How do I love SM? Let me count the 50 ways

It’s funny how, in the middle of  rustic adventure and out-of-town trips,  we still  find a need to touch base with our inner urban  troll.  Time and again, we want to prove that man has indeed conquered the land. That underneath the thin  veneer of civilization is an inherent adventurous spirit that is just raring to be let loose out of the concrete jungle and into the wild  unknown.

Even amid the glorious beauty of nature, surrounded by foliage, majestic mountains and friendly locals, why do I often find myself  straining my eyes  beyond the horizon? With one hand shielding my eyes from the glaring sun, I stand tall and scan my surroundings, much like a pirate checking out treasures and lands to conquer. Until… at last...the familiar blue letters  in the distance proclaim that  we have  found civilization! We are saved!

Okay…okay…I know that’s a bit of an  exaggeration. But to a self-confessed urban junkie, being away from basic creature comforts (like air conditioning, fast foods  and midnight madness sale) is like eating bread without butter,  being like a fish out of water, Juliet without Romeo,  Jack without Jill,  sushi without wasabi,  french  fries without ketchup,  New York without the Empire State Building.  A place without SM malls? How will I survive?

A group of us regularly  go on vacation every year.  This year, we decided to go north, towards Pampanga and Zambales. We wanted to check out the new SCT  (Subic Clark Tarlac) Expressway,  which is supposed  to take only 30 minutes from  Pampanga to Subic. 

Even before we started , we had to make a stop at — where else? — SM Pampanga.    

Suddenly, the girls and I had this burning desire to buy flip-flops of  various colors and designs to bring to Subic. Never mind the fact that the trip was planned weeks in advance and even before the set date, each one of us had been racing in and out of malls (SM Southmall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Mega Mall, SM North Edsa and SM Makati )  buying sunblock and emergency medicine kit  at Watson’s, towels,  kids’ shorts, and shades.  Scooping up canned goods, breads, chips,  and mineral water  at SM Hypermart as though they were going out of style tomorrow.  All the while, my husband was muttering: “I thought we’d  only be gone for two days? The way you’re buying, you’d think we’ll be away for a year and going to some  godforsaken jungle!”

Civilization. Mark Twain defines it as “a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessaries.”

How else can I explain the multiplication of  necessities like  four bags of groceries, several variants of sunblock lotions (hey, they were on sale!),  a month’s supply of clothing, toothpaste, and  shampoo, all of which I ended up with  until I was finally dragged away by my hubby,  kicking and screaming away from the mall,  “Wait, wait! We need more soap!”

Coming back from  exhausting shopping trips at Royal Subic,  Puregold and other  worthy establishments in Subic, our group decided to make one last stopover on the way home. Yep, you guess it — SM Clark!

We jokingly said that we would make it a mission to visit all SM branches from here to China and make it into a sort of  Amazing Race SM or SMashing Race Asia. The mechanics are: race to get clues or do some activities in the different SM branches, arrive at all the designated pit stops and it would culminate into a final stop in China or other SM branches outside the country.

Sometimes I fear that my  daughters Adrienne, Nina and Cheska have already inherited my shopping gene. Whenever my husband has a business meeting they’d tag along and ask to be left alone at Toy Kingdom for hours.  

Indeed, what is it about SM that makes us feel as if we can happily get lost within its lighted  and spacious  corridors?  Why is it that going to the boondocks and out-of-town trips inevitably lead our citified feet back through its glass doors. Clamoring to be enfolded once more, like a long lost daughter,  into the bosom of  its  shopping bliss and sales galore. 

So why do we love SM? Let me count 50 ways.

1. Sheer Convenience. There’s one in every city and soon in every province, I hope.

2. SM Hypermart or SM Supermarket

3. Spacious parking

4. The food court

5. National  Book Store, Booksale and Powerbooks under one roof!

6. The ice skating rink

7. More choices, more brands and labels to choose from

8. Toy Kingdom ( my kids’ favorite hangout)

9. One can combine cardiovascular exercises while shopping and  walking from building A to B.

10. Midnight madness sale

11. The sunset view deck at SM Mall of Asia

12. The free concerts/shows at the atrium or center  mall

13. Pyro Olympics show at MOA

14. The new  bay walk  outside MOA with more restaurants to choose from

15. People strolling with their pets along the bay walk

16. SM Advantage Card privileges

17. French Baker and its delicious cheese roll

18. A la 168 DiviMall at SM Southmall

19. Computers and technology galore in one floor/area

20. Sale at SM Department Store

21. Free ride at MOA

22. The cute train ride for kids

23. Storyland Adventure’s unlimited rides

24. Sitting areas  for  people watching or just for resting

25. Late closing time, especially at SM Hypermart

26. Guaranteed seating at SM cinemas

27. The new bowling alley and billiards at MOA

28. Dining al fresco with friends

29. Sipping latte at Starbucks 

30. Kultura,  where Philippine products are showcased beautifully and proudly

31. Surplus Shop

32. The food tiangge (from sushi to cakes)  outside SM Supermarket Makati

33. Milk shakes, only at McDonalds MOA

34. Security-guard visibility throughout the mall

35. Customer service personnel with their cute yellow sash, who are such big help  in the supermarket

36. SM Bonus products from detergent powder to  chicken

37. Friendly sales personnel in the department store and Toy Kingdom

38. Memories of my  three girls’  birthday celebrations in the various kid-friendly restaurants

39. First  date and various  anniversary dates at different  SM cinemas

40. Buying our first sofa, first TV, first refrigerator at SM Appliance and Home section

41. Shopping trips with my mom and sisters

42. Bringing balikbayan cousins for a one-stop shopping and dining experience

43. Annual foraging for Filipiniana and Halloween costumes

44. Finding all my beauty and health needs at Watsons

45. Christmas rush shopping

46. Killing time  by  browsing and window shopping

47. Shoes, shoes and more shoes

48. Central air-conditioning — a godsend during those hot summer months!

49. Carpark cleaning attendants

50. Three-day  sale, midnight madness sale,  school-opening sale,  summer sale, rainy-day sale.  Heck!  Whatever reason for having a  sale works for me!