what cave have i been living in?

'What cave have you been living in?'. This was the comment, made rather nonchalantly (and with no ill-intent) to me, which sparked off my inspiration for this blog entry.

I recently went shopping, and found myself fascinated at some of the items that were on the shelves. Intricate swiss-made watches with aesthetically-pleasing analogues; funky Sennheiser full ear headphones which are just so comfortable; exquisite wooden Tivoli radios with sweet dials and knobs; these items pressed the right 'BOY TOYS! ALERT!' buttons. Because of my ignorance of their existence prior to this trip, I was prancing around the stores like a little boy, constantly awed by everything on display. The 'Wow this is cool! Hey I've never seen that before!" comments led to my friend passing the disparaging remark. No doubt the remark was made in jest, and laced with friendly sarcasm, but it really set me thinking.

I think I have a problem. To let readers have a better grasp of what my problem is, I think it is better to share my thought processes upon entering, being in, and leaving a shopping mall.

Before I enter the shopping centre, I try to recall who the landlord/property manager is. It probably belongs to some Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), so I'll run comparisons in my head on how the REIT stacks up against the other retail REITS on the stock exchange. What are current yields? Have the REIT manager been on the acquisition trail lately? Did it need to raise capital through a rights issue? Was it hit by refinancing problems during the recent financial crisis?

Once in the shopping centre, I observe the shopper traffic levels. High shopper traffic allows the mall to command higher rents, which leads to higher net profits to be distributed among shareholders. I also make mental notes on the occupancy levels. Is there space that is not let out? If yes, is the management doing anything to rectify it? Is there any addition and alteration works happening at the mall to deal with the competition from neighbouring malls?

Upon leaving the shopping centre, I reflect on my experiences within the mall. I recollect the typical shopper profile and whether the mall has lived up to its branding. I note the facade of the subject mall against that of other malls and evaluate which one has more curb appeal.

Judging from the above, perhaps I'm not cut out to be a shopper. What I'm lacking in shopping centre navigational abilities and a mastery of that-which-is-material, I hope I've made up for in spiritual and intellectual well-being.

As to the question of which cave I've been living in, it had better not be Plato's cave (refer to Allegory of the Cave in The Republic), where reality is only as real as the shadows cast against the wall, where prisoners too entrenched to norms to cast off their chains undergo permanent suffrage of the mind.