We had done back-to-school shopping early this time as Papa is busy travelling again!
Initially thinking nothing much to update for back-to-school shopping, but we ended up spending quite a lot, in my opinion. We parked at First Avenue nowadays and walk to the uniform shops at Jalan Magazine. The tow truck goes around towing people's car quite frequently there nowadays, so better don't risk it.
School Uniforms from Kimnovak Penang, Jalan Magazine
As usual, we got the school uniforms from
Kimnovak Penang (I had been using Kimnovak uniforms since my own school days). We only got 1 set girl's uniform for Cherry, pinafore in size 29L (RM33) and size 4 girl's white shirt (RM18). Her old pair of pinafore in size 28L is still in good condition after 2 years of usage (
my previous post about it), only it is slightly above her knees. We got her a new pair in bigger size when she needs to look more presentable (it reaches to her knees). For 哥哥, his white shirts had taken much beating and stains from art at school and his sweating. We got him two size 13 boy's white shirt (RM23.50). Expensive! I think the bigger the size the more expensive it is. But we still swallow it because of the good quality. The children wears school uniform for a good 7 hours each day including commute time. So in my opinion, it's better to get soft cottony material uniform. The people here are efficient in getting us sizes to try, but the atmosphere is rushed even though there still isn't the back-to-school rush yet. We got nothing even though our total purchase amount is RM98 :P
New School Bag From Hing Lee Penang
Cherry's old
Silver Star Hello Kitty school bag from Hinn Lee lasted from mid-year 2012 Standard 2 to finishing Standard 4. During her Standard 4 year, the inner lining had torn but still usable so we didn't get her a new bag. But towards the end of Year 4 (luckily not in the middle of the school year!), the supporting metal holding the trolley handle at the bottom had fallen off. Papa repaired it one time but the second time it dropped off, she didn't even realize the metal thingy is gone. So have to get new one for Standard 5 next year. This time, the cartoon design school bags comes in fancy 3D designs :P Some are even detachable, can be used as both trolley and carry on the back. We don't let her use a backpack for school as it would be more than 30% of her weight when the bag is loaded with textbooks, workbooks and exercise books.
She still chose one simple trolley bag, pretty much like the one she is used to, costing RM70.. The kind people from Hing Lee were prompt in helping us choose a school bag and gave the children 2 free time-tables. They are moving to new location at 50, Jalan Macalister, due to the new hotel development in the area.
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| Old vs new Hello Kitty school trolley bag. The new one has 3D Hello Kitty design. |
Hope the new 3D Hello Kitty bag will last until she finishes Primary Year 6! Big hope :) For Year 5 and Year 6 she will be on the ground floor so we really hope the bag will last. For Year 1 and Year 4 she had to bump up and down the first floor in school, so I guess that is why each time they finish the school year with classroom on first floor their school bag is pretty much ruined.
School Shoes From Pallas
Papa don't want to buy spare school shoes and just request the children to use their old pair as spare. That's because somehow 哥哥 cannot wear the spare shoes we bought last time. Too big foot? Too wide-footed? No idea, it just doesn't fit him. We bought new ones for 哥哥 as his already has holes on the side.
School Shorts from Tesco
It was on sale! It was only RM5 per piece, or RM9 for 2. OK, so Cherry refused to wear it as shorts for her PE lesson, or official kokurikulum functions. At least, she agreed to wear it for her Maths Olympiad class so that I can wash her shorts. Good old 哥哥 agreed to wear it for his Robotics and Maths Olympiad class from next year :)
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Track shorts in Navy and bicycle shorts in black.
So can see why bicycle shorts is worn underneath school pinafore and the track shorts is worn with t-shirt. |
The largest size I can find is a size 12, so if any child needs a bigger size, they would have to get the proper ones from uniform brands/shops. Have not seen this type of cheap shorts at Giant or Jusco though. They just have the normal uniform type.
Modesty Shorts For Girls
In the middle of school year last year, the school teachers were asking girls in morning session to wear school shorts underneath their school uniforms. At that time, I was fuming mad over this "new rule" as it is very difficult to find such shorts in supermarkets in the middle of school year. I definitely didn't want to spend RM20+ to buy another pair of the formal school shorts from the uniform shops. Besides, those formal school shorts are of heavier school uniform material. She'd be quite hot if she had to wear those 3 layers of clothing! For me, the most problematic part of going to town for uniforms is parking and it was a busy time for us with Baby Orange just a newborn back then. The cheap school shorts from Tesco is not available all year round, only for back-to-school promotion time.
Finally, we manage to find black bicycle shorts for her from Tesco at RM3.90 per piece. It is meant to be bicycle pants, but somehow the fit is loose for her, it looks more like shorts :P Still the purpose is only serving as modesty shorts, to be worn underneath her pinafore skirt. So I told Cherry, if any of your teachers complain please ask them to call me and I will give them a piece of my mind haha. Nobody complaint so she'll continue wearing it. She said the bicycle pants is not uncomfortable at all and willingly wears it every day underneath her school uniform pinafore.
By the way, she won't be wearing the Tesco shorts as modesty shorts as it is kind of longish compared to the bicycle shorts. She didn't want to wear those RM10-for-3 labelled as safety pants (available per pack in 3 colours of black, navy and grey), she said those looked too much like underwear :P
