Buying Nirvana

Shopping Monks

Our digital camera has never been the same since I spilled DEET on it several months ago. It literally has a mind of its own. Leave it on the side and every so often, it will switch on, spontaneously take a few snaps, and then shut down. More recently, it has become more moody, sometimes refusing to take photos, and then selfishly running the batteries down on its own.
So I head out for a replacement to my favourite mall. Pantip Plaza is a heaving, cramped shrine to all things Gadget. Shiny new laptops, decaying old PC innards, any software you want for £1; all digital life is here.
One thing I just don't get about it. It's always chock-full with monks. Presumably the monastic renouncement of all worldly goods doesn't apply to electronics? I take a quick photo to confirm my new camera is OK; the monks before me in the queue have just purchased a Canon A640.