Notes » September 2008

West Edmonton Maul

A visit to West Edmonton Mall revealed that it hasn't changed much since I last saw it, with a couple of notable exceptions.

Dry skin must be a huge problem, because around every corner someone was waiting to accost me with either a manicure service (your cuticles are ghastly!) or the latest in rejuvenating goop.

And in what is clearly a reflection of changing tastes, many store mannequins featured figures I can only surmise were inspired by Jennifer Lopez (or some other star with a similarly large posterior). Those would never work in Hong Kong, as the Chinese build in general leans toward the lithe. Hong Kong women are already being conned into buying underwear to fill out their shape; to match the North American ideal they'd have to get butt implants.

One refreshing change was the indifference of shop staff; it was novel to enter and leave without being serenaded with Halowwelcome and Thankyoubyebye. On the other hand, a lot of the kids were so apathetic it's a wonder the stores stay in business.

The greatest impression made was in my perception of scale. When I lived in Edmonton the mall didn't seem large; I knew the layout, knew where to park, and so would pop in and out: no fuss, no muss.

Two hours in that bastion of wanton consumerism was enough to make me glad Hong Kong lacks the space for a mall that big.

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