Tuesday, November 15, 2005

The Ikea Effect

when ironies prophesize themselves into reality, it's time to get worried. the ikea effect is bringing about modern day vacations actually becoming more stressful. so in the end people take a few days after their vacation so as to wind down from the 'vacation-stress'- an avant-garde terminology we thought we never see.

if those who still cannot seethe out the approximate idea of the ikea effect on modern day vacationing, it is simply that the DIY concept, pushing prices down et al, is having a reverse effect on what should be a relaxing holiday, conceiving the oxymoron stressful-holiday. to give a most lurid example is my recent trip to paris. the disclaimer is that i had the most amazing time in paris and it's alright in my own opinion but i'm not sure if what i did would be approved by the majority. i rushed about paris, doing up to 3 major attractions in a day, running about the city to make sure i catch them all by 5pm. so in a way, going about alone is good since you never have to hear complaints and incessant whines from parties grudgingly tagging along. but on the flipside, it's fun if you can find company like that, rushing about but yet having fun in this mad rush- the order in anarchy theory. but these people, like real romance and style-with-function cars, come far in between. so say i did notre-dame, le conciergerie, saint chapelle, palais de justice, shopping at boulevard st.germain and had a glimpse of le parthenon all in one day. and get this: i covered 2/3 of musee du louvre in 6 hours. i'm almost gleaming with overarching accomplishments, haha. but to a lot of people, all these seemed like a demented itinerary for a boot camp made in hell.

but Paris is amazing. it's almost like Rome draped in Chanel- history in haute coutre. it might not seem justified but you have to give concessions to the notorious parisien pride- they have truly something amazing to be proud of. nationalism comes from a very innate sense of the love of the land- terra amoureux, so to speak.

the ikea effect is overblown really. at the end u feel that you have seen more, experienced more and taken away more, so what's the harm in that. stress is overrated anyhow, only the truly successful tames it and whips it in shape- because you yourself are the master of all your faculties and the products of your faculties. then again, it might just be the parisien effect trumping this said effect, and marring my judgment. *wink*

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi hi! I've benefitted from your prowess at this kind of DIY vacations (remember Bangkok?), so that's the upside of it. But stress is definitely not overrated. It causes stomach ulcers! Haha, okie, a bit out of pt but yeah remember to take a holiday from your holiday sometimes! ;)

eth said...

thanks, finally someone attesting yo my true prowess at everything, *sinister laugh*

Anonymous said...

I question your choice of words, particular 'true' and 'everything'. I'm agreeable with the rest though. :D

eth said...

i didn't quite realise vancouver was famous for the production of sour grapes. or must be something in the air. or rather 'everything'.*tweese*

Anonymous said...

-__- Sho clever. Haha, tis not sour grapes my friend. Just bad grammar.