Shopping for other people during Eid

I'm sure you all know how much we Bangladeshis enjoy shopping. The roads being full to the brim with clusters of people should be a good enough indicator of that fact. Not all of the things we buy are for ourselves, however. In fact, a significant portion of our shopping time is spent seeking out gifts for relatives and friends. This poses a unique set of struggles, some of which are highlighted below.

THE ONE TIME SIZE DOES MATTER

When it comes to assigning sizes to clothing, shops prefer to use methods to ensure no one knows what size a label actually stands for. Nothing is fixed, and the variation between brands is enormous. Others are more scientific and use number scales ranging from 20 to 50 (usually). Sometimes they use ages instead of sizes when referring to kids' attire. Eventually I'm sure Egyptian hieroglyphics will be adopted as the universal indicator for sizes, and we'll need to hire historians to make sense of what fits who. Because let's face it, that is the most convenient method.

SCHRODINGER'S TASTE

Most if not all of us take certain liberties when picking out clothes for people who are absent. Perhaps we're a little more extravagant with our choices than if we'd be buying for ourselves. For example, I'm sure your fifty year old uncle, wouldn't wear a hot pink panjabi, embroidered with pearls, which spell out Despacito. But then again, you can never be sure until he definitively says no. Therefore, when you buy it he must be both pleased and offended by your choice. You'll never know.

ALL THE GIRAFFES AND HOBBITS

Not everyone is the same height, and there's no shame in that. However, some people are outside the standard range of heights and stand taller than six feet or shorter than five. These people should be incredibly ashamed of themselves, because picking out clothes for them is a nightmare. For tall people, getting them an XL makes them look malnourished because they have acres of fabric lying limply on both sides. Four people could fit into one XL shirt, with room to hide a small puppy inside as well.

It's even worse for my horizontally challenged friends, since most adult brands just don't make clothes that small. In those cases, you have to explain to them why their gift has pictures of Doraemon on it. It's not my fault kids' clothing lacks variety.

In the end, however, the very act of giving to the ones you care about makes the experience special. Regardless of what troubles you face. Here's to hoping that we all get the right sizes before they run out. Good luck, and Eid Mubarak.

With a heart of trash and a PC of potato, Wasique Hasan could use some help. Send help: facebook.com/hasique.wasan