Bittersweet, Nostalgic, and Chance

Over the months and years, I have made lists and lists of all kind of things. I like to do lists, for some reason. Places to visit, things to do, things I want, etc. Well, 3 things I can cross of the list of "Things I Want" is a road bike, a DSLR and a pair of Converse/Puma/whateverelselookslikethat. Last year, I got a road bike Well, 2 actually -- each at half price. So for the price of one full bike, I got 2. A miracle, really that one. Finding even one road bike with 50% discount is a rarity. Let alone, 2. In the same store. If that fact alone wasn't enough, let's go over some details, shall we?

They were technically still the latest -- the 2011 versions were just about to roll out and they were 2010 models. They were brand new -- as in not second hand. And the cherry on the icing -- or rather, the final nail in the coffin -- is that they were both top end models. Even as we were making the payment, people were still ogling it. Hehe. I got them during the official opening of Rodalink's Putrajaya outlet.

The story behind the DSLR is bittersweet. Lue was still here at the time -- about 2-3 weeks ago -- and the Antipest guys came for the regular spray. I was downstairs, kind of busy compiling a CD to give Lue as a parting gift. Lue was outside reading. The guys weren't the regulars. Our still-new digital camera was upstairs. After that, we noticed it was gone. So, after that, Akid pushed for a DSLR and even paid for it out of his account. We're taking very good care of that one. Practically never out of our sights. I've taken some good pictures with it. I still miss the camera we lost. That was an awesome digital camera. Sometimes I still half-hope it'll turn up somewhere in the house, the battery dead but otherwise perfect. I had always wanted a DSLR myself but I never pushed for it because I knew I would have to pay for it myself and that didn't bother me but I was saving my money for college. In the end, I decided that, I would put off the DSLR until I could get it myself.

The Converse is rather interesting. This one is more nostalgic, really. Yet at the same time, bittersweet too. My dad used to have a pair of black leather, high top Chuck Taylor All Stars. He got it in the US and it meant a lot to him. He was living on his own, in college, and he saw this pair of lovely shoes. He bought it and even his classmates were saying "Nice shoes!". He is very careful with money and prizes what he does own. He and my mom moved back to Malaysia and one day, the shoes were stolen. So in part to help my dad get it back and in part because I've secretly always wanted something like that, I got a pair of brown, tumbled leather Chuck Taylor All Stars. Since both my dad and I wear the same shoe size; whenever he wants to, he can wear them as well.

I suppose, I kind of wait until the thing I want will have some sort of significance before I get them. The bikes were a once-in-a-lifetime deal, the camera was bittersweet and the Converse nostalgic.