It's A Shoe-in

We have less than a week to prepare and pack for our vacation to Indonesia.

Everyone is quite excited about it, especially my parents. Mom has been calling me frequently asking about stuff they should bring along and updating their packing status.

My parents are now all packed and ready.

Here, no qualms from Sonny and me. We are ready as we can be, but Wifey has a painful story to tell.


That's Got To Hurt!

Wifey has been having bouts of leg cramps these past few weeks. On several occasions her middle toe curled up so badly she cried because of the pain.

Recently, she had leg cramps while we were in the shopping mall. I had to stop and message her leg for a while until the pain went away.

She since had several more cramps... either on the toes or her calves. She thinks its age catching up. I think it is her newly bought pair of casual shoes.

For the life of me, I have no idea how her sprawling toes can fit into such a tiny, triangular-pointed pair of shoes?

"It's a tight squeeze but I'll manage..." she defends herself, "you don't know women." Was her final statement whenever I brought the matter up while messaging her after those attacks.

Darn right I do not know women! I cannot comprehend any person willing to forgo comfort for pain. "Beauty is pain" and in this case, leg cramps.

"That's got to hurt." I warned Wifey as she was trying those particular pair of shoes at Eastpoint Mall in Simei.

"No. I think it looks great." She always says, "This matches my dresses..."

Sigh. So be it.


The Revelation... Not Really

"I think you're right. I tend to get leg cramps after walking long distances in those." She explained, pouting her lips to point to the last week's pair of shoes while trying a new one on Saturday.

I told her that she needed a proper pair for walking... be it for casual wear to run her errants but mostly for the concern while on the trip that involves quite an amount of walking.

"I know I am." I told her nodding my head, eyebrows lifted. I told you so was more like it though... but...

"Then again, maybe I walked to much..." she went back, "I have been on my feet all day doing house chores... blah... blah... blah..." The words just softly muffled to nothingness in my ears...

I believe we have hunted for her "prefect" version of walking shoes at all shopping malls in the eastern part of this island. Sadly, it was still allusive.

We gave BHG at Tampines Mall another look and found her casual shoes for the trip.

"I don't think that is what I call walking shoes, honey." I had to remind her.

"The soles are tough but flexible unlike the last one." Wifey analyzed, "I feel comfortable in them."

"I think that one is more suitable." I tried to reason with her "Yes, it does look like sports shoes, but those are made for walking comfortably."

"I like these better..." she said while looking at her feet through the mirror, "besides, it matches with the green dress I already picked for the tour."

Of course it matches. It is black. Everything matches with black! My mind screamed.

She was adamant. She bought the pair of shoes the shoe salesgirl specifically recommended for desk-bound office workers. For walking? We had to see. It should be interesting, but it was more taxing.

I guess if beauty takes precedences over comfort, then matching that perfect pair of shoes with the handbag that goes with the dress is a darn good argument!


Putting My Foot Down

That was the only weekend left for us to buy anything we need for the trip. I finally had enough with "beauty is pain" concept and had to put... well, my foot down in the name of practicality.

She wore her new shoes yesterday after my insistence "You need sneakers!" for our trip.

"Never mine. I'll buy you one." I exclaimed because I definitely do not want any instances of her legs cramping-out on me while we are on our vacation. Besides we already have my mother to care for.

"We go shopping at Queensway Shopping Centre, OK?" I told Wifey.

This is the mall that is a haven for all sporting men.

Though it is an old building, the whole 5-storey mall has everything from jeans to business shirts and pants, sneakers to branded business shoes and rollerblades to dumbbells.

"I think this black Reebok sneakers fit better." Wifey assessed while trying on the third pair.

For once, I agreed with her choice of shoes. It fits the purpose and occasion. It does not look like rugged sports shoes, but can also pass as "casual dress shoes" as she puts it. It actually gives me comfort.

"I think I'll wear it straight away..."she informed the salesgirl, "no need to pack it."

I looked at her with raised eyebrows. Explain!

"Those shoes give me blisters," she explained spontaneously, pointing to the new shoes we bought yesterday "I don't think I can walk far in them."

Bingo! I shouted in my head. I thought to say "I told you so!" loudly but was just like rubbing it in... no pun intended.


The Test Drive...

"So..." I exclaimed, "would you like to give this pair a test-walk?" I suggested that we go on a nature walk at the newly opened Southern Ridges Trail, since it was just a few bus stops away from the mall.

The word "Sure." from her was the happiest moment for me then. It was worth the trip all the way to the southern part of the island to get her the right kind of shoes.

National Parks has recently opened trails after trails of nature walk connecting the various parks in Singapore with interesting bridges.

Each park has its own unique attraction and each linking bridge has its new unique experience for the people.

We only managed to stroll through two parks - the Flora park at Hortpark in Alexandra Road, where we started from Alexandra Arch and all the way to Henderson Wave... ending at Faber Hill.

We took the feeder bus 409 down to Habourfront Bus Terminal on our way back.

The whole nature walk experience was incredible. Lots to see, lots of pictures taken... but only if I had taken my Lumix FZ10 camera. The shots would have been better than my iPhone camera.

Anyway, about that will be in another post.

Coming back to my dear Wifey. It was proven... Wifey did not suffer leg cramps after the exceptionally long walks in her new sneakers I bought her.

"I should have bought more comfortable shoes earlier on if I 'd known it makes that much difference." Wifey summed-up her shoe fiasco.

I told you so! My heart said. But I just smiled to her in agreement.

Safe journeys ahead...