Pinoy Characters You Meet at the Mall

When was the last time you went to the mall? Was it yesterday? Last week? Pinoys flock the malls to shop, dine in restaurants, meet up with friends and family, do grocery shopping, pay the bills, or just to simply hang out.  As a frequent mall-goer myself (because of the 5-minute walk to reach the mall) I have observed a bunch of characters who go in and out of these huge, air-conditioned establishments.  And here are some of the few I often catch while malling.  See if you spot them the next time you’re there.

The lovebirds are the college sweethearts.  One could easily spot them simply by the young lass’ college uniform and she would then be holding-hands-while-walking (HHWW) with her young escort.  Funny how the young escort proudly carries his girlfriend’s pink-floral-studded-with crystals shoulder bag or purse on his shoulders.  They are oblivious to the busyness of the mall and walk as though time is slowing down for them.  If you are in hurry, better overtake these two as they could cause mall traffic.

This group usually comes with an entire entourage of yayas and drivers/bodyguards. The signature-outfit-clad mom with aviator shades resting on her head would be strutting like a model while the yayas are busy tending to the whims of the toddlers strapped in their expensive Maclaren strollers.  From the mom’s outfit alone, her LV bag, her Charles and Keith sandals and the latest smartphone on hand,  you would know she belongs to the upper or upper middle class of the society.  Meanwhile, her husband would usually walk far behind his brood as he speaks loudly on his smartphone too.

Whether the mall is owned by the Spanish-mestizo clan or the Chinese tycoon, malls would never be without the hurried mom.  She is a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) or a WAHM (work-at-home-mom) who after dropping her kids to school would rush to the mall to buy groceries, pay the bills, buy kids’ costumes for a school play or simply have coffee with her other SAHM/WAHM amigas. She would either be wearing jeans and a decent shirt or short dress with either flip flops or sneakers with her hair tied in a ponytail.  You also have to keep away from her because she has a schedule to follow and there is no dilly-dallying for this mall rat.

These, to me, are the official mall rats.  They are a group of more than five teenagers you would see slumped on the floor in front of a photography studio or just hanging out at the basement food court.  They are easily spotted not only because of their number but because of their trademark look –oversized jerseys on top of oversized-low-waist trousers accessorized by bull caps worn backwards.  They can loud and rowdy at times which annoys some mall goers too. Mall guards are wary of these groups because of the threat they supposedly pose.

These are just some of the many characters I would meet at the mall.  I am sure there are more interesting characters that are uniquely Pinoy which I am hoping to spot very soon.   Is there any particular mall-goer that I missed? Or perhaps you are the outrageous character inside the mall yourself?