Tis the Season

First of all, i have been thinking quite a bit about why countries who drive on the right side of the road move to the left side of store first and countries who drive on the left side move to the right. That doesn't make sense to me, it seems it should be the opposite, like we would be drawn to move the way our native traffic flow does. But it is so true, I subconsciously feel safer going to the left first when I enter a store. It has also been humorous when I am approaching someone on a sidewalk, i mean the pavement, I naturally move to the right to pass and the majority of the time the other person moves to their left. So after a fun little dance, i remember, "oh ya, im in Britain...go to the left." Forming that habit as well as looking to the right first when i cross the road have been very beneficial in avoiding potential collisions.

I have really enjoyed seeing different aspects of America through a non-American perspective. Although I laugh at Jon Stewart trying to explain why a sausage on a stick wrapped in chocolate chip pancake is innovative...at the end of the day, i can't help but wonder why something like that is created in the first place. And i have known what Black Friday is for as long as i can remember, but hearing it removed from American culture in a classroom context makes it sound so ridiculous, which it is. People are killed because we can't wait patiently. Its kinda like when someone tries to explain the plot of the Twilight series to someone who knows nothing about it... "So there's this family of vampires, but they aren't "normal" vampires, they only eat animals..."

Shopping in general make me anxious, I do not enjoy spending money, let alone having to spend time thinking about things I have to spend money on. I think i am a perfect example of an impulsive shopper, i am sucked right into sales that dont really save you anything and buy 1 get 1 offers...even when i dont need something, mostly two of the same somethings.
I worked in a christmas store September-December last year back in Texas. It was a really good opportunity to observe how people shopped. When you would hand them a basket, they would buy more. When things were on sale even a little, they would justify buying more things not on sale. We were suppose to encourage them to look at other decorations that would compliment what they had already picked out, and all they would need is a little nudge and they would just say 'okay, i'll take it all'. I always felt bad using salesmen techniques on them. There is already pressure from the atmosphere and the presence of other shoppers to buy things... the whole experience is just a mind game. If the visual incitement is there, it takes a really disciplined person to not give into the purchase. That is why hand made gifts are so much better. The factor of premeditation is there where in not all, but a large majority of store bought things are impulsive buys.