Jun

4

Happy Feet

Filed Under Consumer Concerns, Fashion | 12 Comments


I’m so loving my new pair of red Crocs footwear.

These slip-resistant shoes are so comfy — very easy to slip on and off. No need to tie shoelaces!

I also like it that my Crocs shoes enable my feet to “breathe” well (no foot odor after each use), thanks to Crocs’ effective ventilation system (those holes do serve a purpose). They are also incredibly light, which adds to the comfort factor.

And since Crocs shoes are water-resistant, they are the perfect shoes for boating, gardening, or walking in the rain.

While Crocs critics will argue about the “funny look” of the Crocs Cayman — one can actually look like a cartoon character in them, especially when you choose the loud colors — I’d say that the boat-like appearance is not that bad, aesthetically speaking (I love the wide, roomy feature this design allows). One can actually look cute wearing them. So it’s just a matter of preference and personal style. Of course, one should not wear a pair of Crocs when going to a business meeting. That’s plain common sense.

The downside is, many people have them already. So when you own a pair of Crocs, it may look like you’re just trying to be part of the Crocs trend, even when you’re not.

It only goes to show that people nowadays put much premium on cool designs that provide 100 percent comfort.

Thanks to Crocs, I do have happy feet these days.

May

16

Puma Shirt

Filed Under Fashion, Home Management, Society & Culture, Sports | 10 Comments


This morning, after taking a shower and wearing my Vans shirt, it suddenly dawned on me: I did some “charity work” last week, without my knowledge — sort of. Is that possible?

Well, when the mind is tired and weary, unexpected things happen. Things like happily giving away your favorite Puma shirt to the deputy of the apartment building’s caretaker.

It happened last week, when I was finishing up my “laundry sports” routine (nine loads). The French-speaking Swiss deputy barged into the communal laundry room and told me in High German that I was to return the key to her, not to the caretaker, who was away at that time. I nodded and said that I would, as soon as I was done cleaning up the place.

I did more sports exercise after that. I mopped the floor and cleaned the washer and dryer a la Swiss, and once done, I returned the key to her (i.e. hanging the key on the door handle as is the standard procedure here).

When I was back in our apartment a few minutes later, the door bell rang. It was the deputy. She was telling me about a lost shirt. Due to migrant paranoia and linguistic limitations, I thought at first that she was asking me if I took one of her shirts. I said rather defensively that I didn’t take any of her shirts. She cleared the confusion and repeated what she had just told me; this time in slow, simple German: she found a Puma shirt forgotten and forlorn in the washer last month. Could it be mine? Lost for words, I told her that it was my husband who did the laundry last month (I was hopelessly bedridden last time) so there was no way of knowing for sure. May I see the shirt? She then led me to her apartment.

I waited patiently by her door as she rummaged through her clothes. It took her only a while to show me the shirt: a brown Puma shirt with a pink logo. It was…nice. And it was my size. (I said to myself that whoever owned it had good taste.)

After examining the shirt and its label, I said it was not mine. She looked somewhat relieved, even happy. She then rambled on how she had asked almost everybody in the apartment building about this owner-less shirt, but nobody claimed it as theirs.

In between chuckles, she remarked that she would start using the Puma shirt, especially now that she had completed her mini “investigation.” Smiling, I said that it was really a great shirt…an ideal summerwear. I then wished her a nice afternoon and left.

Fast forward today.

As I was pulling my brown Vans shirt over my head, it struck me: I bought this shirt along with the Puma one at a sports shop in Manila last January! How could I have forgotten this???

Which brings me to this conclusion: Don’t ask me questions when I’ve just finished doing laundry sports. My brain cells are usually not in tip-top shape at this time of the month.

Oh well. I just hope the deputy will enjoy wearing my 100 percent cotton Puma shirt which, surprisingly, served as an effective ice breaker. Truth be told, I had never really shared a pleasant moment with her up until I unknowingly lost — and gave — the shirt in question.

Tonight, I’ll try my hand at badminton. It’s about time I do some real sports. That slightly used Puma shirt would have been the ideal top to go with my pair of brown jogging pants. But somehow, it makes me feel good that I’ve made someone really giddy with my choice of sports apparel.

My partial amnesia was someone else’s bliss. (Image taken at 90soccer.com)

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