KK Adv2: Mall Hops

Friday morning after my early swim (I’m not really going to pass up on this huh?), I returned to our room just a floor above the condo’s recreation hall and found a “darling” little message in my phone. WORK! Aargh! It made me feel a bit nervous coz I wasn’t able to connect last night to the corporate email so I’m not sure what’s going on (although I have the slightest hint). I’m not so sure as to why the VPN wasn’t working. I know I’m officially on a holiday but you can’t just turn the work-concern switch off just like that. Nope. Especially not in my case.
Nevertheless I tried it again this morning and the situation is still the same. =( So after chatting up and transferring some files via Skype I was at the phone talking up to the receptionist about some of the interesting places I found in my “research” last night. I found out that although the condo may be geographically challenged it also has quite a redeeming feature by providing shuttle services to the 3 nearest plaza malls. I looked it up on the brochure I got from the KKIA and they were included in the “Shopping” brochure.

Around 11:40 AM, we were setting foot into the nearest plaza from the hotel. I knew it! I knew it the moment I stepped into that hideous plaza. I was mostly certain that I wouldn’t bag anything from it. I wasn’t looking for anything high-end. We are all hoping we could find something Mong Kok- or Chinatown-like with bazaars all over and you could haggle. But it’s far from what we are expecting.

Wil said the items are “fashionable” but I don’t see it as such from my standpoint. More or less the items could be seen in Divisoria and 168. Not that I don’t buy from there but I think he was referring to those Korean/ Chinese style of dressing, which I am so done with. In fairness I found a leopard scarf in there the precise print of which matches my flats but for a price that could be the same as in Dorothy Perkins'. Not worth it. I wasn’t sure if I was going to haggle coz I believe that I have enough leopard for a one time thingy. I don't predict they would stay long enough in the trend. Do you??

As boring as it may be, I remembered that I’m not alone although I’m so used to shopping on my own I had to slown down my usual brisk walks. Besides, the area of interest isn’t mine but my Mama & Tita’s pleasure and I believe I did well on the patience department when they both try to check out each and every stalls in the said plaza.

So off we went walking to the next mall and then the next ( a good ten minute walk from each). I’m just going to cut this short by saying that it was JUST. DEPLORABLE. LOL! Each mall offers the same items. Not even the Center Point (the only one with Vincci) gave me thrills on seeing the shoes. There’s not even an interesting pair in there. So sad. I even fell asleep while waiting for them on a bench near the cinema house. Can you believe it?? Hahaha!! But then again, what was I expecting? We are in Kota Kinabalu, a mountainous city in East MY facing the South China Sea. It's like what to expect say when I'm in Mindanao right or something like that. Surprisingly, Tita was able to buy a lot coz she’s got lots of people to give out gifts to. Around 530 PM, exhausted from all the walking, we hunted for a different venue for dinner: La Manila Café which as weird as it may sound serves Chinese delicacies. LOL!

So okay most of the items you'll see in the malls: THIS!

My brother joked we have the same nose. The BASTARD! Haha!

while crossing a street, haha!!

kangkong & mee go reng??

prawn mee soup (i like it spicy!!!)

There's no question, KK is just like Phils. The seaside ala Roxas Boulevard, the malls which could look like those in Makati sans their content of course (:p), etc. And for some fleeting moments I was happy being on the other side of the camera for once. Fleeting lang! Haha!

Anyway, I had enough of the malls and figured there has got to be something up for the next and thankfully, tour package saves the day!!!

Or maybe it did not. :

(tbc..)