There are four bedrooms to accommodate my family member and their guests. All the rooms have full attached bathrooms.

My honey – Gwen chose an Eastern- inspired theme for the master bedroom. The center piece is the large bed facing the windows.

I wanted to put the bed along the wall, but my wife suggested facing it outside, so that we can wake up with the sun and the view every morning. All beds in my house and the lounger sofa are from Gallery 62 – Lavender, while pillows are from JT Home.

The Relationship with Money and Material Objects

Money and material objects are omnipresent throughout the diary. This is not surprising in a testimony about addictive buying, in which the author describes a person economic behavior in great detail. However, the symbolic meanings of products and money, which are sometimes explicitly mentioned and other times are implicit in the author’s interpretations of the buying episodes and other life events, reveal some deep-rooted materialistic values. For example:

I admit now that I dreamt of one day shopping in good shops like my big boss….haha… A friend (female) before she  got married, who was always dressed in the latest fashion, drew my attention a lot, like the boys who were well dressed. I was mistaken, but nothing can be done about it.

Although, at times, she seems to question the importance of money and material objects, these values constantly emerge. For example, an important motive for worry and anxiety is the damage that her buying behavior has caused to her husband and children. On one occasion, she mentions the possible emotional damage caused by her permanent state of anxiety and irritability; she also considers at one point that her spending habits have not set a good example for her children, but most of the references to this issue refer to the pain she feels because the accumulated debts now prevent her from buying things:

I see people with their flat all set up buy a car, things for their child, and I think how I have ruined my family… It takes a great effort to acknowledge these feelings, like seeing a friend who has kept his money under control and has many more things.

What is outstanding throughout the diary is the degree to which family relationships and friendship revolve around the purchase of products, going to shops as a leisure activity, and gifts, both in the form of material objects and money. One fact that illustrates this centrality is the friendship maintained for years with another buying addict from whom she frequently receives money and gifts.

Money, material objects and presents in family relationships and friendships.

What did I spend money on? On everything and on everyone.

It can repeatedly be seen that purchases, material objects, and money have always been and are present as means of communication and relating, both in family relationships and in friendships. Gifts of articles of clothing and other products to various family members and friends are frequent, not only on special occasions, but as a routine that is carried out either by buying or by paying for what others buy. For example:

Last week I went to get clothes for my nephew, I went with my niece… I think that they have forgotten about that affair of them buying me the suit, but it doesn’t matter.

At times, money and presents fulfill a reciprocal function: They are a way of paying for, or returning favors.

One day, I had a quarrel with my nephew, the one I always said was my child, and the relationship no longer feels the same to me. I feel sorry about the affection and about everything I spent on them. Of course, you must understand that they now have a good friend that gives them a lot, and an uncle without children who is giving them a lot of money, you can see it in their clothes and everything.

The inappropriate nature of my relationships with certain friends, based on excessive gifts, becomes evident to a good friend, someone from outside the family.

Everything I gave them didn’t seem right to my friend. When that happened, I was often with the wife of one of these friends. They had a daughter whom I was very fond of. As they didn’t have much money I always bought things for the girl, shoes, a dress, a jacket. My friend was right, it was too much. For my birthday, I went to the shop and I really took advantage of this friend, because he pays by installments. I bought a jacket, a skirt, a jersey, a jacket with a polo shirt, and, to round it off, two pairs of pants because last year’s pants are no use to me.

In fact, this friend’s gifts include clothes and other products for the husband and children. These family values, beliefs, and customs with respect to money and material objects, in short, the predominant material culture in this family generates an atmosphere of permissiveness that favors the development of addictive buying.

The behavior of both women during these visits reminds one of a relationship with a child, a nephew or niece, or a grandchild, because each time there is a visit, there is always, or nearly always, “pocket money”. Last Monday, my mother came to bring me prescriptions, well, I was waiting to see if she would give me something… she gave me five hundreds.

I’m going to draw a five hundreds for today or tomorrow because my nephews and nieces are coming. I draw a thousand because there are two of them and they’ll spend it on the machines, if not, I’d only take five hundred.

Addiction to buying, also known as compulsive buying constitutes a compulsive pattern of acquisition of products that is analogous to drug addictions. Based on market research and prevalence studies estimate the scope of the problem in different countries at between 1% and 7% of the population.

However, in western consumer societies, a growing tendency has been noted of buying, which is impulsive, recreational, and compensatory for negative emotional states, and the percentage of consumers who are prone or vulnerable to addiction is estimated to be between 19.5% and 25% of the population. These figures indicate the social relevance of this phenomenon, which is not limited to a small percentage of subjects suffering from a mental disorder, but instead reflects a socio-cultural tendency whose medium- and long-term consequences should be considered.

