Uruguayans are darn proud of their shopping malls. I don’t even know how many times I have been asked if I have been to such-and-such shopping center with great sincerity. And interestingly enough the word “shopping” has not been translated. So I hear something like, “Has ido a shopping?”
The malls are hotspots where everyone seems frequent and to rave about amongst one another. In Salto, the Shopping Center (which also doubles as the bus terminal) was the pride of city. In Montevideo the shopping locales seem to garner the same praise. When we visited Florida, the people were trying to convince us that Florida is a great town even though they don’t have a shopping mall. I got the vibe they might be a little embarrassed about the lack of a shopping center in their city, but to be honest, I could care less. What is a shopping mall? Don’t get me wrong—I love shopping. I even love shopping malls, but I’ve never thought of a shopping mall as anything really special. It’s just another place to me, as shopping malls probably are to most Americans.
I think the shopping mall frenzy is reflective many social, economic, and even political factors. For one, the novelty of stores in a centralized location under one roof makes buying goods much more convenient. Shopping at the mall also functions as a way to signal status. The stores in the shopping centers are usually those of higher caliber and so higher price tags. These stores are mostly chains that have stores in multiple locations (abroad and/or within Uruguay)—anything from Zara, Manos de Uruguay, Levi, Nike, To-To, Tienda Montevideo, to Daniel Cassin. Not just anyone can afford to shop at the shopping mall. Also, it seems that the malls are proud displays of modernity.
The buildings often are large, well-designed structures, definitely better than some shopping malls I’ve been to in the States. The atmosphere is also very consumeristic (of course, it’s a shopping mall) which I would argue is close synonym for modernitistic these days. The ability to shop for luxury items on a Friday or Saturday night is not something that Uruguayans were always able to do. Built in 1985,
Montevideo Shopping boasts about being the first shopping center in the Rio de la Plata. It's no coincidence that the dictatorship plaguing the country happened to terminate that same year.
Shopping malls are emblematic of the free society Uruguay is today. At the risk of sounding patronizing, I find the fascination with shopping malls endearing. And at the same time rather troubling…
It's that time of year again. The day that shoppers have been waiting for since last year's day-after-Thanksgiving. The day that true bargain hunters strap on their running shoes to brave the freezing temperatures, bustling crowd, and early-set alarm clocks. It's going to be mayhem in the stores today. Everyone and their uncle has gotta hit the sales.
I am asking myself the question that every laptop buyer must ask themselves in the year 2008. Mac or PC? And the answer isn't as easy as deciding between the old guy in the gray suit or young skinny guy in the commercials. (Although let's be serious, I wouldn't date either).
Went to Gettysburg today. Not to see the battlefield . To go shopping instead. We frequented the The Outlet: Shoppes at Gettysburg. I think we can conclude that collectively we bought the place out. No more merchandise left for any other customers. Gap and Old Navy especially. Sorry sad other-shoppers; should've beat us there.
Look what I found this morning by my car! A dead bird. Gross. I feel so bad for it. It's little feet look so...dead. I must be having some kind of bird saga going on in my front yard. Everyday it's something.
Then I went shopping to find a graduation dress to wear under my robe tomorrow since everything I own clashes with navy blue. I tried every dress on in Kohl's and did not like a one. They were all too patterned or burlap sack-like. Grrrrr. So, I went to Target in desperation, tried on every dress in the store, and loved almost all of them. Hello? I don't think I've ever bought clothes there before. Have I been missing out? I got a cute summer-y blue shift dress.
Yesterday, a group of friends and I went to Tyson's Corner in McLean, Virginia to shop since we didn't have any classes in celebration of Martin Luther King Day! I think that was the biggest mall I have ever been in. It is soooo huge--the biggest shopping center in the Washington DC metroplex. I can't believe I had never been there before when it is only an hour and a half drive away. The stores are nice; it is more upscale than the good ole' Chambersburg Mall. They have H&M, my fav. (even though I purchased nothing there). I showed self-restrait, yes I did.
One last post on Atlantic City. There was a parade that took up one side of the street while cars continued driving on the other side. That was something I've never seen before. We walked up and down the boardwalk even though it was chilly. We also went shopping on black Friday, as tradition goes. Didn't really find any killer deals though.
Caesar's Palace was definitely the most impressive resort/ casino in Atlantic City. the Pier Shops are pretty cool, not like I could afford to buy anything there though. And we went to see a show that was actually a lot of fun. The Duprees. The senior Miss America party was there and a lot of drunk old ladies were throwing themselves at the singers. It was hilarious. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
