so much to do in the mall without actually shopping! Orchard Gateway

On Saturday, I spent a few hours at Orchard Gateway mall; the reason for that particular mall was that it is next to - attached to - the mall where I had an appointment for my haircut at 3 pm, so we (sort of ) made an afternoon of it and managed to do quite a few things that don't count as actually shopping.

My husband, three kids and I took a taxi from our apartment to the mall.  Ok technically we could walk but it's definitely a schlep and, as always, it was blazing hot so that was that.  Then it took some convincing to get my husband to cheerfully agree to take a taxi when we also could take a bus. Thing is, the bus is a few minutes' walk and it goes in sort of a roundabout way to get there, and it's about 80 cents per person.  The taxi, door-to-door, was $6.00 so.... taxi it is.

First stop was to my guilty pleasure - Korean fried chicken at a place called four fingers.  If you like fried chicken you should really try the Korean variety.  It's magical.

After lunch we bid adieu to my husband and two smaller children and my almost-13-year-old and I headed to the library that is, of course, in the mall (genius! see older blog post all about that library branch) but the best part is that my son had put a few books on hold, and the system go retrieve them  is totally automated.

you scan your card and it shows the books you have on hold

it warns you to stand back...

shows you which locker will open...

the locker lights up....

and... voila! there's your book.  extremely cool library experience.

Then, after my haircut, I met up with my son again.  We went down to the B1 level which is sort of Japanese-themed. We got ice cream cones at a place called 'Maccha house".  One day I'm gonna sit there and have some real food!  Check it out:

menu Maccha House.

My seriously green green tea ice cream cone

display case of at Maccha House

Now... also at B1 is a big story called Tokyo Hands; it's a Japanese store that has so many cool things, from pens, stickers, makeup, kitchen stuff to great backpacks and wallets.  Really fun store to browse.  Today I 'browsed' the Japanese lunchmaking accessories.  I had heard - on NPR nonetheless - that in Japan the parents make elaborate lunches for their kids to take to school.  At Tokyo Hands I saw all these cool gadgets to make fun seaweed-rice balls and they also sell stamps for sausages.

All in all a fun time at Orchard Gateway mall!

to make cute panda seaweed rice things

happy face rice stamps

  

sausage stamps!!