A guide to surviving malls, based on an afternoon in SM Mall of Asia, Manila

Like me, you think you are used to malls, indulging in therapy window shopping and even more shocking actual shopping for hours.  Or maybe you just detest shopping, and unfortunately I cannot relate. Whether a destination or a living hell, a mall tests your surviving skills.

When someone at work suggested I visit this landmark of consumerism, SM Mall of Asia , in the promise of great food and halo halo, I easily got honey trapped. Here are the lessons learned from that Sunday casual 3h visit.

1-It is always useful to find something to get, to pretext a visit to the mall and justify your guilty conscience. For example, I had to get gifts for family and friends, and wanted to taste the famous halo halo from Razon's. 

 2-Get an idea of the mall layout to get a vague sense of direction and size. When it is famous for being one of the 10 biggest malls in the world, it is best to prepare mentally.

3-Schedule your visit wisely. It may be to avoid traffic, rush hours at the food court, or to grab special sales, or to catch the sunset on the bay. Arriving the mall at noon like me was useful in finding shops empty and getting to browse without a crowd. However it was impossible to grab a drink or a bite until 3PM.

4-Find an information booth to grab a map of the amusement park facilities. If you are a planner, you can print it home and even mark down the shops you need to visit. If you are like me, you end up queuing for the fancy touchscreen maps and wandering thrice though the same places.
5-Localize the bathrooms. They are a good source of tissue and a venue for interesting happenings. I saw 2 ladies completely soaping up their faces to have a proper face wash in the bathroom, no doubt after participating in a costumed parade, monopolizing the sink, while dozens of women were queuing for the toilet and waiting to wash their hands.
6-Don't forget to indulge in pampering. Every mall I visited so far in Manila (Greenbelt, Glorietta, The Landmark) actually had their layout smartly organized by activity: shopping for clothes, books, shoes, luggage, electronics; food courts; pampering (massage, nails, cosmetics); cinemas;ice rinks; There is also always an area to drop the kids off before doing errands.


Bonus - Stop for a drink and watch the show. There is always some entertainment in malls: fashion shows, product placements, etc...It is a good opportunity to people watch and gossip, or try to learn the local body language and customs. Besides, one needs to hydrate and rest, while missing the comfort of your own bed.

Before you add up your bills* and face the harsh reality, there is always a poolside doze

Poolside

*if you had a shopping list, good for you. You probably bought more than expected anyway. It is not on the survival guide because it never worked on me.

Intramuros, a hot walk though Spanish heritage

On my first Saturday in Manila, after a week of evening shift finishing at midnight, I was glad to see the sun again and enjoy the daylight on my skin. Waking up early to be at the local community market at 7:30am was surprisingly easy. I ogled the street food being cooked (meat on sticks, fresh seafood, all sorts of stews, ...), and bought some overpriced vegetables and yummy rice cakes for munching. I didn't stay long as I had to do laundry before breakfast. Luckily I could just dump the clothes in the machines and swim laps for simultaneous dirt cleaning and fat burning.

After a good breakfast/brunch, a laze around the bed, it was time to head for the Intramuros area. On the map it looked like crossing the whole metropolis from east to West. So I registered with uber, upon recommendation from work, and checked out the fares. I was pleasantly surprised as a 45min ride would be about 300PHP for a private car, and 192PHP for a shared car. Being on my own, I felt it would be a good opportunity to meet new people...And so after leaving the hotel with the blessings of the debonair security guard, I rode through large avenues, small shortcuts between private houses, questionable areas, to end up in a huge traffic jam on a big avenue leading to the old quarters of intramuros. My main reason for visiting was the Manila Design week that featured some events in Intramuros area, around Plaza de Roma.

