JOURNAL: Malls on Saturday: DON'T DO IT!

First, a quick note that I will likely be offline for a few days, as I am on "vacation" until Thursday. Where am I going, you ask? I don't know but I have a bus ticket, and therin lies a story....

I decided I was going to the Express Bus Terminal in Seoul (via subway) to get a ticket for Monday to GYEONGJU. Now, please note that Romanized spelling of Korean names is up to the speller, based only on what day it is, how many shots of soju he has had, and the windspeed. Generically speaking, all the guidebooks use this spelling. Therin lies the difficulty, as no one bothered to show the Hang'ul (Korean) spelling of this name...

I got to the right subway stop, and was instantly thrust into a huge mob of people. I have no idea where they came from, but I had no choice but to go the same direction, or be run over. I came clear of the crowd, and found myself in one of the many impromptu markets that spring up in subway stations all over Seoul. I both love an hate these markets, as they always offer intersting and rather random merchandise, and I find myself wandering over "just to look" in spite of myself. You can buy things as diverse as socks, clothespins, and wallets all from the same merchant. I love the blouses that I see the women wearing, and many of them come from these street/subway merchants. Sadly, though, if you are not a size six or less with B-cups, you will not fit anything...That is the frustrating part. I absolutely adore the way Korean women dress, but, although I am the right height, my boobs and less-than-svelte figure make shopping a pain. I desperately need a few new shirts, as my washer is evil, but I will have to just patch, patch, patch, I guess...

Today, I found two shoe markets that were very tempting. Shoes in Korea are very cheap (about $7-$10 per pair) and very trendy. Like Asians the world over, Koreans are attracted to impractical high spike heels with no backs. There were also some nice wedges that I was tempted by, but they were too big. I may go back and get them, the design is something I can alter to make them fit better. From the selection of shoes offered, and my strange obssession with feet after hitting the shoe marts, I gather that Koreans have short but wide feet, just like me. At least there is one thing I can fit into and still be comfortable!

Well, to continue my story....

I got out of the mob, and saw a new mob coming, so I stood to the side and consulted my map. Most of the time, the signage in the subways is excellent, but apparently not here. In the corner, was a beggarwoman with what appeared to be an advanced case of leprosy. I reached into my pockets to see what I had to give her, maybe a few coins, but the crowd was bearing down on me. I suddenly made eye contact with a middle-aged woman coming down the crowded escalator, and asked her where the bus terminal was. She looked confused for a moment, then pointed up the stairs and to the right. I thanked her in Korean, but I must have still looked a bit confused, because she suddenly very firmly grabbed my hand and steered me back up the escalator. She said she would show me.

I thought she would abandon me at the top of the stairs but she didn't; she kept a firm grip on me and rushed me throguh the crowd. This lady couldn't have been taller that 4'11", but she was very strong and fast. I was knocking into people left and right, but she just kept pulling me along. She got me to the gate of the subway, and dragged me to the window. She said something to the guy; he let me through without a ticket, and she was off like a racehorse again. There was an underground mall (I later found out it was the largest underground mall in Asia!) coming up, and she dragged me right into another crowd. I couldn't see much, as I am short for a Caucasian but average for an Asian, all I could feel was her firm grip and the bodies of strangers being knocked back by my clumsy attempts to dodge children and pregnant women (I figured the rest could fend for themselves!). We went up an escalator, and there was the bus terminal. She brought me to the main window at first, but I indicated I needed to go to "information." She took me over there (even though it was clearly marked) and talked to the lady. She got me in the right line, and I got my ticket. I thanked her profusely, and she vanished back into the crowd.

The lady at the window spoke excellent English, or so it would seem. I showed her the name (in English ) of the town I wanted, and she handed me a ticket. She confirmed the gate number with me, but the name of the town on the ticket was GWANGJU. I noted this only after I had left the line. Now, one of the other possible destinations I was toying with was GWANJU, but decided against it because it will be too hot, and it is also a little remote. The name of the town I wanted was GYEONGJU. It looks like I will be going to a town that starts with a "g," but I have no idea which one. One is two hours away, and another is four; they are on opposite sides of the penninsula....I guess I can chalk it up to another "movie clip" adventure.

Well, I looked around in the mall a bit; there was a large bookstore which had a reasonable English section. They also, for whatever reason, sold sewing machines in there...I went into a department store called "Shinsegae" which is very "Macy's" - like. There were eleven floors, all connected by escalator; it is a bit of a journey to get down, as I found out.

I got back on the train, as this mall didn't seem to have much to offer, and got of at the COEX Mall. This was my folly. As crowded as the other mall had been, this one had twice the people. Once again, I had to go along with the tide of humanity. The COEX Mall is part of the World Trade Center complex; I believe COEX stands for "country exchange." There were quite a few Western stores and restaurants in this place; I counted two Baskin Robbins, an Outback, a Dunkin' Donuts, a Starbucks, and a 7-11. There were also the staple American clothing brand stores and The Body Shop. I wandered into various clothing sotres, but the merchants all seemed amused when I asked about "big" clothes....One young man helpfully pointed out the T-shirt section to me...in the men's department. I have seen plump Koreans around, dressed like everyone else (usually middle-aged women), so they must be shopping somewhere...Their body-build is similar to mine (short-waisted, and, well, short), so I know I would look well in the fashion lines. I was tempted to pull aside some of these middle-aged mamas to ask where they shopped, but my Korean is still developmental and I didn't know the words to tactfully ask in Korean.

Feelinglike an elephant among the gazelles, I pushed my way through. I noticed I was getting some odd stares (more than usual), and suddenly realized why. Some of my clothes are fitting looser, but I think this is due to my evil washing machine rather than weight-loss; I have to hang dry everything, and knit stretches. Well, apparently the top I was wearing has stretched a bit in the neck....to put it bluntly, my scoop-necked bra was visible at certain moments, and both men and women were looking...I certainly hope the women were looking out of envy; it would make me feel so much bettter after navigating through skinny-person land. I retied my top-tie for modesty's sake, and went on my way.

I passed an eclectic home-decor shop and was immediately arrested by the display. This place was packed, and I could see why. In the front of the store was a mound of pillows. Prominently displayed was a group of anatomically-correct booby-pillows! They were firm but squishy, and had erect rubber nipples fastened on them. Everyone was playing with them and squishing them, young, old, children. No one seemed embarassed or concerned, so I decided not to be. Upon further examination, I found them to be neck pillows; you rest the back of your neck in the clevage. There were also bone pillows, bow tie pillows, and any other thing you can think of in the general shape of a neck pillow, interspersed among the boob pillows.The rest of the store was also very browse-worthy, if a bit mixed up in styles.

In the center of the mall, there is a stage where young hip-hop performers and breakdancers perform. The fist time I went by, there wasn't much going on except some apathetic skinny girls doing a bump-and-grind (not very skillfully), but the second time, there were a couple of quick and acrobatic young men breakdancing and popping with amzing agility, speed, and balance. I have seen quite a bit of breakdancing, but these guys had MOVES. The guy in the red shirt was especially good, not very attractive, but skilled.

I also apparently nearly ran over a Korean celebrity; there were girls and cameras surrounding him, but they were in motion; he just grinned under his sunglasses. He was talking to the group and answering questions. He was snazzily dressed, and seeemed poised and at ease with the crowd. I passed by.

I got to the end of the mall, where there was a movie theater, but couldn't make heads or tails on a) what was playing and b) how to buy tickets, so I headed back. I caught the subway (I had to stand most of the journey) and came home.