Ah, Asia. Where men are men and women hang on cars so men can take pictures of them (cars or women - you make the call on what I meant).
Having been to the Detroit International Auto Show many times over the past several years, I thought I knew what to expect when I was asked if I wanted to go with some coworkers to the Seoul Motor Show. Cars. Lots and lots of cars. Maybe a few motorcycles. A bunch of trucks. I had no idea how much I misunderstood the concept.
Half-way to the show, I got a clue. "I went on the web last night and checked out lots of the racer girls" said one of my companions as we drove from work to the Kintex Exhibition Hall. "Racer girls?" I asked, "What races do they drive in?" Laughter was my response (something you get used to here as an expat). "I know exactly which manufacturers I need to go to," my companion states after the laughter dies down. Hmmm...that makes more sense. We did after all have some competitive vehicles we were needing to look at. Still, racer girls?
Anyway, as we walked in from the parking lot I began to think people in Korea were much more interested in cars than those in the US. The camera gear being carried by the almost all male crowd was impressive (yet a little voice in my head went off as I noted this and thought of the "racer girl" comment). Guys with camera bags full of monster lenses and expensive digital camera gear jostled past. Then we are through the door and all my questions were answered. This show wasn't so much about the cars and sleek and sexy was not describing sheet metal here. Every car maker selling any transportation contraption in Korea had a large display. And for every car or motorcycle or scooter or bus or dump truck was....a racer girl.
Just think Hawaiian Tropic bikini model and you've got the idea. Flash bulbs going off everywhere, guys posing with the girls in front of whatever product was being pushed. In fact, I had no idea there were so many people eager to own a bus, but the models, er racer girls there got just as many pictures taken as the ones at the VW and GM displays.
My colleagues zipped off to nab snapshots with their pre-selected models. I wandered about with BH Cho who works for me, and took a couple of photos of him with the models, which he appreciated. Now, I'm not complaining about any of this (sorry Nancy). I'm as human as the next guy. But we never did get to look at those competitive cars we came to see. The girls were in the way and every time we tried to get a picture they hustled over and made us take a picture with them in it. I swear it's true! Just look at the pictures below. Any photos without girls in them? I rest my case.
FYI... there was one young lady from work along with us on this junket. Her take...eye's rolling at the her co-workers behavior, "my only problem is there are hardly any guy models." Welcome to Korea.
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Seoul Motor Show 2007
