The other thing you do when you go home is shop. When you live in Asia and are a man of my...ahem...stature, a trip back to the land of the large every couple of years is necessary. That and the fact that I have big-ass feet means that I can't find shoes that fit in Asia. So, I got to California and hit all the hot spots: Walmart, Target, Sears and stocked up on enough of the necessities to last me until my next adventure to, as my buddy Ian calls it, "The Land of the Great PX." It really is shocking to shop in America. I'm in awe every time I go back to visit a supermarket, wandering down the cereal aisle or staring, mouth agape and drooling, at the ridiculous number of choices in the cheese section. I simply can't imagine how someone from a country not known for its abundance feels when they first step into these hallowed halls of excess. It must be mind boggling.
Now, personally, I don't like to shop. I go shopping, especially for clothes, out of necessity and try to get it over with as quickly as possible. Rebecca, on the other hand, LOVES to shop. During our stay I think we hit just about every mall between San Francisco and Oregon border. Fortunately for me, Rebecca understands my aversion to shopping and, rather than listen to me sigh heavily every time she wants to try something on or wants to venture into just one more store, usually parks me and a book in a nearby coffee shop or pub while she peruses the merchandise. Our greatest adventure was in the search for everything Coach. Coach products seem to be very popular among Rebecca's circle of friends but are much more expensive in Taiwan than they are in the States. Thus, Rebecca and I hit every Macy's, Coach store and outlet we could find looking for deals on bags and wallets requested by friends and family. I somehow came out of this the proud owner of a Macy's card which I will probably never use again. I'm not sure how many bags we came back with, but it was a lot.
All in all, it was a great trip. I got to spend some quality time with my mom, and with my sister, I ate a ton of great food - I made my pilgrimage to Los Hermanos; the home of the world's best burrito, and got a lot of new clothes. Good times!
Photos to follow.
No comments:
Post a Comment