Sale

A four-letter word that is commonly used in our modern consumerist society is SALE. I first encountered this word during Labor Day weekend in the US in 1998. In the US, every long weekend brings a sale, and the size of the weekend supplement of newspapers increases with advertisements from cars to toys. You even get constant reminders from Macy’s to Walmart on your radio while you drive your car.

In France or continental Europe, it is different. The retail stores only have two sales in a year, normally for clothes. In July, it is to clear spring and summer collections and get ready for autumn and winter, while in February, it is to make room for summer. However, I never happened to notice any sales for cars or computers, maybe because I was not looking for them.

When I reached Singapore, I found out that a big summer sale was going on. One such place is Orchard Road, which is known for its retail and entertainment center. This Orchard Road is flanked by malls (houses brand boutiques), restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, and hotels. This picture was taken inside of Takashimaya, the famous Japanese superstore.

The Fruitful History of Orchard Bay Area

Reading the article on Wikipedia, it became clear why there are so many signs on the sidewalk with fruits. It seems that there used to be fruit orchards in the 1800s. People say the same about the Bay Area, where there was an orchard once around the 1960s before it became Silicon Valley.