SM: Where everyday dreams come true

Although I am a self-confessed homebody by nature, I have a mysterious alter ego that simply loves hanging out in the mall.

Blame it on my DNA -- the mallrat gene was embedded in me even before I came to the world (my Mom was shopping when her labor pains started). And as far as my childhood memories go, Sundays always include a morning mass, a hearty meal, and a stroll in the mall. Times may have changed and interests may have matured, but the mall has been a constant -- and our all-time favorite is SM!

My earliest SM visit was when I was 2 years old, to SM Sta. Mesa, which was the newest mall and nearest to our home then. We'd spend almost every weekend there to eat, shop, and entertain ourselves. I'd have the usual kiddie arcades and amusements, but since my parents are moviegoers, it wasn't long before I developed the 'popcorn habit'. My Dad took me to my first movie in the cinema, "The Never Ending Story" (featuring that flying dog), with soft drink and buttered popcorn in tow. I was 3 then, and from my Dad's recollection I gaped in when I saw "the giant TV" and "the huge sofa" -- I was so amazed being in this big room that I was looking around at the people, munching the food (and the eventual toilet trip) instead of watching the movie! It was also in SM Sta. Mesa that I watched my two enduring favorites, "Forrest Gump" and "Now and Then". Back then we sometimes did a 'double feature' -- watching 2 movies in a day! (Tickets only cost around 40 pesos each circa 1996, and a double bill for 3 even gave you change for 300 pesos! Those were the times...) We’d stay until nighttime in the cinemas and we'd leave on the last full show, with an occasional Chicken McNuggets (they were so delicious then) from the McDonald's across SM before we go home.

Venturing further, we would embark on a 'road trip' to the rest of the SM branches: to SM North Edsa, usually after swimming at Grace Village in Quezon City; and SM Megamall which was our second favorite. Our mall adventures reached as far as SM Las Piñas, SM Bacoor and SM Pampanga! We'd hit the road early in the morning, spend the whole day there, and go home at the strike of 8 -- now that's what I call quality time! SMs have become sort-of local tourist spots, don't you think? The farthest I have been was to SM Baguio, which Mom & I visited last summer, and capped it off with a Starbucks Chocolate Chip Frappuccino and a delicious local homemade chicken pie.

One of the most unforgettable incidents I've ever had was when I almost got lost in SM Megamall's food court. I was a precocious 5-year-old, and Dad (who just came back from a construction project in China) and I had just finished our lunch. I went to wash my hands on the drinking fountain while he waited on our table. The distance was about 18 feet, and just when I turned back to return, a couple of maintenance people from opposite directions peddled their steel trolleys in front of me (my height only reached about that of the trolleys’), and after that I got disoriented and couldn't remember the aisle where I was supposed to head to. Where's my Dad?!? I started aimlessly roaming around, panic flushing through me, hoping for a sign of Dad. A woman noticed me walking about and attempted to accompany me and search, but I was too distressed, tilting my head up and ambling distractedly. A few minutes later, I spotted him with a security guard in the premises, walking ahead. Needless to say, all's well that ends well -- but that was the first time I got real scared in my life. To ease the post-tension, Dad treated me to watch my favorite Disney movie, "Aladdin", which I remembered was on its reissue screening. Thank God I haven't gotten lost since!

Now we're not the shopping type, but just about every square inch of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs pyramid we definitely found at SM. We often buy my school supplies, our clothes, medicines, household needs, gifts and the habitual impulsive whimsy at the mall just 'round the corner (SM Manila, which now carries the status of 'the nearest SM mall'). And groceries -- Mom consumes a bulk of her credit card limit on our monthly purchases. And of course, food -- no day-long trip to SM could be sustained without sustenance! Whether fine food, fast food or food court, everything's all yummy to me.

SM has been known to be a family-friendly place -- who else better exemplifies that than with my two folks and I? It has also been a place where milestones are celebrated (we took my grandparents to SM Manila for my grade school graduation feast); a reunion for old times' sake (my balikbayan cousin and I spent her free time with a skating expedition in SM Megamall and recently in SM Mall of Asia); and a regular hangout of the barkada (which my high school/college friends and I have done in various SM malls, notably SM San Lazaro). It also doubles as a refuge from all things dull and dreary (post-exam stress, a bad hair day, or just killing the boredom!)

My favorite hangouts in SM (aside from the cinema, the supermarket and the food court) are: #1) bookstores (especially National Book Store), #2) the Home section in the Department Store, and #3) SM Appliance Center. There’s #1 because I'm a book lover and simply like browsing new and time-tested titles and thingamajigs, and sometimes give in to irresistible cravings. In my opinion a trip to the mall isn't complete without going to the bookstore -- just being there makes me feel right at home. Meanwhile, I chose #2 because I like looking at the cups and saucers and the cookery, as part of my frustrated ambition to become a chef. Or go to the linen section, and touch the beddings & fabrics and fawn over the fluffiness of the pillows (all the while imagining my dream bedroom!) ... and lastly #3 because I like to drop by and view the array of merchandise they have -- the home theater combo, the kitchen showcase, the flat-screen LCDs... oh, if I were a rich girl! An honorable mention would be the computers and gadgets level in the 5th floor of SM Megamall, which I loved going to since I was a kid -- it was a sure way of getting me geared up with technology. I used to gawk at the laptops, and fast-forward 10 years later I'm still gawking (someone help me get a Macbook please!)

One of the great things about SM is that it constantly improves and reinvents itself. On my trip to SM North Edsa's The Block, I immediately loved it upon entering and made it my favorite SM in terms of aesthetics because of its ample lighting and spacious interiors (they even have these colorful lounge sofas!). I liked the renovation they did with SM Megamall's Department Store because it made the place more cozy, chic and appealing at the same time. And the SM Mall of Asia does not disappoint -- wide and multifaceted, it took the concept of malls to much greater heights. We went there last New Year's Eve and walked around, took the MOA outdoor tour shuttle (we were lucky!), and walked some more (even if our feet were sore). We haven't conquered the entire MOA complex yet, but we'll get there in time. We loved the open spaces that made the mall akin to a bustling community; and to be able to dine on the stretch beside the bay area on sunset and feel the breeze around you was awesome.

My Mom and her officemates had the opportunity to catch "I Dream", the musical based on the life of SM founder Henry Sy, Sr.; and she relayed the story to us. To think all this sprawling conglomerate started from his sincere vision and have it achieved -- effectively changing the Filipino economy, lifestyle and culture! From that one fulfilled dream yielded the realization of all our dreams. Big or small as they may be, SM has always been there to make our lives easier, better, and much more fun-tastic! Here's to another 50 years!