shopping adventures...

I have to say that American shopping looks very different to me after being away from it for so long. The stores are HUGE and prices unbelieveably LOW and I am going to have no problem filling my extra suitcase.

The day after Thanksgiving in America is called Black Friday. People wait in line for stores to open at 4 or 5 am -- this year I even heard stories of midnight opening times -- where people race around, often tearing the store apart to gobble up sale items. Some of the prices seem great, others seem average. I didn't participate in this event suspecting that it might lead to some reverse culture shock.

I did visit Costco, a very very large warehouse store which is in an entirely different realm to NZ's warehouse, and snapped a few photos. While I probably would end up shopping here if I lived in America again (I did before we left), I do not miss this experience much. I did have fun wandering through it with Laura though... as I said, everything is great fun with Laura.

Plus where else in the world would you see displays of pizza boxes in leiu of gingerbread?

Later that night we visited the new IKEA store near the Portland airport. Again, this is an adevnture with someone like Laura. Our mission was simple - find a folding drying rack - but that doesn't preclude us from having fun.

We all need a potato bug chair sometimes.. though Laura's 6 foot frame may require a slightly larger model if she really wants to be able to duck in and out of the conversation unnoticed.

Laura is in awe of a potted wall
and our mission was eventually accomplished. Since this is America after all, the end price, $19.95!
I was excited to see sinks here like the New Zealand ones with drainage zones built in. I just love having these metal extensions to the sink. Even better with a hanging drying rack!
I also like the idea of a roll of butcher paper hanging vertically as a ready to go easel for kid's art. I think that if I hung one at the end of a counter and got on the ground I could eventually remember the joy of painting I knew as a child.
Did I mention that everything is fun with Laura?