Kitchen Sink
Thursday, July 31st, 2008“Why are you carrying your kitchen sink around?”
My Singaporean girlfriend who has lived in China for 10 years said this to me recently when we went out for dinner after work. An entrepreneur and a very savvy woman, she was horrified to see that I had what to her must be the world’s largest handbag.
“What kitchen sink?” I said appalled that someone would call my hip handbag a kitchen sink.
So that’s how my black handbag which I carry everyday is now called.
I have almost everything in there. My diary, small bag of make-up, a pocket computer dictionary, an English-Chinese-English handbook dictionary, keys, wallet, 2 mobile phones (S’pore & China), notepad, 5 pens, tape recorder, 2 thumbdrives, chargers, camera etc …
Ok so some of the contents are unnecessary like 5 pens and two dictionaries, 2 mobile phones and chargers, but they are such life savers. And now those around me are beginning to appreciate my kitchen sink.
Whenever I am out with friends and they need anything they come to me. I’m like the go-to-person nowadays if you need anything. You own a Nokia mobile phone and the battery is running out – go to Glenda. You need to save a document on a computer - go to Glenda. You need to jot down something real quick - go to Glenda. I have everything in that huge black handbag of mine. It’s great.
My kitchen sink is slowly becoming my security blanket. I never leave home without it. (rather the contents inside). I used to never leave home without my credit cards in Singapore but things change.
This brings me to the point, which is that women in Shanghai carry big bags. I have begun to notice women’s handbags because of my “kitchen sink.” But what I am unsure of is what is in their handbags? Do all women carry loads of things in their bags and is there a psychological reason to this? The next time I see another woman with an equally large bag I will ask her what she keeps in there.
In the meantime this is my kitchen sink.
I will post a picture when I figure out how to upload pictures on my blog.