Shopping etc: More about Hong Kong

The largest aspects of our Hong Kong experience piggyback on American culture. On several occasions in the past two days, we've had long periods of time dedicated to wandering through markets and shopping centers. Our tour guide, Benny, says that he has noticed that Americans like to shop. It is true, our group has bought loads of souvenirs, clothing, and gifts. However, my experience in the "Chinese" stores has extended beyond the items I've purchased. Spending tons of cash has been an incredible learning experience. Earlier today, we visited a market famous for its size. It's located in a crowded street similar to New York's Time Square. Shop after shop after shop, people are selling and buying every kind of souvenir, clothing, accessory, and toy. As you walk through a row of tiny stores, you're bombarded by shouts of "Hello!" by the shopkeepers and the enticing display of cheap merchandise. I bought some things here and there, and I bartered a bit to get better deals. Afterward, I felt I had gone back to Beijing and truly seen China. Our day took a more modern turn after the market. We visited a massive shopping mall. Reaching a height of 13 stories, this place was also famous for its size. Marisa, Kaitlin and I started from the top floor and looked into each and every store all the way to the bottom. We paid attention to more details than your average passerby. Although you couldn't tell the difference between some mall in America and this one, the foreign nature of the stores became obvious after seeing things like duck-headed mannequins on display. We noticed the ridiculous store names accompanied by ridiculous phrases on the clothing. These phrases are something we've seen throughout the entire trip. The younger generation of Chinese often wear plain t-shirts with English words written plainly on them. It usually doesn't matter the words or phrases, but hey it sure is hip! This produces the sight of hats reading "NO LA" or shirts saying "Bang me" or "The American Mountains" or my personal favorite, "Less think." Things that seem so odd from my perspective, but are growing in popularity in China. Altogether, I believe the fascination with American fashion trends is more evidence of the influence of western culture in Hong Kong.