by 6 sense).  Research found that 86% women read price tags before we buy compared to 72% men..see...we are still a very carefull shopper..but I belong to that 72% catagory because I dont really read the price..I like it, I buy! 

Anyway, words of wisdom my friends.."shop with brain"..that is my husband's word of wisdom lah..haha..(1) make sure you have kept some portion of your money for saving (2) beli ikut kemampuan..jangan ikut orang...My husband always tell me to keep all the receipts (like he does) but I dont get the idea..what for? I cant get my money back..and I don't want to be reminded of what the economists call ' the pain of paying'.

One of the similarities that i share with my husband is shopping..most men dont like shopping but my man, ok ok la..I always promise him 'this one i'l pay myself'..swapppppp...when the American Express bill arrived at the end of the month i just..'forget forget remember' or...or..i pay..but pay half only..haha.  

When i write this post, I was on board to Jakarta..I almost shopped at the departure hall..u know, the international departure hall is quite a good place to shop..my husband patted my shoulder and said " we have'nt arrive yet..bawa bawa la bersabar"..

The best time to ask for things from him is when I'm sick or I make myself look sick...see the pix below..few of the medicine I got because I fell sick during my trip...there my friends...that is actually the science behind the word BUYology..hehe

Kura Kura Mode

Second semester..my Phd is moving...but moving so very slow...just like a kura kura..but m trying to be positive...i will do things at my own tempo..after all..the tortoise finished first..the rabit finish later..and so the myth said..haha

HAT - when style matters

"Women with a hat is the most noticed women in the room", Lynn Dell Cohen, the countess of glamor once said.  So, what is it about hat?

 

Some people asked, hat - is it an accessory or a necessity?  Looking back into its history, hat has both elements...well it plays many functions indeed.  It offered protection ( from injury, rain, sun & snow ) .  In some western countries, hat has became a status symbols and worn for a special dressy occasions. Princess Diana of Wales, wore hat to add a sense of sophistication to her persona until she found her confidence to abandon her hat in many royal functions.

In fashion vocabulary, hat is a very noticeable add - an accessory because it draws people attention - to your face and your outfits.  It creates people's impression of you.. I love fashion hats and wish to wear them...but...living in Kuching?? hu'uhhhh...i mean..where do i go with those glamorous hats? setakat pergi Hopoh..iboh jak..masak aku pakey umpat orang..haha..but i loveeeeeeeeeeee hat..and i want to wear it...sob sob..

i love this look..simple but yet sophisticated..this style is so ME..i can say :)

another look that i like..i wanted to wear that hat with jeans & jacket..hmm...i like i like

Dato Siti Norhaliza has created a new wave in Malaysian fashion trend when she wears a Beamie Hat..Beamie Hat is also known as a Skull or Sock Cap, it normally worn in the winter and made from wool.  In Malaysia, we dont called it Beamie Hat but we called it "Topi Siti" or "Cap Siti" instead.  But for me, not everybody can pull a great look with Beamie Hat..sometime it looks like the person who wears it ridiculing herself...sorry

Hoookeyyy...i do have some hats in my collection though..heeehhh

kira OK OK lah..haha

photo taken in Singapore

photo taken in Vietnam

this red number i love so much..my favorite i have to say..

Yes....Victoria Beckham..never failed to amused me with her fashion statement

Alrite..what can i say..here..we are not ready to open our mind to fashion sense..we wear outfits that is 'easy' and 'acceptable' by the community..and of course wearing 'something different' will make you easily noticed..noticed can be either positively or negatively noticed..hmmm

Blessed with beautiful shape

I received lots of compliment regarding my body..how do i keep my body in shape...i have two kids..a 16 years old and an 11 years old...since people complimented me a lot, i do feel proud..a little lah..i mean, who's not?

I have never been on a diet...i dont know..whether its my metabolism or my self-consciousness that drive me to 'ikat perut'...i really dont have a clue how i end up with this shape..BUT..what i can say is, it probably because of my diet routine..the food i take & how i take them..let me share with you...

1.  i never stop myself from eating..i eat anything, anytime that i want..but I EAT MODERATELY..its not necessary to wallop the whole bowl of laksa..or melicinkan sepinggan nasi goreng or nasi lemak...if i have the desire to eat it, i eat and stop before i feel really full..Maggi Mee for example..if i teringin nak makan maggi mee..instead of eating the whole packet, i take only half packet..

2.  I dont munch...keropok2...chips...titbit..huh uhhh...not really..i do take but seldom and if i take them, i take just a little..

3.  i dont like sweet things..sweet drinks, cakes, cookies..i just dont like

4.  No lemak2..nasi lemak..nasi goreng..masak lemak..curry...i only take them once in a while

Believe me or not..that is how my diet is like..i think it helps me to keep in shape..the problem i see with Malaysian women is, we like to munch in between meals and we eat as if there is no tomorrow....

Of course i have to blame our food..fatty..oily..sweet...thank god i dont like them..

So, friends..there s no special tips..its just how i 'behave' with food..i guess i love my cloths more than my food..hahaha

When my brain froze :(

Today 1 February..genap sebulan otak saya membeku..i have not done a single reading..everything is just..STOPPED..one semester has passed and i still cant get my proposal through..DRP ~ defence research proposal~ is far from possible..hmm...what is wrong with me?? I used to be very motivated..well, there are reasons..somehow, only me, myself & i know what is going on..

This fever cannot be prolong...i must wake up & get up..i must do something today...today..MUST...yeahhh....fighting!!!!

The Secret of Rainbow Goddess

The story maybe unreal, too dramatic to visualize or perhaps contain meaningless details..full of lust and seduction..but allowing myself to flow with rainbow's journey created an alluring chemistry that make me dance around my feelings.

First read in 2008 and keep reading it countlessly..

Collectively, this is my favorite novel which drama I kept dearly next to my emotion...

who painted my moon black

I'm angry and im sad....I get the job that i wanted for so long, im at the position which i can say no one can touch me..but that is not always the case..one thing i cant do is to keep those mouths from talking..talking shit as if their got nothing better to do than observing and judging me..how i wish those THRASH will have  the gut to say those things out loud right to my face..

One thing that i really know about myself is..my heart..i always know that i have a kind heart..but this kind heart is wounded..i just want to be alone and keep myself only to the people who really know & love me..the best thing to do is to keep a distance...i dont want to make any new friends at this place..not just yet..