Today, we went to the mall to use a $10 coupon from J_ that DW got but had no use for, so I could get some new underwear (two pairs from 13 to 9.75 minus the coupon). We rarely go to the mall and I was, I wouldn’t say overwhelmed, but maybe rather impressed by all the stuff one can buy there. It was like walking into a normal middle-class home, but instead of one of each conceivable piece of clothing and gadget one could think of there was 10 of each, and they had price tags on them. Now I know what an anthropologist must feel like when they do field-studies.

DW used her store card to get them to keep sending us coupons, which resulted in the following ironic conversation.

J: It’s funny, so you just give someone a piece of plastic and you can get stuff?
DW: Yes, wanna go get some more?
J: I can get everything I want with a card like that?
DW: Everything you want!
J: Might be a problem; I don’t really think they have very much that I want.

Hopefully, we weren’t too loud to disturb the harmony of the other shoppers with our scientific discussions which must have come across as a lack of faith. The natives seemed so content, almost religious, getting stuff and bringing it back to their houses.

It was a strange experience.