We headed to the enormous SM Megamall this morning with two objectives:
1- to get grocery items that were at critical levels: diapers, toilet paper and… mangos (we are in the Philippines!) (And yes, there is a grocery store in the mall. It’s a thing!)
2- to possibly hunt down a new stroller (cause our current stroller is a nightmare)
Before leaving, we checked online to see what baby gear options the SM had. There were a couple of stores that came up, but they seemed to specialize in clothing… We figured we’d go look, no harm in that since we were going to be there anyway.
So, we put Logan in the *nightmare* stroller and we walked the quarter mile to SM (the image above is the SM, taken from our building). Unfortunately, Manila isn’t terribly stroller (or wheelchair) friendly. So this wasn’t quite as simple as it sounds. At one point, we walked down a ramp (with a picture of a wheelchair on it) that led to… a set of stairs… and that was the only way forward… Obviously, the ADA doesn’t exist here (American’s with Disabilities Act). So, we had to contend with a few staircases, but all was well. And the kids enjoyed walking with an umbrella, like the Pilipinos.
We arrived and serendipitously walked by a store called The Baby Company. (How that didn’t show up on our online search, I will never know.) Strollers of every kind lined the perimeter of the store. Perfect. As soon as we walked in, we were descended upon by (literally) a half dozen starched, pressed, uniformed workers.
I am quickly learning that retail is a whole different beast here! In the US, we tend to value our independence. And if we want help, we will seek you out and ask you for it, thank you very much. Here, you aren’t left alone for a second. There are always one or two (or in our case, six) people that will help you with everything and pressure encourage you to buy everything (it is commission-based). But they are so friendly and accommodating about coercing you that you feel like they’re doing it out of the goodness of their hearts! Sidenote: at the grocery store (!), a worker helped me select shampoo (!) based on my hair needs. (Fonna and I settled on the Dove Intense Repair, in case you were wondering. Ok. I don’t remember what her name was…)
Plus, everyone calls me Ma’am. And they call Jonathan Sir. I think it’s adorable! And it might be giving me a slightly inflated head…but, whatever.
Eventually, we settled on a stroller. But wait, there’s more! They were running a promotion, and we were given a large toy (see image below, child included for scale) for our purchase of a stroller. But wait, there’s more! We also found out we could get a ‘Mom card,’ for 100 pesos ($2.00). But wait, there’s more! The Mom Card came with a swag bag! But wait, there’s more: “You get to keep the box, ma’am!!”…. “Oh!….Great!!” (she seemed so pleased to tell me that….what am I missing? is that a special perk of this store?)
In the end, we walked out with the following items we didn’t walk in with:
*A stroller (the only item we had bargained on)
*The stroller box, collapsed, neatly taped, wrapped in twine for easy carrying.
*A large toy (in box, also wrapped in twine for easy carrying)
*A swag bag which contained, all of the items seen below (plus a few that were absconded with, such as a mug, a notebook, a small puzzle, and an outfit …. (The ‘Mom Card’ was actually a good deal. Plus. I can tell people I have a ‘Mom Card’.)
At this point, we had not yet gone to the grocery store…. To be Continued. I can just see you throwing your hands in the air, in despair. But, you can do this! Hang in there while I get the next installment put into words…many words.
Sincerely,
Jill aka Ma’am (a certified carrier of the Mom Card)
