When I wasn't making medical appointments, or catching up with beloved friends and family, i had to go shopping.

Now don't get me wrong I love to shop, not as much as some of my friends but I do admit that there is joy in refreshing one's wardrobe etc... My style though is when I'm walking through the streets if I see something that I know I need or that will suit me or perk up an already existing outfit then I swan into the shop give it try and decide if it suits or not.

There are also the sales and the inevitable birthday/wedding outfit hunt for a particular occasion. That's civil isn't it?? Practical, sensible yet filled with fun and light...BUT fast forward to my break and it was not the case, I had a time scale to work towards and ever dwindling funds. I really could have gone the whole two weeks without buying more than face cream and my favourite thongs but nooooooooooo, we can't have that can we???

It would be breaking some time honoured Nigerian women's code of being in the promised land and not making the best materialistic opportunity out of it. I hadn't been there three days and my Mum was already making comments of "don't forget you have to go to Finsbury Park and buy some suits for work" eeeeeeeeekkkkkkk. Then there was the undeniable fact that while in Nigeria my boobs had shrunk and didn't know what size I was anymore so I not only needed fitting I also needed new bras.

Well I made the mistake of telling my friend and Mum and every second was "what about your bras???", "have you done your fitting?", etc etc etc etc . Another 'fun' aspect of holiday shopping is the list you get of things to acquire on behalf of your friends, which is cool until you can't see what they want and have to start buying variations of a theme.

The funniest thing was at the last section of hols my cousin (bride to be), and my cousin's wife wanted me to help them get wedding shoes and christening outfit respectively!!! Talk about no pressure. I just kept on thinking what if she doesn't like the shoes or what if the baby rejects the outfit and everyone thinks the poor baby is rejecting the Holy Spirit??

Got them at the last minute and a few bits and pieces that my budget could stretch to but I tell you I didn't enjoy the whole intense shopping thing, that Nigerian trait didn't reach me oh!! Phoenix is a master shopper as in she wears sneakers, puts on a backpack and she's off like the characters in Wacky Races. Or what about the Nigerian women that come on 'holidays' with their four children as each child has a 2 piece luggage allowance each?? Hmmm that's what I call hardcore !!!!!