Personal observation
Date: Friday, 31st January
7am It was the first day of Chinese New Year, and we were going to an island off Batam. Claire woke up to an alarm tone and fiddled with her phone, which she slept beside, for about half an hour before getting out of bed. She scrolled through her instagram feed and caught up with the messages that her friends sent her over Whatsapp. She greeted our cat, Fluffy, which slept in her room, good morning and proceeded to the bathroom to wash up. The alarm was set earlier today because we were catching a ferry to Batam and had to leave home at 9am. She didn’t want to be late and annoy our parents.
7.45am She went downstairs to the kitchen and peeked in the refridgerator for suitable breakfast food. She found cornflakes but was missing milk, so she continued searching and found some cut-up papaya and grapes. “It’s important to start your day with breakfast!”
8.30am She went back upstairs again to check that she has packed everything she needs for the trip. She picked up her toothbrush which was used this morning, and dumped it in her haversack with the other toiletries. She looked at the items in her bag once more, as if to confirm that she did not forget anything.
8.45am Our father was starting to call everyone down to get ready to leave in the car, when she realized that she had forgotten to lay out the newspapers for our cat in the porch so that it would be kept clean while we were gone. She rushed to do it and petted Fluffy on her head, bidding her goodbye for the next three days.
9.45am We reached the ferry port and met our tour guide. Our parents, meeting him for the first time, shook hands with him. Claire followed suit. The queue was very long and by the time we got onto the ferry, it was noon.
2pm We finally reached the Batam port and had to take a bus to the outskirts of the island. From there, we took a speedboat to Riau Island, where we were headed to. Claire rushed to sit at the head of the boat, and got drenched during the bumpy ride when the waves splashed everywhere. It was cold and wet, but Claire thought it was fun. “We would never get to do this in Singapore!”
3pm We reached the kelong and were amazed at how beautiful the place looked. “I can’t wait to swim!” Claire immediately took out her iPhone and snapped pictures of the surroundings. We had lunch prepared for us, and ate heartily. Our mum declared it ‘own time own target’ session after lunch, meaning we could do whatever we wanted.
7pm After we split up, I couldn’t find Claire till dinnertime. When we all met at the dining table, I asked where she went, and she said in a mock mysterious voice, “I found a secret spot!” She had been reading a book she had brought along, The Signature Of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert.
8pm Claire asked if she looked red, because she had the tendency to get sunburnt. Noticing that her skin did look more irritated and red from the sun, she said, “I’d better put on more sunblock lotion tomorrow.” She then fell asleep looking through the photos she had taken during the day.
" I love adventure but also love spending time alone, reading and learning more about the world. I treasure my friends and family. "
Claire Tan, female, 20
Undergrad pursuing Psychology in NTU
Interest: Reading
Do you track your period?
I don’t purposely track it, I just carry ‘emergency’ pads with me whenever.
What is your experience with Kotex like?
I think it is an OK brand, but I don’t really recall any difference between Kotex and other brands.
Do you use different brands for day and night? What are the brands?
No. I just have one type, which I use for both occasions.
Do you have a regime during your menstrual cycle?
I don’t really have any regime.
Who usually buys sanitary pads for you?
Usually my mum. I don’t really have a strict preference which brand or type she buys, as long as they have wings.
Claire is in her first year of pursuing a Psychology degree in Nanyang Technological University. She is curious about the human mind, finding herself pondering over why and how people react to certain situation. She enjoys reading her Psychology textbook, the first academic pursuit she has been genuinely interested in. During her free time, she enjoys reading. She She has been staying in a hall in school, but has decided that she would prefer moving back home because she enjoys her personal space. Her favourite brands include Apple, because of the sleek design. She shops at brick and motar stores only, at brands such as h&m, Forever21 and Cotton On, which offer comfortable, easy to match clothing.
Can you briefly recall and describe your first period?
Thankfully, I was at home and already well prepared because my mum had already given me a pack of sanitary pads and educated me on how it was used. There were also these talks in secondary and primary school in which we were taught about these things.
What are the things you would do to prevent leakage (day/night)?
I will sometimes use two pads at night to elongate it. Sometimes if I’m afraid that it will leak overnight and I won’t have much time in the morning to change my sheets, I will also put a towel over my bedsheet.
Brand Profile
Low Brand Consciousness
Claire has no strict preference of sanitary pad brands. Despite the claims that different sanitary pad brands make, she remains a skeptic and does not think that they are any different from each other. She also seeks approval from her parents, and because of this, she prefers not to make exorbitant demands that inconvenients her mother who supplies her with the things she need.
Moderately Active Lifestyle
Claire is naturally adventurous, but would shy away from too much activity when she is not feeling well. Her choice of activities are very dependent on her mood and health. She also feels annoyed when her physical state stops her from participating in activities that she would otherwise enjoy.
Brand Relationship
Arranged Marriage
Claire uses whatever brand that is made available to her by her mother. In fact, she is not even aware of the brand that is given to her. She expects very little from the product; all she wants in a sanitary pad are the wings, and that is the only differentiating factor amongst different pads, and is sufficient to satisfy her. She does not see any value in a brand.