The definitions of addiction to buying include as key characteristics a perceived difficulty in controlling one’s impulsive and excessive buying behavior, its chronic nature, its functions of emotional repair and of symbolically improving self-esteem, the development of a strong psychological dependence, and its damaging effects at the economic, psychological, and family levels. Similarly, they point to learning processes as factors that explain the difficulty to control the behavior and its repetitive nature, and they acknowledge vulnerability factors of a cultural, social, situational, and psychobiological nature.

The above-mentioned perception of difficulty to control, linked to the highly impulsive nature of buying, has led to different and, at times, contrary interpretations of the nature of addictive buying, even going so far as to indicate that addictive buying can present characteristics of voluntary behavior. This latter point of view has also been defended by other authors in the field of addiction to chemical substances (Megías et al., 2000; Peele, 1987) and of impulsive behavior in general (Baumeister, Heatherton, & Tice, 1994). These different conceptualizations are directly related to the different conceptual models of addictive behavior and to the issue of addicts’ personal responsibility for their own behavior and aspects.

In my free time, I’m quite enjoying dining out and playing sport, and share a passion for fishing. My boat is docked at ONE°15 Marina Club at Sentosa Cove, and they take it out as often as possible. Not discouraged by the paperwork, they enjoy cruising to various spots in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia for a brief docking and visit.

My family stays Singapore, a main reason being my children’s education. The eldest, Gwen (16) and Rebecca (13), want to finish high school here. They have a lot more freedom here than they would have back home. Because it’s so safe, I don’t have to worry as much.

Living here has given them opportunities for traveling, meeting new people and picking up new interests, which has not only allowed them to gross’ personally, but have also made them bond more closely as a family. Life in Singapore is sometimes stressful, but there are so many advantages. It’s important to embrace all the different cultures here and try not to get overwhelmed by everything.

A beautiful home, a loving family, endless possibilities for exploring new places and trying new things — the reasons why my family decided to stay.

The freedom that has come with my exploration of new concepts of beauty has resulted in a new appreciation of Asian and Eastern-inspired art. A favorite piece of hers is the reclining Buddha figure in the master bedroom, which I found at an antiques shop on Dempsey Road. In the same room is another beloved piece, a framed transcription of a Burmese religious text. I came across this item at Apsara, which specializes in antique Chinese lacquer furniture and Burmese antiques.

Also eye-catching is the collection of figurines from Thoms S.B. Raffles on display in the living room bookcase.

Despite its size, every nook and corner of the house is used. I will enjoy hosting family and friends and often throw parties. “There’s always music playing and people coming over. It’s a great house for entertaining,” start thinking in my brain.

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry observe a ten-day vegetarian or vegan diet for spiritual cleansing and merit-making.

Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines, temples and aesthetic displays, such as walking barefoot over hot coals, ascending ladders with bladed rungs, and piercing the skin with swords are performed by entranced devotees. It is believed that the vegetarian festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who observe the rite.

One of the most picturesque festivals in Thailand, Loy Krathong takes place each November on the full moon. The country is illuminated under a night sky as thousands of candlelit “boats” or kratongs are gently launched into Thailand’s waterways. The idea is to put all your misfortunes in the boat and allow them to float away. In Phuket, major hotels usually host a special evening so that guests can take part.

Another spectacular event is Phuket‘s Gay Festival at the end of March. Patong Beach comes alive with sequined, feathered, glittery participants, dancing, parading, and partying in the streets and on the beach. The festival has become one of the biggest tourist happenings on the island and its international reputation grows yearly.

Celebrated on 13 April, the Songkran Festival is the traditional Thai New Year event, when families and friends gather together to visit temples, sprinkle water in reverence on Buddha images, and on each others’ hands for good luck.

In recent years, the tradition of sprinkling water has become an excuse for water fights, and it is not uncommon to have buckets of water thrown at you by merry­makers. II you’re in a tourist area like Patong on the day, leave behind anything you don’t want soaked when you go out.

Attracting over five million visitors a year, Phuket, off the southern tip of Thailand, is the nation’s most popular beach destination for its balance of tourist amenities and authentic Thai experiences. These sites, shops and restaurants are not to be missed.

