Shopping at Les Ailes

I just got back from buying a knick-knack at Les Ailes and decided that the whole experience was completely irritating. First of all, finding the escalator that goes in the right direction is a challenge. (I know I already commented on that.) Second, are the gaping idiots who, when they get off the escalator stand right in front of you, not moving, (too busy trying to figure out how to find the next escalator). You have no choice but to walk right into them or shove them out of the way. Then, up on the housewares floor you have someone trying to get you to go into a karioke room. Why one earth do I want to hear myself sing in a department store when all I want to do is scream and get the hell out of there? The guy who was standing there looked like a sleezy goof-ball (very enticing and alluring). The whole thing has an air of being a pseudo IKEA atmosphere with a merry-go-round and a sushi bar. Tres weird in my vary narrow butt-clenched WASP view of the world. Then finally when I did get to where I wanted to go and find the merchandise that I had spotted on my last trip, there was a line up a mile long at the cash and someone is dickering over something. However, some employee did come along and show me to a less busy cash. Only I wind up waiting even longer because some woman is fussing about some towels and the availability of the store catalogue and why isn't she on the mailing list. I finally paid for my purchase using Interac, but of course the keyboard thingy was sticky and my PIN didn't work. All this effort was in the name of a very nice hand-painted glass bowl that I think will look wonderful on my kitchen table. Then the battle to navigate my way out began...I'll spare you the details, I think you already get the picture.

Somehow mail-order and shopping online is alot less annoying and I have been resorting to it alot more lately. So for you die-hard mall rats and shoppers and lovers of flea markets and garage sales I don't know how you do it, but you won't be seeing me pawing and drooling over merchandise if I can possibly help it. Maybe I should move to a lighthouse and have my sack of flour delivered once a year....