I heard that a new mall had opened up near the int…
I heard that a new mall had opened up near the intersection of Fuxing North Road and Civic Blvd, so after I got off work I rode over there to take a look. I’m always skeptical when I hear about a new “mall” opening up in Taiwan, because each and every time it turns out to be a single bank of clothing shops, i.e. not real malls. I don’t even think real malls are feasible for Taiwan in that they seem to be particularly suited to the US and other western nations. Taiwan doesn’t have the rigidly zoned suburbs that sprawl across the United States, therefore malls just don’t make as much sense here. Taiwanese who have seen movies like Clueless, however, seem eager to join what they perceive as high-life indicated by Hollywood-portrayed malls. I don’t understand why they don’t release Mallrats on DVD here, though. That ought to set a few things straight.
The new place in question is called the “Breeze Center”, and at first impression it does indeed feel very mall-like. There are a couple of levels, an open area in the middle, rows of shops, a food court…and yet, upon closer inspection, this impression is false. If it’s any kind of mall at all, it’s a Chick Mall. They were in the midst of a promotion called “Women Christmas”, all the shops were selling female-related items such as clothing and perfumed soap; there was no electronics sections. There wasn’t even any space devoted to menswear or sports stuff. The final insult was the complete and utter lack of men’s bathrooms. There might have been some around somewhere, but I couldn’t find them. Even the signs only indicated the existance of women’s restrooms. Men, with all of their uncouth gestures, filthy habits and useless nipples, are just not welcome at the Breeze Center. I suppose the biggest clue it the name itself: “Breeze” must be the most-often used word in feminine products. So while the Breeze Center may be mall-esque, or even a Chick Mall, it’s still not a real mall. It would seem that we’re still safe in that respect, although I have yet to visit the place over on Civic Blvd near Dongxing Street, the huge building that looks like a scale replica of the Droid Control Ship in Star Wars: Episode I. Dean says that it is clogged with traffic every morning, so who knows? It might just be able to control droids. I still doubt it’s a real mall, though. I plan to abstain from drinking anything for several hours before I go, though, just in case.
I finally got around to updating my “News from the Renegade Province”, with all-new stories. Go have a look.
