Mary Anne Lim, a longtime Shang community member, shares why her family misses going to this mall
Even though mall guests can’t shop together like they used to, Shangri-La Plaza continues to spread good vibes. After winning the Shop N’ Drive at Shang raffle, which awarded her a brand-new Jaguar F-Pace Prestige last July 11, Mary Anne Lim thinks back to how the mall has given her and her family some great memories.
Mary Anne got her raffle tickets while she was shopping for home lights at Decor, one of the Shang’s home improvement stores. It was her first time ever to join a Shang raffle, which ran from November 15, 2019 to February 16 this year. After gathering around 15 tickets, she wondered if she should still drop her ballots, because it was the last day of submission and the family was all the way in Alabang. But her little daughter Pia insisted that they go to the Shang and take their chances. “[It was] like she was sure we [were] going to win,” recalls Mary Anne fondly.
The Shang has been a favorite spot of Mary Anne’s family for years, even though they are based miles away in Taytay, Rizal. In fact, she said Shang has been part of their weekend routine. The family usually hears mass at the mall before having lunch at California Pizza Kitchen, where they get Pia’s favorite Hawaiian pizza and BBQ chicken chopped salad. Then, they’d take her to Kidzoona or Heroes HQ for some indoor fun time or go shopping at Debenhams, Zara, or Mango. When Pia wants to look for toys, they’d head off to Rustan’s or Toys R Us. Sometimes, they’d also go to the National Bookstore for her daughter’s art supplies. And when Mary Anne is looking for “pasalubong” for her pets, the family would drop by Bow and Wow.
Apart from being a main fixture in their daily lives, Shang has also been a part of some of the most important moments they had as a family. She and her husband celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary at the Shang, where they got to ask a priest to bless them. Pia had her first ballet recital at the mall. She also celebrated her sixth birthday last year at Heroes HQ.
But because of COVID-19, the family hasn’t visited the mall in a while. “We miss our family bonding time at the Shang!” says Mary Anne. “So many good, happy memories that we will treasure for a lifetime.” The raffle winner also expresses that she can’t wait to celebrate more family milestones at Shangri-La Plaza once the pandemic is over.
Through all the difficulty, the Shang continues to encourage everyone to spread good vibes and become #StrongerTogether. Once all this is over, the Shang will reopen its doors once again to every happy family looking for a place to enjoy themselves. “Being part of the #ShangCommunity is like being in a family,” says Mary Anne. “It has been an integral piece of how we have formed our family memories. Milestones that strengthen family ties and friendships.”
For inquiries, call 8-370-2597/98 or visit www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficial. Follow the Shang on Instagram: @shangrilaplazaofficial.
