I headed down to Westfields today with Xin Jie and Jieru for a bit of Boxing Day shopping today, and it being the first time that I've actually done so despite having been in London for the past 3 years, I was looking out more for the experience that would come with it rather than any good buys that I might make on the day.

Eventually, an interesting thought did manage to cross my mind during the afternoon, and it came from perhaps the most unprobable place possible.

While we entered the Build-A-Bear workshop on the ground floor of the shopping centre, Xin Jie went about his stuffs, while I was left to browse about the place. To be honest, the items about are rather cute, and would very much appeal to kids, irregardless of sex. I was even more so taken aback by the plethora of accessories that accompanied the bears. The range started from clothing, to shoes, and even glasses and fishing rods.

As I moved along looking at the prices as well, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the average amount spent for a dolled up bear would be easily above 20 pounds, perhaps even 30. And as I looked up around the store, I noticed 'punny' phrases printed around the top, such as "Be the Bearer of Good News" or "Paws for Thought". What that caught me was "Clothes Make a Bear Feel Special".

What a blatant phrase to put in the shop to get kids to spend more money, isn't it?! I was rather disgusted as thought about how capitalism would taint something that seemed so pure. How dare they pollute even the minds of our young children with consumerism with such pure and good feelings? Will they grow up undermining the effort required to earn money?

And then, on the very next moment, a laughing girl, with a stuffed polar bear in one hand, and a bunny in another, bumped into me, smiled, and stumbled off.

Then I realized. Well, if the kids are happy, why not right?