Manila cathedral

Jeepney in front of cathedral

I was dropped off at the Plaza de Roma, in front of the Manila Cathedral (after a mini karaoke session in the car), and was welcomed by the heavy heat of midday sun. An umbrella/parasol and a mini towel are very necessary accessories when walking around. I am amazed how ladies maintain their make up outside. There were not many booths on the Plaza de Roma so I visited the cathedral briefly, mainly to rest form the heat, and walked 2 blocks behind the cathedral before giving up. There was just no shade to walk about. I should have joined an electric cart tour but I felt it was touristy.

Intramuros street

Casa Manila

To shake off the feeling, I entered Casa Manila and browsed the souvenir shops for postcards. When my clothes dried I ventured out again, looking for a cab to return to the safety of Glorietta mall, not too far from the hotel. The cab asked for 350PHP because of traffic and started being chatty and showed me places. Upon arrival at the mall entrance, he asked me for more money for his 'services'. Shocked I generously gave him 20PHP more and learned my lesson.

I entered the dizzying mall and was sucked into its consumerism: found lunchboxes in Daiso, got casual pants in Uniqlo, and shoes at Sebago, energized by a normal size strawberry lemonade. Finally I made my way through The Landmark mall where I got groceries before crossing to Greenbelt mall and finally a warm sticky walk to the hotel. All in all, a very useful day that drained me of all my water and energy.

View from the Greenbelt pathway, into the park

Mabuhay!!! a safe landing in terra incognita

It was hinted more than 6 months ago, and the prospect was dangling like a sweet carrot in front of me, without real dates and details. Then suddenly it was confirmed for a duration of 2 months!! A travel duty in Manila!

I had about a month to get used to the idea, do the necessary paperwork (security training, plane tickets, visas) and prepare the logistics of my absence. Add in the stress of looking like a local, but not knowing the language, not knowing anyone locally and not being able to establish any social circle before landing, and I became a bundle of knots and nerves.

On D-day, I managed not to be too stressed and forgot only my eyeglasses, unwilling to face reality yet. Checking the weather at destination revealed typhoon Karen was about to make its landing and affect the Manila area. Nothing was mentioned at the airport so I blindly trusted the pilot and air controllers and boarded the plane. After an uneventful 5h flight to Doha, I then walked the long shopping corridor of duty-free shops in Doha to board the 8h30 flight to Manila, stuck between 2 big men, one with questionable odor, and the other with a passion reciting religious verses out loud...Luckily there were good movies to distract me from my neighbors.

I was wearing my winter coat in the plane, and it quickly became cumbersome upon landing in Manila. The heat and humidity did not surprise me so much as it was 5PM and the sky was cloudy. After a health control checkpoint (filling in a form and giving it to a lady), the queue through immigration was fast despite being very crowded. I finally realized that my visa stated I would be in the country as 'foreign government official'...not sure I like the sound of that!

With my 2 suitcases, big cabin luggage and winter coat on a trolley, I eagerly exited the airport looking for my taxi booth. I crossed back and forth the road in front of the main exit, looking for the booth, to eventaully find it and able to dry my sweaty t-shirt in the comfort of aircon.

Airport transfer to the hotel had been arranged and paid for. All I needed to do was see a strangely familiar landscape of shacks, traffic jams (on a Sunday afternoon), followed by luxurious high rises. Local colours were added by colourful Jeepneys, and sidecar motorbikes that can rival any rickshaw in other parts of the world. It took about 30-40min drive to the hotel. And I was greeted by a big German shepherd and its handler, sniffing me and my luggage (the dog, not the handler), discharged of all my luggage and accompanied to reception to fill in all the information that one uses on the internet. The young receptionist then guided me to the elevator to bring me to my room and home of the next 2 months. I then realized the common areas, except the lobby, did not have AC.

So when this young man opened the door to the serviced room, a breath of very fresh air welcomed me into a very big 1-bedroom flat (double the size of my rented studio). I was way above ground, too high according to the security recommendation of 2 to 7th floor, but the feeling of height was grand.

I could get used to this..Mabuhay indeed.