They were submitted by: On the Border - Thank you, Diane!
These words ask for an easy, breezy, summer vacation post.
As every year though, we're not going on vacation in summer. We don't like the heat, the sand and the crowdedness of beach holidays, so we typically spend our family time away - usually in North America - in the fall. Not happening this year though. We'll be OK doing something in Europe, in Switzerland even.
For now, we're in busy mode. Working at the office and getting sh** done at home, mostly for the youngster. This is what we have been up to within just one week:
With these items checked off, here's what really came to mind when I read the words:
When I was born in early March there was a lot of snow, and my Mom couldn't wait for spring and summer to arrive. She pictured me in my stroller, carefully placed in the shadow of a tree in the garden. As for her, she would make herself comfortable in a deck chair enjoying a book because, so she figured, the rustling of the leaves would cause me to become sleepy and induce my nap.
Never gonna happen, Mom. Lying underneath a tree is so boring. I will be fussy and cry until you'll take me for a walk, I want to meet people and dogs, or better yet, go shopping!
She didn't know this yet, but baby me liked the mall!
Come fall, the very first Swiss shopping mall was going to open close to where my parents lived at that time.
My Mom grew up in Israel, playing outside every day, and finding her way around huge buildings was confusing her.
On the other side she was curious because all her friends told her how cool and fancy it was. Plus she needed something to wear for Dad's upcoming office Christmas party. Her Mom, my Grandma, who usually babysat me, was not available, so she took me along, feeling guilty about bringing a baby to such a crowded place where people were allowed to smoke.
She was gonna be in and out quickly, she promised me - or herself. Not sure.
As soon as we entered the mall, she experienced a gigantic surprise: I was delighted! I was fascinated by the lights, the music, the colors, the people, the buzz - I loved it!
Over the years I was going to come back many times, and as I was still too young to go to the mall alone, oftentimes my Grandma would take me. There's an indoor swimming pool that is part of the shopping center we used to frequent on a rainy day. Mostly though I liked to shop for clothes with her. If I liked an item, she liked it, too and offered to buy it for me, whereas my Mom would have something too nag ;-)
Now I'm the Mom, and I'm taking the shopping mall experience to the next level. We don't care if the weather is too nice to go to the mall. On the contrary, it is one of the rare places in Switzerland that is air conditioned, and I appreciate it so much!
My kid gets to do homework at the mall's Starbucks while I work on my blog posts. As you can see this is an older picture. C just gradudated from 2nd grade back then.
In order to use all of my words, here's a Sunshine Bowl I like to order at Negishi, a Japanese restaurant that unfortunately is not (yet) located at this mall. It's a bowl of ramen noodles, topped with salmon, avocado, cashew nuts, cucumber, pinapple and cantaloupe slices. Delicious, healthy and colorful.
Are you a mall lover? What do you typically do there? Favorite stores? Let me know.
As every year though, we're not going on vacation in summer. We don't like the heat, the sand and the crowdedness of beach holidays, so we typically spend our family time away - usually in North America - in the fall. Not happening this year though. We'll be OK doing something in Europe, in Switzerland even.
For now, we're in busy mode. Working at the office and getting sh** done at home, mostly for the youngster. This is what we have been up to within just one week:
- Dumped 95% of his elementary school exercice books at the recycling center. I applaud his purging mood.
- Went for his annual eye exam.
- Applied for a new passport.
- Got a much needed hair cut (no blow-drying for him though)
- Purchased new skates
- Broke them in, driving two hours per way to the only ice rink that has public ice even in July
With these items checked off, here's what really came to mind when I read the words:
When I was born in early March there was a lot of snow, and my Mom couldn't wait for spring and summer to arrive. She pictured me in my stroller, carefully placed in the shadow of a tree in the garden. As for her, she would make herself comfortable in a deck chair enjoying a book because, so she figured, the rustling of the leaves would cause me to become sleepy and induce my nap.
Never gonna happen, Mom. Lying underneath a tree is so boring. I will be fussy and cry until you'll take me for a walk, I want to meet people and dogs, or better yet, go shopping!
She didn't know this yet, but baby me liked the mall!
Come fall, the very first Swiss shopping mall was going to open close to where my parents lived at that time.
My Mom grew up in Israel, playing outside every day, and finding her way around huge buildings was confusing her.
On the other side she was curious because all her friends told her how cool and fancy it was. Plus she needed something to wear for Dad's upcoming office Christmas party. Her Mom, my Grandma, who usually babysat me, was not available, so she took me along, feeling guilty about bringing a baby to such a crowded place where people were allowed to smoke.
She was gonna be in and out quickly, she promised me - or herself. Not sure.
As soon as we entered the mall, she experienced a gigantic surprise: I was delighted! I was fascinated by the lights, the music, the colors, the people, the buzz - I loved it!
Over the years I was going to come back many times, and as I was still too young to go to the mall alone, oftentimes my Grandma would take me. There's an indoor swimming pool that is part of the shopping center we used to frequent on a rainy day. Mostly though I liked to shop for clothes with her. If I liked an item, she liked it, too and offered to buy it for me, whereas my Mom would have something too nag ;-)
Now I'm the Mom, and I'm taking the shopping mall experience to the next level. We don't care if the weather is too nice to go to the mall. On the contrary, it is one of the rare places in Switzerland that is air conditioned, and I appreciate it so much!
My kid gets to do homework at the mall's Starbucks while I work on my blog posts. As you can see this is an older picture. C just gradudated from 2nd grade back then.
On another day I had the bento box lunch, also yummy. Colin is loyal to his rainbow rolls. Can you believe how grown-up he has become?
Are you a mall lover? What do you typically do there? Favorite stores? Let me know.
Please don't leave before checking out my blogger friends' posts:
I used to love shopping at the mall when the boys were little because there was so much for all of us to see and do there. Now, though, it's rare for me to go in one, and here in the US, many of them are not thriving.
ReplyDeleteI've never been much of a 'shopper'. Husby is, though and he gets a little excited at the thought of going to the mall. I think it's so cute that you were a mall lover at such a tender age! Great use of my words! And now I'm hungry . . .
ReplyDeleteOur malls are just slowly opening again but it definitely will not be the same. Our local mall has been declining in recent years anyway and my kids are all grown so we just go to get what we need. Nicely done post.
ReplyDeleteJanet’s Smiles
Yeah shopping centres here are open and my nephew said they are pretty busy., I haven't been to the shopping centre since March
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not. I hate crowds, but even worse I hate to shop. I usually get my clothes online, actually I get about everything online or my husband goes shopping for it. Especially now, with me being sick. We love to go hiking or mostly just for a drive in the country. We play frisbee golf, fish and swim. We don't like the heat and sand either which is weird since I live in SC. We go to the Smoky Mtns a lot. We take our kids and grand kids to the beach once a year and we enjoy it but that's enough for me. Unless it's watching the waves from the balcony of a luxurious hotel room.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been in a mall in a while but there are so few of them (at least near me). I do like that there is a varieties of stores so that you can make multiple purchases without leaving the area.
ReplyDeleteI consider Macy's in Manhattan as a mall even though it's probably not considered that but it it's huge and there are a lot of different stores. I like strolling through it sometimes and once I even got lost. The elevators are strangely located and some of them just go from top floor all the way to the bottom.
Have a lovely day.