Because I’m now finished my exams, I’ve decided to make the most of Singapore’s shopping scene – 250 malls across the city doesn’t leave a shortage of places to go shopping. Shopping has good and bad points here. The size of, and variety within, the shopping malls is a high selling point. And the Asian staff are so incredibly helpful and suggest clothes for you, help you try stuff on, hang everything back up for you – kind of like having a personal shopper But on the other hand, a lot of the shops we have at home – Topshop, H&M, Zara, Miss Selfridge – are way more expensive over here. I prefer to go to the American brands that we don’t get back in the UK, like Forever 21 and Cotton On. For example, today I got a cardigan, a top, and two skirt for $55, which is the equivalent of £27!

I’ve also made the most of all the markets in most of the South East Asia, particularly in Bangkok and in Hong Kong (and the rest of the China is supposed to be amazing). They’re really good places for getting cheap summery clothes, summer dresses, playsuits, t-shirts, swimming shorts and bikinis. And for getting fake hand bags – the fakes are sooo good. I got myself a tan Mulberry in Bangkok which I have fallen in love with! I’ve shown it off and no one believes that it’s fake, except for the fact that I could never afford one. And my fake Marc Jacobs from Hong Kong is another cherished new possession of mine…. although how the tables have turned from the days when I would say “oh I’d never wear fake goods…”.

Anyway, back to today’s mission – going shopping in Singapore. I went to my favourite store of all time in Singapore. and something which I’ll miss sooo much. It’s called Charles & Keith shoes, which has similar shoes to the likes of Office, Dune, Nine West and even Kurt Geiger. BUT the prices are at least half of the british stores which sell similar style shoes! So I think in total this year I’ve picked up 14 pairs from there. It’s great for sandals because in my experience it’s really hard to find nice sandals, or smart sandals, in the UK Today, as a reward for finishing my exams, I decided to go and buy myself a new pair of going out heels. That’s the problem, I couldn’t just stop at one pair. I hadn’t been shopping in so long because I’ve been in the library so much…. so when I saw the new range for this season I just wanted them all…. worse still, they didn’t have the pair I wanted in my size so I had to try another of the stores. The main shopping street – Orchard Road – alone has three Charles & Keith stores on it.. so if one store doesn’t have your size, you only have to walk about fify yards to the next one! The sales on at the moment are also really good and each store has different ones on sale… so basically after checking out all three on Orchard Road, I went home on the bus carrying 6 new pairs of heels. Oooops. However, if it’s any compensation, I am dearly in love with them all. And I’m trying to justify buying all six pairs by the fact that the price I paid for all six here in Singapore would cover at best only two pairs back at home! 

Now just to work out how I’m going to transport the twenty or so pairs of shoes that I’ve acquired in Charles & Keith over this year….