The New Beachhutman Blog

After my shelf buying expotition* the other day, I went out to see what the local department store might have by way of woolly hats. I drew a blank again, but did spend an enjoyable ( in a wierd sort of way) hour in Ito Yokado.

Sharper  minds among you, unbefuddled with Xmas cheer, may notice that ITO YOKADO does not sound Chinese. It is in fact Japponese* (*I DO know)

However, it is one of the big stores here, and is in some ways very Chinese. The groceries, the clothes sizes, the huge arrays of small domestic electical appliances, the over staffing. In other ways it seems to be strangely, well, anti-shopper. They hve a payment system there designed to frustrate the keenest shopper, as it is quite impossible, even in the pre-Christmas sales as at present, to pick up an item, take it to the cash desk, pay, and go. No. First you find an assistant. Then the assistant writes you a ticket. Then you go and find somehere to pay. They give you the stamped ticket back. Then you go and find the shop assistant, who has (theoretically) been waiting for you. The the assistant wraps the goods, and you go.

(I dirgress. It's what i do. How the hell do you think I can get to 30,00 words for a publisher WITHOUT digressing?)

Anyway. 

I noted the following.

1. Chinese shop girls do not naturally take to Santa hats. It's something in the bone structure. It is, rather, wierd. I refrain from mentioning the Santa in the household linens section.......

2. And I also noticed the music. While I was there I heard:

Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem, We three kings,  Deck the halls, and Adestes Fideles, as well as Santa claus is coming to town.

Makes you think.