Surprises at the Mall

I had to take the car to the shop today ($800 repair, covered by the warranty: thank god for a consumer economy) and occupied myself during the repair by making the short trip over to Burnsville Center. Apart from having dinner at the Mall of America with a blog friend a while ago, this was my first visit to a real mall (note: the “Faribo West Mall” in Faribault does not count), and I felt a little bit like the hick in the big city. A few surprises:

• The myriad oppotunities for free ear piercing.
• The prominence of lingerie in shop windows.
• The ubiquity of Packers gear.
• The thorough co-branding.
• The law office near the Cinnabon.
• The Somali-based workforce.
• The prevalence of kiosks.
• The prevalence of kiosks selling cell phones, sunglasses and accessories, and dubious-sounding health care “solutions.”
• The sheer number of vending machines, although they only sold Coke and Coke products.
• The high prices.