Korea 2011: A trip to Technomart

My objective in going to Korea was to spend time with Dani.  I had one purchase on the agenda and that was to get a tripod for my camera, specifically a gorilla:

The really nice thing about a gorilla is that you can monkey about with it, so to speak.  All the legs are flexible, so one can wrap them around a lamp post, for example, or angle the camera just the way you want it by bending one or more of the legs into whatever position works.

Dani suggested that we go through to the Technomart at Gangbyeon.  She kindly explained that it was by no means the largest technical shop available, but that it should suffice for my needs.

Again the trusty subway came to our aid.  Here is another map if preferred.  Gangbyeon is on Line 2 - the green line.  When we got there, I almost fainted.  Here is the reason why:

The mall had many floors

This is just one section of one of the floors

For an average mall, kind of like a little one, I was gob-smacked.  The thing about these marts is that basically what happens is that some large corporate obtains the land and puts up a HUGE building.  From then on, smaller companies or entrepreneurs hire space in the building.  The nett effect for the shopper is that there are simply thousands of 'stalls' or small shops, all offering the commodity or commodities that one is looking for.  The choices are positively daunting.  Each 'stall' has its range of goods prominently on display.  In the camera section, for example, each stall had its brand or brands.  Then each stall had cameras, tripods, lenses, sg cards, camera bags, and so on, displayed as if each 'stall' was itself an independent shop.  The choices are quite devastating.  And I was looking for a small gorilla.  And trust me, a gorilla simply was not on display.  They were tucked away amongst the expendable stock somewhere in a drawer in each of the little 'stalls'.  Dani, being Dani and being simply never daunted, avoided all the front stalls, as they traditionally are more expensive as they are first encounter points for the customer.  She then commenced bargaining, whilst I rocked on my heels with my brain reeling.  We walked away from the first stall, and moved on to another where the price was higher.  She bargained them down to a better price, based on the first price she had been given.  My estimation of my little tot shot up quite a bit as I watched her navigate this process.  Woe betide the competition if she ever chooses to go and work in a Corporate :).

With purchase firmly tucked into rucksack, Dani then proposed going to the Olympic Park.  Sure, says me, thinking of a park about the size of maybe the Company Gardens at the top of Cape Town.  See next post.