Lotte Mart Finds

Date: February

I have gotten in the habit of taking my camera everywhere because one never knows when you will see something that is worth a photo over here in Korea.  Well, the last place I expected to have so many random photos from a department store.  Basically every other time I go into Lotte Mart I end up finding something that makes me laugh, tilt my head in puzzlement, and/or say, "Oh Korea..."

Here are some of the random things I have found recently:

A Pair of Padded Underwear.  Don't have the curves?  Don't worry!  You can enhance your figure by slipping on these!  I know woman have been padding their busts for quiet some time, but I have not seen padded underwear.  Also, these weren't hidden in some remote corner of the store; they were in the middle of underwear section, right in plain view.  And there were a few different shapes, styles, and colors to choose from.  Which all lends me to believe that these are a common part of some lady's waredrobe.  And that just made me laugh...Poor boys!

Horoscope Socks.  Feeling like you need a boost?  Just read your horoscope on your feet!

This poor kitty.  She has been shaved, except for her tail and paws--which have been dyed.  She originally all white.  But now she has brown socks and her tail reminds me of some sort of feather duster.  On top of the indignantly of that, she has make-up on---her checks have been dyed magenta so it looks like she has blush on.  And finally, she has the name "JULIAN" written in bright yellow down her back.   This little girl can't get a break!  In the cage next to her is an all-natural black cat.  My response: "If you are a cat in Korea you can tell if God Loves you by what color you were born. Black--you are safe from the coloring habit that is a Vet's Hobby.  God loves you.  White--well, God might not love you so much..."

And the creme de la creme:

A mini toilet!

To use:  take out the plastic bag.  Unroll.  Use the bag--see the liquid falling into the cup?  Alright, next: seal (somehow).  Then you can carry it until you can find a place to throw away. But where you throw away some such thing I have no idea.  

You can use this when you are on a long car ride, flying in a plane (Because they don't have toilets... ?) on a boat, camping, if you are wheelchair bond and lastly if you need to go to a hospital.  I think the hospital one might make sense because they take urine samples for EVERYTHING--but I don't know if you "liquid" needs to be fresh for those samples so maybe that isn't what they are trying to say.

You can get 3 Mini Toilets To Go for 4,800 won (roughly just under $5).  And you just keep them in your purse (if you are a girl, at least...? Although, I hope you have good aim if you are a girl...) or your back pocket--for guys (because you know guys carry those kind of things in one's back pocket)....

I should probably mention that portable toilets are good idea.  I don't know what it is with men, but in 5 months that I've been here I've seen 3 men urinate in public.  A construction worker and two men who are a little too drunk--just urinating on the side of a building, kinda down an alleyway--but only life 5 ft, nothing I would remotely call "hidden" or "private."  I don't get it.  I don't understand it.  I think it is gross.  But I have seen it and I have heard stories from people from Seoul saying that they've seem people in crowds drop drawers and "take a dump" in the middle of a crowded sidewalk.

So, if that is the case--then these Mini Toilets are a blessing.  Doesn't mean I didn't laugh until my sides ached when I found these.

Keep checking back!  I'll have more finds coming!