The SM City Experience

Follow my blog with bloglovin

I have been to a lot of shopping malls back home and I was thinking the same thing when I got to the Philippines. In Chicago, we have one of the biggest malls in the USA, but when I went to the Mall of Asia (check previous entry), all those things I thought I knew went out the window. I was at the SM City Baguio for all the times that I was there. It was crowded every day. Families, groups of people, teenagers and kids roam through the mall every day. People would come to eat, shop, or hang around after school. It is more like of a family experience. In the states, you would shop, get something to eat and then leave but not hang around for the whole time. That is one difference I see that makes the malls in the Philippines different from anything else I went to. I was mostly at the SM City in Baguio to get anything to eat, shop or take a break away from our quarters. With the wedding a couple of weeks away, it was getting into a routine.

The SM City in Baguio is not the biggest one in the world or in the Philippines but it was mostly unique since Baguio is on a high elevation and a mountainous area. This is the only mall that doesn't have Air conditioning and the third floor has plenty of light that makes unique to the other SM City malls. This is one of my favorite places to go.

On the top floor overlooking the fence, you can see Baguio and all it's beauty. It was one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen and the one that really sets your mind into somewhere else. 

The mall has everything. Everything with the wedding we got it here. Photography, barongs, clothes, shoes and everything that you can imagine that you don't really get at the malls back in the states. That is one thing I really enjoy when I am in the Philippines is the malls and there is nothing like it.

Sea Of People

On the way from NAIA, I was in the front seat of the taxi. Looking around I see a mixture of slums and small stores along the side of the street. This is not America. I was just in awe of people and how they living. I feel bad because I felt they deserve something better. We stopped at a stoplight and a little boy was knocking on the window. My mom was shocked and she asked my wife. She felt really bad for those people have to beg just to get by in life.

The Globe at the Mall Of Asia from one of the entrances

A lot of people were outside on this sunny day in Pasay City. I was not sure when were are going at this time. I didn't want to think too much during my stay knowing it would not do me good. Out of NAIA, we hit a couple of streets and back to the EDSA where it ends. Welcome to the Mall Of Asia. I knew what I might be getting into since a lot of people been telling me this mall is huge. I never expect what I saw. Security at the entrances and a sea of people. Everywhere! I couldn't believe it. I was bumping into everyone due to my big skeletion frame. Could you say Tabachingching?

Looking around, they do have a lot of stores that we have here in America. Same as with food. Jolibee comes to mind and it was packed so we couldn't eat there. We stopped at restaurant on one end of the mall (I forgot the name already). My mom just had soup since she was nervous what to eat. The restaurant was packed and I was just being observent of what was going around me. Teenagers with their cameras, a big group of people, a family get-togethers where what I was noticing. Being here not only means to eat, it is to get together with friends and family.

After lunch we stopped at the other end of the mall to get food. I used to work at a grocery store so I thought it would be interesting. Everything was crammed. People are in aisles getting the products of what to get. Everything is smaller even the packaging. One thing that I had to get used to is having a lot of patience and this was no exception. After getting the food, we were keeping in touch to see if the van is ready to go since it will take 6 hours to get to Baguio. So we wait outside.

After some hours, we get word that it will be fixed. But for how long? Looking back on it, I wished I would looked around the mall more. We didn't know if it was going to be fixed right away so we better stay close. We stayed outside for a long time even after 6PM, and then it rained. Really hard. Raining in buckets. There was a lot of miscommunication going on by at this point when they are going to show up. Are they going to show up at the front or someone else? We were not sure so after all the communication going on, we finally found out they were right back to the IMAX theatre. They apparently got it fixed and we were ready to go to Baguio. We met up with my wife's brother and the driver and we were on our way. Or were we? At this time it was 8:30PM.

Arriving at NAIA

June 20, 2010.

This day, I arrived in the Philippines when me, my wife and mom arrived at NAIA Terminal 1. It was like a dream. Here I am being at place that I am waiting a long time for. First thoughts arriving at Terminal 1 was, “Wow. It is a old terminal.” The facilities have been outdated. I was nervous going through the immigration officer. I have been told by some of my Filipino friends about some that you don’t need to get a visa. Since I have been staying 27 there, I decided to take a chance. I got information stating that if you marry a Filipina, you don’t need a visa. Since I have been married for over a year at the time, I felt it will be okay. However that was not the case. They only allowed me to stay until July 11th. My flight out was July 16th. This caused a snag. I would have to get a extended stay. Since my wife is from Baguio City, we dragged about going back to Manila to get it settled. I had all these thoughts come in my head wondering what is going to happen. We got our luggage and headed out to the customer pick up area.

The weather was hot and very humid. More humid than a typical summer day in Chicago. We are expecting my wife’s brother to pick us up. It was 11:30 AM by this time and my wife was expecting him at Noon. Despite it is Fathers Day, everybody is outside and I must of know that traffic is bad. After 4 hours of waiting in the heat and my socks are soaking with the humidity, he finally arrived. We got all of our luggage in the van and we are all set to go. However we found out there was another problem: the car overheated and would not start. They had to get it fixed and the van had to stay at the airport. Unsure what to do, one of them have to stay with the van while the driver has to get the parts to fix it. After my wife and her brother talked about what to do, it was decided to take us somewhere until the vehicle gets fixed. So me, my wife, my mom and Koby took a taxi and headed to the Mall of Asia. My adventure was just beginning.