For crying out loud. All my old sandals rub against my feet, so I went and bought pretty yet comfy new ones. They felt fantastic on the first occasion I wore them out and about. Today I wore them for the second time, and suddenly they are rubbing against the top of my foot, blistering the skin. God, I could learn to hate shoes.

Oh I like the look of elegant shoes, and ironically it's not those man-killer stilletos that hurt me: some I can't wear but mostly it is just about breaking them in. No, it's these summer shoes, flip flops that rub between the toes, sandals that scrape the skin across the arch of the foot. I don't know if they are all made from some cheap plastic/textile or whatever. I just know that I am wasting money every time I buy them.

In Singapore, as a very small kid, I hated shoes and would walk barefoot everywhere to the disapproval of my mother who lived in a state of perpetual fear vs snakes /spiders/ ticks/ roaches/ worms/ poo/ germs/ tetanus/anything that could be encountered anywhere on the ground. She got me into shoes as soon as possible, and it always hurt. Growing up, I encountered the mysteries of high heels and enjoyed mastering the little known art of being able to sprint in them. This weekend I spent most of my time barefoot, easy on the short, dry, but still soft grass. It's a good feeling.

And now, here I am with these stupid useless sandals. I could go out and spend more on expensive footwear in the spirit of optimism. Or I could just point out to larians that it will be more economically viable in the long run if we move to the Bahamas, close to a sunny sandy beach. For my health you understand.