After extensive discussions and observations with friends, I have come to the conclusion that like there is a child in all of us, there is an inner auntie lurking within all of us. If you fight her, you might end up looking insecure, but if you embrace her, you will find it is liberating.I know many fabulicious ladies who have wholly embraced their inner auntie, and Auntie has made them savvy shoppers, confident in their own skin, and comfy on any hunting ground from boutiques to markets, without apologies thank you. But do they look like market aunties? No – they walk in designer shoes, carry Prada handbags and sip fine wine…..the best of both worlds, in essence. You see, the key to embracing your inner auntie successfully into the 21st century is to acknowledge and listen to her, yet keeping her firmly within. Never let her hang on your wardrobe and in your hairdo.
So realise that it’s perfectly fine to….
Love Tupperware and all manner of plastic food and household containers, with or without lid. Wasn’t the Jackie Onassis generation of simplyfab ladies nurtured on Tupperware parties? Don’t we all swear by Lock&Lock these days? The technology behind these receptacles is just fascinating!
Shop at the wet market. After all, the best food deals and the freshest produce are there, plus you get to chat and pick the brains of the stallholders who have endless culinary secrets to share if you let them. Plus they give you credit and even make deliveries if you’re a regular. What’s more you get all the swanky stuff there too – like fresh rosemary and sage, arugula, harumanis mangoes in season, duck breast, portobello, broccollini, etc etc etc…..
Spree in the heartlands. Hunt out the good sundry shops in HDB estates which are treasure troves of all things ingenious and wonderful (from Taiwan, Korea or Japane) or traditional. Cookie jars (including those huge ones with red plastic lids that used to reside in kopitiam countertops); retro tableware, enamel ware and retro China-made flasks (why pay top price at Tangs when you can get the same here for a song?), bakeware, hotel standard floor mats (2 for $10) and other quirky finds. I like Rissen Dept Store (heaven next to Phoon Huat in Bedok Central) and another big mama in the middle of Kaki Bukit HDB estate. Bukit Timah Shopping Centre and Marine Parade has good ones too. (Do you know of others? Share the love by posting a comment at the bottom of the story.)
So realise that it’s perfectly fine to….
Love Tupperware and all manner of plastic food and household containers, with or without lid. Wasn’t the Jackie Onassis generation of simplyfab ladies nurtured on Tupperware parties? Don’t we all swear by Lock&Lock these days? The technology behind these receptacles is just fascinating!
Shop at the wet market. After all, the best food deals and the freshest produce are there, plus you get to chat and pick the brains of the stallholders who have endless culinary secrets to share if you let them. Plus they give you credit and even make deliveries if you’re a regular. What’s more you get all the swanky stuff there too – like fresh rosemary and sage, arugula, harumanis mangoes in season, duck breast, portobello, broccollini, etc etc etc…..
Spree in the heartlands. Hunt out the good sundry shops in HDB estates which are treasure troves of all things ingenious and wonderful (from Taiwan, Korea or Japane) or traditional. Cookie jars (including those huge ones with red plastic lids that used to reside in kopitiam countertops); retro tableware, enamel ware and retro China-made flasks (why pay top price at Tangs when you can get the same here for a song?), bakeware, hotel standard floor mats (2 for $10) and other quirky finds. I like Rissen Dept Store (heaven next to Phoon Huat in Bedok Central) and another big mama in the middle of Kaki Bukit HDB estate. Bukit Timah Shopping Centre and Marine Parade has good ones too. (Do you know of others? Share the love by posting a comment at the bottom of the story.)
Love a good deal (aka 'cheap and good'). And it can be down to earth yet classy...just like the inner auntie. For a delicious example, Top Wine's wine dinner this coming Tuesday, 14 July (7.30pm) is a fantastic deal - easy drinking yet sophisticated Anakena wines with dinner at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant@ Waterfront. Five wines from this Chilean wine maker (one of my favourites!) with six seafood courses including cereal prawns, salted egg lobster, chilli crab and ‘ou nee’, that sinfully rich, quintessentially Teochew yam paste pudding. Great food, good wine and unpretentiously luscious living. ($95++ per person; #01-05 Singapore Indoor Stadium By Top Wines. Call at 6468 3866 to make your reservations.)Embracing your inner auntie doesn’t mean you have to go down market. It just frees you to enjoy any hunting ground without guilt. So embrace her and ye shall be free.
- Ee Waun
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