Heart

Sail away with Me

This article should be dedicated to NaE since now she is in the mind preparation stage for the coming new lifestyle, completely different from what she has now!

As she’s from the “Big City”, she cares more about “face” and “materials” but it’s not her fault! Her parents raised her in a way that she thought she could have everything, however, one thing at a time –That “branded” her way of thinking: “always get the best”. Brand name or expensive ones are always better than no brand goods. And this way of thinking only got worst after she moved to China, where the first question people ask about your belongings is “How much?”. We, Asian, know it’s a rude question at the eyes of the “whites” (westerns), however, here it’s not, it’s cultural!

She is lucky that she can support her own expenses and have enough to pay for it! We usually travel to Europe, at least, once a year, and to other countries in Asia 2-3 times, not including Thailand whenever NaE cries to meet her mother and her childhood friends. As to support her upbringing, in all of our travelling, the sightseeing is done, almost all, in shopping malls! Yes! We visit historical places and others but spent more time in the buildings with air-con!

Recently, while NaE and João were in the kitchen, NaE’s phone rang and she answered: “Ok, Thank you”. That’s all she said to the person on the line so João wondered why the conversation was so short and asked her what was it. “The ….. (Swiss brand watch shop in the biggest shopping mall in Macau) called me to say they are on sale now and ask me to go. See, I don’t even need to find out which shop is on sale now. They call to inform me”! “You should be ashamed”, was the reply from João as he left the kitchen.

Thanks god we have the boat in Dominican Republic and we can’t carry everything from Macau because it would be very expensive. Seriously, she even wants to bring her “Lady D” or “cross C” bags to the boat with the excuse that in case I go to a party ashore! Where?!

Deep inside she’s not that obsessed with brand mania and in fact she improved a lot since the first time they met. Her turning point was when she was pregnant last year. Most of her tiny cloths don’t seem fit anymore. By then she had to start buying inexpensive outfits and only essentials hoping that she can wear the old clothes later on… But she realized that wouldn't be possible!

When we start selling the things in our house, because we can’t bring the whole house into our boat, she was “forced” to sell all her “brand name” cloths and João kept listening to the sentence “I never wear this one”, “this one I bought in Europe” or “this one is blab la bla brand”. While João was felling annoyed NaE felt like it was a big tragedy when she had to choose all that “precious” things to sell.

By then, she started to realize, and becoming more realistic, that she have to start from zero again. It’s the perfect time being about to move to our boat. “If I knew that I wasted a lot of money on garbage, I wouldn't do that”, she keeps saying!

However, all this experience doesn't change her soul overnight, she still buy thing with brand but only the essentials and not because it’s cheap or on sale… One step at a time…

Now her next question is “How I will move to the boat with one 23 kilos of luggage?”

Another crying article will be coming soon!