Holiday Consumers

as the holidays encroach upon us i am stunned by the difference in commercial marketing that is present within the western world and Asia. i know that the holiday is not as present here as it is at home, or present at least in a different way. Although the large department stores still have a tree greeting you at the front door, and lights are strung along the doorways, there seems to be no apparent change in the way that things are displayed or marketed as they would be in Canada. This could be because it is common practice in stores for sales associates to come up to you as soon as you enter their department and follow you around until you leave, pulling things out of the rack and hovering over you. This is a deterrent for me, and one of the reasons i avoid shopping in Canada during the holidays. This practice seems foolish, it pushes the customers away, well at least it pushes me away! But then as i look around at all of the other busy shoppers, most of whom have a sales associate pinned to their side, carrying their loot, it seems as though they are not bothered by this. Which, makes sense, as it is the norm here. It then dawns on me that perhaps they think it impolite to be left on your own when you enter a store. Koreans are helpful people by nature, especially to foreigners (always a ready chance to practice their minimal English). As i look around i also wonder if this is why the Christmas decorations and marketing is present, but not so in your face. Christmas is typically a western holiday, adopted into many different cultures as a holiday during the year celebrated by Christians as the birth of Jesus. In Korea we are awarded one day off for this holiday December 25th.Although i am not surprised by this i do have concerns on how this holiday will be spent. However im sure it will be wonderful. It is a time to be spent with the people you love and cherish and gives us a little push to appreciate  the things that these people do for us in our daily lives.  I know that this year i will be missing my family and friends and thinking about them, as i often do, being so far away.


So, this year i will not have to battle the crowds in the mall, i will not have to put up with crazy holiday consumers in the games store and i will not have the mass marketed Christmas shoved down my throat. its a refreshing change, but i can only imagine what the already packed shopping centers with swarms of already careless pushing screaming Koreans will turn into when Christmas does come closer. i might just stay out of the way...haha