Black Friday or the Day I Avoid Shopping

I went to the One of a Kind Christmas Show this afternoon and saw a lot of cool stuff. And a lot more people. It was actually a pleasant experience, reminding me of the events I used to go in Japan. Oh, how time flies.
Anyway, I was in a pretty big crowd amidst a lot of stuff, but it was controlled and calm, people were enjoying their time.

So today is Black Friday. Hell, I love a good sale as much as the next person, but I don't deal well with crowds. Definitely not the chaotic, adrenaline-pumping Black Friday event that I've been told about and warned about in the news. To try and shop amidst a huge crowd of other determined shoppers sounds tiring and horrific. The mild claustrophobia and obsession with personal space really doesn't help.

But actually, this Black Friday shenanigan reminds me very much of what happens at New Year's in Japan (well, technically a few days after New Years when the stores open). I've never participated in the hatsu-uri (first sale) events and fukubukuro (blind bag) sales, but judging from the news footage I'd see every year, Black Friday seems very much like it. I mean, the shoppers there are so determined. Lining up in front of the store at early morning-level of focused.
I never really could keep up with that sort of spirit... I'm more of a "walk around the mall alone for 3 hours to compare prices and end up not buying anything" type of shopper.

The point is, this kind of shopping event is a high-stress deal regardless of country. And I like to stay away from it.

(And no, online shopping is not an option for me. I still feel mildly uncomfortable with online shopping, for some strange reason.)