Suntec City on Christmas Eve was filled with people rushing to do thief last minute Christmas shopping, lost in the huge maze of stores, food outlets and supermarkets. The whole shopping centre was littered with signs shouting “Sale!” or “Half-Price!” Adding to the festive cheer was a gargantuan statue of Santa Claus situated in the middle of the shopping centre. All around it were beaming children who took pictures with Santa, toddlers who were salivating and producing sounds of delight, and of course, the annoyed parents who followed. They did not feel the cheer, though. Every few minutes, the statue would turn and bow mechanically, and a voice emanating within would sing Christmas carols.
Hordes of people thronged the store, so cramped that people felt they were in a prison cell. Teenagers armed with tokens that jingled as they raided the video game arcade, coin after coin was inserted into the console, their eyes carefully focusing on the screen. Mothers brought their young to the children's section at Carrefour, scouting the area for bargain buys, some of them heaving a sigh of relief after making their purchase Women both young and old thronged the cosmetics departments eager to buy cheap products. A myriad of smells some pungent, some sweet smelling, filled the air. The once empty ice-cream store outside had also not been forgotten! People were patiently queuing up for ice cream to escape the blistering heat.
The busiest spots in Suntec City were probably the toy stores. Children dragged their parents along as they rummaged through for their favorite toy. They would force their parents to buy it and when it was denied, you know what would happen? Yes, the tears.
Each hour and every minute flew by as night approached. The children were already yawning by 8 or 9 o' clock, their energy drained, and soon, few of the stores were already closed. Only Carrefour and several others were open for the “Late-Night Sale”. Close to midnight, after the countdown, many of the weary people began to leave the shopping centre. One by one, the stores became empty as the happy owners called it a day.
