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!