Shopping

You might associate shopping in Phuket with flea markets, which is what you’ll find in Patong, but this island offers much more than knock-off handbags and souvenirs. Fine art, furniture, clothing, jewelers and antiques abound. But the boutiques are scattered in unlikely, hard-to-find places, so you’ll need a driver and a plan.

Surin Plaza (5/50 Moo 3 Cherng Talay) near Surin Beach is a super- luxe three-storey mall filled with home accessories, art and clothes. Lamont, on the first floor, features stunning Chinese and Japanese antique furniture and decorative objects, but are just as pricey as they would be in Singapore. A few doors down, Lola is a fabulous girly shop filled with great resort-wear and accessories.

Dutch-owned art gallery Soul of Asia on the second floor houses some amazing work from artists such as Andy Warhol, Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso and a range of Asian artists at reasonable prices. Once you’ve finished shopping, grab a drink or a Thai meal at chic Silk on the third floor.

If you’re in the market for antiques and artifacts, a minute clown the road from Surin Plaza is Oriental Fine Art (106/19­20 Bangtao Beach Road), a multi-storey building filled with museum-quality pieces.

Fans of fabric giant Jim Thompson should head to Canal Village (Laguna). There are three Thompson stores at this alfresco mall, including an outlet with fantastic discounts on cushions, table accessories and more. Also in Canal, you’ll find suitable souvenirs, pashminas, sunglasses and jeweler.

Phuket City shouldn’t be a top priority, but if you’re on the island for an extended period, the Sino-Portuguese shop houses in this part of town are home to some pretty nice shops. Visit Golden Lotus, Fai Sor Kam and Oriental Origin.

On your way back, make a stop at Gems Gallery, “The World’s Largest Jeweler Store”, for an endless array of baubles. Bargaining is acceptable here, so you may just get a good deal.

You can’t go wrong with food in Thailand, and Phuket is no exception. The local cuisine and seafood is incredible at most places, but the following offer outstanding ambiance in addition.

Baan Rim Pa (100/7 Kalim Beach Road, Patong), perhaps the most well-known restaurant on the island, serves authentic Royal Thai cuisine in a beautiful cliffside setting overlooking the Andaman Sea. This fine- dining alfresco establishment is always fully booked, even in the low season, so make your reservations even before you arrive to get a coveted waterfront table.

In the same strip, Joe’s Downstairs for Western cuisine and Da Maurizio for Italian are also delicious and offer similar views.

Another waterfront favorite is Rockfish (33/6 Kamala Beach Road), serving contemporary Western cuisine and seafood alongside authentic Thai fare in a swanky two-story beach hut.

Finally, if you love fresh seafood, it doesn’t come any fresher than at Lotus (Moo 4 Cherng Talay, Laguna). Choose your live lobster, fish, prawns or crab from the tanks in front and then enjoy the feeling of sand between your toes while you wait at your table on the beach. Casual, tasty and reasonably priced.

The calm waters of this port were discovered by the Spanish in the early 16th century as a safe haven for trading ships during typhoons. It is a peninsula on the northern shore of Mindoro Island, with some 42 kilometers of rugged coastline.

The area abounds with stunning white beaches, tall cliffs, pristine coral reefs, dramatic diving locations, and a lively nightlife. Puerto Galera Bay and Dalaruan Bay are considered to be the best natural harbor in the Philippines and among the loveliest in the world. Three mountains rise above Puerto Galera, providing excellent hiking among tropical rainforests and waterfalls.

Popular destinations include the Ponderosa Golf Club, an amazing nine-hole course with dramatic panoramic views from jangly mountaintops. Bring plenty of balls to tackle the 30-foot drops between greens. You can also explore the hinterland, the python cave, virgin forests, the Tamaraw waterfalls, or hot springs. Rent a motorcycle or, for more comfort, a jeep.

If you enjoy sailing, you can set up a yacht tour around the coast with a picnic and stop at one of the beaches and coral coves around the island of Mindoro. Sail out of the cove to one of the many commercial beaches to go diving — Mindoro is famous for its stunning coral gardens, the shallow waters being ideal for beginners. Or explore one of the quiet beaches that dot the coast, and bring a picnic for the day.

Many of the beaches remain inaccessible by road. It’s a delight to find small coves and beaches where you can snorkel with no other tourists in sight. A number of regattas are held by the yacht club at different times of the year and yacht races are held on Fridays and followed by barbecues at the Puerto Galera yacht club.

Yacht Charter Philippines is a sailing outfit in Puerto Galera on Mindoro Island. Its sailing holiday packages include accommodation in one of two secluded and luxurious ocean side villas and the charter of a 36-foot cruiser-racer yacht.