PERCEPTION WARPED! : How Living in Los Angeles has Warped my PERCEPTION!
PERCEPTION….PERCEPTION is influenced by who, what, how and where you live. Living in Los Angeles has definitely changed my PERCEPTION of life in general. Let’s just say that things that would have seemed ridiculous, outlandish, and downright fabricated – were I still living on the Canadian Prairies – have become my new ‘happy’ normal.
The other day I was feeling a bit down, and decided to cheer myself up and take a walk on Robertson Boulevard to get some fresh air and see if any of the marvelous shops located there had any great sales.
I love fashion, but this fashionista is on a budget, so when I see some ‘fabulous- must-have-designer-designed’ WHATEVER on sale – and now in my price range – it equates in my mind to…..’Happiness in a Bag Syndrome’.
‘Happiness in a Bag Syndrome’ is that feeling you get when a sparkly new item is neatly folded between soft tissue paper, and carefully put in a labelled bag, that you now get to carry around and fantasize about how great that WHATEVER will look on you. It’s the same feeling you get from great wine, great chocolate, great sex or a great laugh….Although this instant happiness actually lasts longer as it is tangible and therefore in my mind makes it a an even greater source of happiness as the wear-ability definitely outlasts the wine buzz, the chocolate taste, the hopefully great orgasm, and the belly laugh – this happiness has some staying power.’
So on this day, when I found this amazing Kooples designer t-shirt at fifty percent off, I snatched it up and finished my walk with a smile on my face and a bounce in my step. Oh course, once I got home, I couldn’t wait to try it on and see how it fit into my wardrobe, feeling happy and proud of myself for finding this amazing deal.
I am not sure why, but as I was trying it on and marveling how cute and down-right sexy my new wardrobe addition was, it dawned on me that I had just spend $82.50 on a …..t-shirt. Somehow the whole, wow, I am getting this half price – yep the t-shirt was originally $165 – had clouded my sale-happy-self’s brain. When I looked at my plain, grey, slightly oversized t-shirt with four small holes in the front – slashed to look like someone took a pair of scissors and cut out chunks – I realized a sane person would question my sanity if I told them about my amazing deal. I had PAID $82.50 for….a t-shirt.
This is when it hit me that living in LA, things are so expensive that my PERCEPTION of the price of goods has become officially WARPED. Then I started to think….hmmm….I wonder what else that happens in my everyday life, where my PERCEPTION of my ‘Canadian normal’ has done a 180….and for the most part goes ‘un-remarked and unchecked’ in my brain.
Upon reflection…. here are some of my WARPED PERCEPTIONS after living in LA:
My PERCEPTION of Fashion….
- A pair of Rag and Bones jeans that were originally $300, on sale for $200, then marked down to $175, and further discounted to $150 with a final mark down of $130 seems like a hell of a deal to me!
- Even better – A Missoni dress that was originally $1600, on sale for $1200, marked down to $800, with a final reduction of $400 seems like ONE HELL of a deal, as Missoni is a timeless designer and a now MUST HAVE piece.
- Carrying a designer bag in Beverly Hills is a MUST, so saving a minimum of $1000 in order to have one is not considered a sacrifice but a necessary budgeting expense!
- Therefore an $1100 Alexander Wang bang on sale for $873 further reduced to $536 with a final markdown of $268 makes me feel like I have saved $832 – and I squeal in delight at my amazing deal . And no ……I don’t put the $832 towards my 401 k’s – I buy an outfit on sale to go with the new bag, and methodically plan when my new bag and outfit will officially make their social debut!
My PERCEPTION of Going Out………
- Hanging out with a friend and having a glass of wine at decent establishment will cost a minimum of $16 dollars.
- A small restaurant filet will cost, on average, 30 dollars; however if you want mashed potatoes with that add another 9 dollars, and if you want a dollop of spinach that’s another 12 dollars….51 dollars before tax, tip and a glass of wine – and usually I am still hungry.
- Valet parking at nightclubs and restaurants ranges from ten to twenty dollars, making Uber my new best friend.
MY PERCEPTION of – LA Life in General ……..
- 70 year men old dating 35 year old women, goes unnoticed by me.
- Dogs died pink are super cute!
- Dogs belong everywhere – restaurants, grocery stores, clothing stores – Fido is fine in the finest of locations. (rightfully so)
- Botox and fillers are not considered ‘having work done,’ they are just considered ‘ maintenance’ – like cutting your hair.
- Good, clean, high end Gyms – like Equinox – are expensive, and cost on average $200 a month.
- Cycling Studios like Soul Cycle charge up to $35 a class; making the $200 Equinox membership seem reasonable after all.
And lastly…..My PERCEPTION of Weather….
- Rain has becomes a ‘terrifying’ weather ordeal where no one wants to leave their home; including me.
- And, I am now officially freezing when it gets to sixty degrees. And during the month of February when I speak to my friends and family in Canada and they tell me its -40 C and with the windchill it feels more like -60 C….I tell them, yep, its cold here too. And it is. And I am cold. And that’s the truth! PERCEPTION!
My PERCEPTION of life is officially Cali WARPED!Thank you LA LA Land!
http://www.thekooples.com/fr/ Kooples….great stuff by the way, hit the translate button into English when you click on the link (if you don’t parlez le francais!)
