Irony aside considering my namesake, however the origins of mine have no relevance to this phenomenon.
If you have managed to piece together the clues, this is about the eponymous Kitty of the Hello Kitty movement/brand/religion.
If my memory serves me well, my first encounter would have been a little pouch give by my parents (or auntie?). It was red and palm-sized and I probably used it to keep my trinkets. The memories were slightly hazy, I recall being enthralled by the Sanrio section in the department store at my childhood ‘hangout’ at (now defunct) Thomson Yaohan and Plaza Singapura.
My mum would bring both my brother and I for these weekly excursions where he would be attending his music lessons while my mum and I would be window-shopping. It was a mixture of covetousness and fascination as I try to imagine now how Hello Kitty and Friends appeared to me when I was a young and innocent. A rose-tinted world covered with fairy-dust and basking in a warm glow, every little thing seemed so preciously adorable and tagged with a very dear price. Hello Kitty purses and notebooks and glittery stickers, plush toys, I would feel it and pick it up and admire every piece that caught my eye and reluctantly put it back but not without taking a second look.
As much as I hope that I was a little princess (by birth/accident/coincidence), like every little girl wishes to be - courtesy of Disney cartoons and fairy tales; my family hasn’t an inkling of royal blood or deep pockets to indulge in my whim. Oh how grand it would be living in a Hello Kitty palace filled with all that is pink and feline! My socks to my teacups will be adorned with the Hello Kitty silhouette.
The fantasies and being unattainable fueled my fascination for HK (we shall use this abbreviation from now, with no less respect the cat of course).
Adolescent started to creep in and as all of us has gone thru teenage angst and the rage of hormones. This whirlwind of our life was bordering on excitement, boredom, anger, confusion, and cluelessness and possibly downright suicidal. All of us were trying to fit-in and shrug our childhood and parents. Cutesy gave way to cool nonchalance.
HK had to take a hiatus from my life until I re-discovered her in my early adulthood. I had just embarked on my working life thus I was on the cusp of financial-autonomy. Thankfully I wasn’t a blind HK fan, I was selective in my collections. Without a word of warning though, McDonalds decided to launch the HK Wedding Toy Dolls (gasp!). I tried to be cool when I learned about it, I wasn’t one of those that hunted every Mac outlet or camped overnight to get their hands on the prize (I mean toys). Singapore was launched full-forced into an island-wide frenzy, even my mum got more excited than me, she kept egging me to get them and if I didn’t she could get it for me (she maybe stern but I know she loves me). I eventually got a set of the spacesuit Kitties which I thought were the cutest.
Blood was spilled, fists were unleashed, tears fell and it’s as ugly as a Singaporean can get. Everyone ate, drank, breathed HK (McDonalds). What super size me? Be-damned! What ever happened to the innocent little kitty who couldn’t even talk to save her life? Thankfully it was over but there were still random HK toys that were launched with the Happy Meals. I probably have quite a collection of these though. My best purchase so far? A T-shirt in collaboration with Public Library, a cult-brand from the U.S. It costs more than twice of top you would find in a mid-priced store. I absolutely love it till today although it’s gotten a little of worse for wear.
That day didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped; I had tried my luck again at the SIA interview. I tried to look as bimbotic as possible but apparently I’m still lacking the appeal that the fat-cats (those middle-aged fat bozos sitting in their armchairs) were looking for. Then again, age could have been a factor… After the whole fiasco, I was feeling lousy. I called Aloysius and I told him what happened asked if he could meet me in such short notice. The eager young boy was keen and we were strolling along town and I came across a corner shop in the Heeren and guess what caught my attention? My eyes twinkled and I smiled, my day wasn’t so bad after all! She was decked in a Chanel suit in the lightest shade of pink and gray along with accents of gold. It was perfect! My heart sang and I jumped around in the shop trying it on with the sweetest pair of jeans with stars on my bum haha. Dear Aloysius complimented me and from then on, till this day he’s still mesmerized by how I look(ed).
I fear that there will be no end to this story. I can hardly explain the rationale behind my (controlled) obsession with HK. Her appeal seems limitless and she’s omni-present (almost), she can be found in convenience stores, fast-food outlets, supermarkets, toy stores, mass-media, the list goes on…. Girls and grown-women alike have gone gaga over her and men have pulled their hairs over their partner’s incomprehensible obsession.Age has proven to be not to be a deterrent to HK, on the contrary it seems to have magnified.
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