I couldn’t possibly mention our trip to Korea without taking a look at consumerism.  I didn’t think it was possible to be more obsessed with shopping than the Japanese are, but obviously I hadn’t yet been to Korea.  Modern day Seoul begins and ends with Lotte World.  A paradise/hell ugly monstrosity/beautifully beckoning multi-layer/zillion storied world of shopping/spending money/eating and delighting in the modern day refuse of our object-obsessed world.  I have heard that the Lotte family is the Korean equivalent to the Rockerfellers, the modern day monarchs.  Even Japan, a country that loathes imports, has a Lotteria hamburg joint at every train station, and various Lotte cosmetics, candies etc. widely available for sale.  Surprisingly enough for me, I couldn’t stand too long in the mall.  It was in this particular establishement, that I finally realized that shopping is a windowless experience, generally devoid of oxygen.  We soon made our way outside to check out the amusement park section of the mall before heading on our merry way.

But not all Korean shopping was as revolting as the apex of it all.  I found plenty of smaller Lotte knock-off building/mall places, equally airless, but somehow less daunting.  Still bigger and more packed with merchandise than any Canadian contraption.  Now looking at things from a human-interest perspective, the sheer abundance of merchandise is a most abhorrent thing.  Certainly those slaving away at the sewing machines and scissors of Korea, China, Taiwan see none of the Lotte-style profit the sales generate.  All those places many North Americans only know through clothing labels:  MADE IN TAIWAN.  “Mommy, why is everything made in Taiwan?  Where is Taiwan?”  Of course since the 80s the Rising Dragons of this continent, have developed bigger groups of middle-class consumers and a thrill for purchasing that could challenge that of a Yank any day.

“Fashion is a bizarre mistress.”  Liza Dalby, The Tale of Murasaki.
 

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