Me and Mini Budda

When the thought popped into my head to buy a bean bag a couple of weeks ago I had a figure in my head for what it would cost: €20. This was based on my memories of living in Rathmines where the Blackberry Fair was. At the entrance to the market was a sign advertising bean bags for sale. The first time I saw the sign I think the price was something like £15.

I realised there was a chance that the price of them may have gone up slightly over the years but, considering the basic ingredients of a bean bag are cloth and foam I didn't imagine the inflation would have been too great. Also the image I had of a bean bag was of a cheap type of furnishing for a university students bedsit.

Of course, as I should have expected, times have changed. For one thing, the Blackberry Fair has been closed for over a year. I found this out when I got the bus into Rathmines last Saturday to buy my bean bag. I haven't lived in Rathmines for ten years now and it is about five since I was last in the Blackberry Fair. It was a complete news flash to me therefore when I arrived to find it all locked up.

When I discovered the Fair was closed my plans to buy a bean bag were in a heap. I had looked for one while shopping in the city centre the previous day and the only one I saw was selling for about €130 in Argos. That was when I remembered the Fair and thought it would be worth my while to make the trip out to Rathmines. I made a quick stop off in an internet café and googled 'bean bags in Dublin'. I found posts that said that the Blackrock Market sold them too but Budda Bag on Millennium Walk won the search engine war for me and I got the bus back into town.

Prices were a little bit higher than I had expected. A footstool type bean bag was €100. I bought the Mini Budda which is a one person bean bag with a 1.5 metre diameter and costs €290.

While I spent more on it than I had intended I think it was worth it. It is a very comfortable way to relax. Since I've got it I've spent most of my time in the flat on it, reading, sleeping, surfing and watching TV. I've even tried a bit of meditation on it as well.

I can't imagine a Mini Budda gracing many poor university students bedsits. But then again I can't imagine many poor university students. Possibly the price of bean bags is linked to the spending power of the average Arts Student.