In my
previous blog entry, I had hoped that today would not “require me to cross such
long distances again”. However, exceptions can be made (sometimes) and the
exception for today was shopping.
We gathered
at the hotel lobby at 11am before we walked to the bus terminal. It was quite
warm weather today (according to sources, it was 31ºC) so we were rather sweaty by the time we
reached the bus terminal.
Waiting for
fellow friends to come to the lobby
While waiting
for the bus, our lecturers told us about the bus fare. We were to pay 1.50 RMB
each if we rode on a non-air-conditioned bus ride. On an air-conditioned bus,
we would have to pay a fare of 2 RMB each. When we boarded the air-conditioned
bus (where our lecturers graciously paid the fare for us), we were disappointed
to find that the air-conditioning wasn’t the least bit cold. We Singaporeans
should be grateful that although our SBS buses are rather crowded at peak
hours, at least they have functioning air-conditioners that keep the bus
interior cool at all times.
I believe it
took about 20 minutes or so for the bus to reach the “Orchard Road”, as we call
it for easier reference (In Singapore, Orchard Road is where all the large,
renowned shops are located). The first thing that struck all of us was the huge
crowd of people walking down the pavement across the road. Never have I seen
such a large crowd before.
“Orchard
Road” just across the road
Look at the
crowd of people!
My friends
and I made our way over the overhead bridge to the other end and were simply
stunned by the number of shops there. There were huge shopping centers located
side by side to each other. Opposite to these huge buildings were smaller,
individual shops.
Observe the
long stretch of shopping centers down the pavement!
Check out the size of this shopping centre!
As it was
close to lunch time, we headed to one of the shopping centers with hopes of
finding a decent foodcourt to eat at. Unfortunately, majority of the eating
facilities there were restaurants and the fast food joints were packed, as
expected at lunch time.
Left with no
choice, we went to a restaurant and ordered our food. Even though the food was
nice, I still prefer (and sorely miss) the great variety of tasty and cheap
meals that can be found in Singapore’s many Kopitiams.
Tucking into our food
After lunch, we did some shopping. One curious thing I noticed in their
shops was the layout. To explain this, allow me to compare it with a shopping
centre in Singapore that I know very well- Lot 1 Shopper’s Mall in Choa Chu
Kang.
Lot 1 Shoppers’ Mall
In Lot 1 (as I call it), the shops are separate from each other and there
are different stores selling different things. These stores could then be
located on different floors. As such, it is possible to have at least 2 stores
selling similar items on each floor.
However, in the 2 shopping centers
which I went to in Tianjin’s “Orchard Road”, all the shops are categorised and separated to each floor. For example, if
I wanted to check out the ladies’ apparell, I could go to level X. And if I
wanted to see the men’s apparell, then I could go to level Y. Think of it like
this- if you wanted a specific set of items, all you needed to do was go to its
appointed floor and browse through all the stores that sell the item. From what
I observed, there is only one area for payment per floor rather than each store
having its own cash register. Perhaps it is to ensure convinience to those who
are buying similar items from more than 1 brand.
While I admit that this is a rather neat concept in such a huge mall, it
can get rather boring as all the other malls (I’m sure) have the same concept.
For fun, we crossed the overhead bridge back to where the bus first
dropped us off and went to the building we dubbed “Sim Lim Square” . In
Singapore, Sim Lim Square is where all the latest technology is sold.
Computers, cameras, handphones, you name it, they have it. Although we bought
nothing from there, it was quite intesting to browse through all the products
for sale there.
Look at the sleek building surface of Tianjin’s “Sim Lim Square”!
In all, this shopping trip has made me learn to better appreciate our SBS
buses and foodcourts.
Now that I think of foodcourts, I’m starting to crave for a plate of hokkien
mee…
Until my next post, I wish all my fellow readers a good night- May you
dream of your favourite hawker food too!
Best regards,
Marianne
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Author’s note:
Picture of Lot 1 Shoppers’ Mall taken from http://www.h88.com.sg/shopping/lot_1_shoppers_mall/images/lot_1_shoppers_mall_00001.J
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