Coming home to SM: A balikbayans story - By Rowena Wendy Lei

Tag : Dried Mangoes

My mother is a balikbayan who’s been living in the United States for the past 20 years. She visits us here on a yearly basis,usually in the summer so she can spend time with her grandchildren— my children.
Mom’s homecoming is never complete without several trips toSM. It’s funny because sometimes she’d tell me,“Don’t forget I have to pick some stuff up from K-Mart,okay?” I’d give her a funny look and she’dcorrect herself, “I mean Shoe Mart.” She always refersto SM as Shoe Mart, I guess it’s because that was how it wasmore popularly known when she was still living in Manila . Whenever she thinks of something she wants to check out,she’d always ask, “Do they have that in ShoeMart?” and the answer would most often be a resounding“Yes, they do!”
SM Megamall is Mom’s favorite branch. She claims thateverything she needs, she can get there and nowhere else. Asidefrom being easily accessible from where we live, SM Megamall hasone of the most well-stocked Filipiniana sections we‘ve seen.We troop to the ground floor of department store where barongs,souvenir shirts, native home décor, hankies, table linens,and little things made of wood, capiz, and seashells abound. Mom insists these native knick-knacks make the best gifts for herfriends and acquaintances in the US . She has this thing for Filipino home décor and accessoriessuch as tablecloths, placemats and the like made of jusi orpiña. She’d also get Pinoy treats like dried mangoes,polvoron, and pastillas from Snack Exchange.
It’s almost as if she’s taking back bits of the Philippines with her through these things. I call this our “native shopping trip,” and usuallyit’s just the two of us because the kids get bored after awhile and insist on going to Toy Kingdom instead. It’s one of our major bonding times since weusually end up spending a whole afternoon at SM Megamall.
Since Toy Kingdom is my children’s most favorite place in the world, Mom setsaside a separate day at SM just for them. It’s like Christmas Day when Mom would tell them to pickwhatever they liked and Grandma would buy it for them. The kidsscamper about, trying to decide which toy to buy…theirexcited squeals bringing a smile to Mom’s lips. Aftershopping we’d usually find ourselves walking around the foodcourt getting a little bit of everything from the food stalls— Razon’s halo-halo, an assortment of deliciouspastries from Bread Talk, sushi from Bubble Tea… all thethings that she loves to eat here and can’t buy in theStates.
Just recently Mom discovered the outdoor paluto area at SM Mall ofAsia and she couldn’t get enough of it. We’d pick outfresh seafood, meats and veggies, and have them cooked the way wewant them on the spot. Unlike other similar places, SM Mall ofAsia’s paluto area is spacious, clean, and well-maintained.There’s never a doubt that we’re getting the good stuffhere, so we can really relax and enjoy ourselves. We’ve sincebrought several other relatives and friends from the US there and they’ve all gotten hooked! It’s really a bighit with the balikbayan crowd.
I remember that, when I was a little girl, Mom would take me and myyounger sister to SM to buy school shoes. I feel a sense ofdéjà vu whenever Mom and I go to the shoe sectionwith my children, this time to pick out their shoes and otherthings for school.
Shoe Mart is not just a place to shop for us, it is also arepository of memories. While my sister and I were growing up, wewould run to SM for all our needs. We were so happy every time wewould come home from SM with new things in tow. Now that I have myown family, it’s still SM whenever we need something, and SMwith Mom whenever she’s around.
There really is no place like home.