Maulin’

Ironically, in Dundee, we lived less than five minutes from a large regional mall, but we never went. The girls have been there maybe two or three times in the thirteen years we’ve lived there. We just never developed the habit of hanging out at the mall.

And then we moved to Hong Kong.

This past Saturday night, what did we do? Go to the mall, get ice cream, and walk around window shopping while eating our McFlurries. Sunday, what did we do after church? Go to a mall, eat in the food court, and walk around.

Annika and Elise have logged more time in malls in the last four weeks than they have in their entire lives. In our defense, it’s hard not to be in a mall. Sometimes, you exit the train, walk into the station, and –boom- you’re in a mall.

Besides, during these hot days, the malls are air conditioned.

Sunday, while waiting in line for my Oreo McFlurry, I saw one of my students carrying his skateboard. I asked him what he was doing here in the mall. He said he lived here. In the mall? Yes? You live in the mall? Yeah, upstairs. Sure enough, he lives in one of the many apartments on the floors above the mall.

Once in a while it’s possible to see someone who is obviously in his pajamas and slippers scooting through the mall. When you live above a mall, it takes on a whole new meaning when your wife tells to run downstairs and grab a liter of milk.

I’m just hoping that as a result of all this time in malls the girls don’t start incorporating “Like, fer sure” and “Tubular” into their vocab.

Could really big, 1980’s mall-hair be next?

-Jack