Our Four Day Vacation

This last Thursday the country we are living in celebrated their independence day. This Saturday was the mid-autumn festival. So as a result, we were able to have a four day vacation (including the weekend).

On Saturday and Sunday, Alvin and I had the bright idea to go shopping. Turns out that everybody and their mothers (and even grandmothers), had the same idea. The buses were packed and the most popular shopping areas were lined with people. Still, Alvin and I decided to try to buy items at the bargain shops located on six floors. I wish we had a camera to try to capture the atmosphere. The shops overflowed to the sidewalk, and there are salespeople with loud speakers on top of their merchandise trying to attract your attention. There are people hired with posters on sticks who walk around as advertisement. I saw 5 people walking away from me and I thought, what is AIKON? Oops, they are walking the wrong way. Oh, NOKIA. The salespeople usually keep giving you a hard time until you buy, but this weekend, you have 5 seconds with them, and if you don't purchase, they are on to the next customer.

I remember reading a sign at school telling us to stay away from "staff-intensive areas" to avoid the Swine Flu. I am not sure what is a "staff-intensive area," but I am pretty sure the school would qualify the shopping area as one. Yet, I know we were not the only students there because we ran into some of our Korean classmates.

Overall, the shopping was good. Alvin bought a winter jacket for really cheap, and we got two badminton rackets thrown in for free. The salespeople at the big department stores, do not like to lower their prices, instead they throw in free stuff. We also bought some small furniture for the house and then got custom made frames for cheaper than Aaron Bros. Alvin did surprisingly well even though he hates shopping, despises the 6th Floor shopping area, and we went at probably one of the craziest times of the year.