Big C Adventure

Our hotel has a free shuttle the goes to the Big C shopping center every Thursday and Saturday. I have heard about this store several times and we needed a few things so we decided to check it out. On Saturday’s the shuttle leaves at 9:00 am, so we were up early and ready to go. We went down to the lobby about 8:45 because we didn’t know if we needed to sign up for the shuttle or how many people they could take. As we were waiting to leave another Holt family also joined us.

At 9:00 am we pilled into the van and then took a 15 minute ride to another hotel and picked up more people. The van was then packed full with people. It was another 15 minute ride to the shopping center. We were scheduled to arrive at the Big C at 9:30 am. The shuttle was to return to pick us up 10:45 am.

Now when it comes to shopping Dave and I would never set any speed records. We tend to browse and take are time – ok it is really just me but Dave puts up with me checking out the clearance racks and all of the new kid contraptions.

Once we reached the Big C we thought there is no way we could look through this entire store and get what we needed in a mere hour and fifteen minutes. It was a very large store. The parking lot has covered parking spots with green type awnings. Outside there were people giving out samples of a new product with a very large PA system shouting the highlights of their product. Once you enter the ground floor there were little shopping centers and the Big C was on the second floor. We grabbed a cart – which can be steered in all directions and hopped on the escalator to go up to the second floor. They also had these escalators in China where the cart would lock right into it and you would not be able to move it until you reached the next floor.

Once we reached the second floor we needed to go through metal detectors and the security guard motioned for me to step back through then and then was pointing to me to go toward the middle of the entrance area. I did not understand what she was telling me to do. At first I thought she wanted to search my backpack. Luckily the other Mom with me knew what she wanted – she wanted me to put my backpack in a locker. After several minutes of trying to find the lockers we finally successful gave our backpacks to the customer service employees and rejoined our husbands to go shopping.

There were so many people there shopping you could hardly move. It amazes me know one really waits in line or says excuse me they just sort of walk and squeeze their way through and get where they are going. If you wait for someone to get out of your way five more people behind you will just squeeze around you. It is totally crazy. Then to top it all of with all of these people just swarming around on a Saturday afternoon you have an employee with a floor washing machine pushing that through the crowd.

We found a few groceries and I wanted to look at the baby isle and Dave wanted to go back and try and find spaghetti sauce. So we went our separate ways. After about 15 minutes or so I realized it was about 10:25 so I went to go look for my husband. I could not find him anywhere after several minutes of searching I was started to get a little panicked with a sea of black air and the sound of a different language all around me. Luckily from a distance I finally say my husband’s baseball hat. Luckily here he stands out in the crowd.

We then ran to the shoe department to get Jacob a pair of sneakers and then ran to the checkout. Because we only had a few minutes to get my backpack, check out and meet the shuttle for them to return us to the hotel.

As Dave got in line I ran and retrieved my backpack as Dave was struggling with Jacob in the Hip Hammock and trying to pack groceries. So I asked the other Holt dad to hold Emily and my backpack to help Dave bag the groceries while he paid the cashier. We then headed back down the escalator back down to the parking lot to meet the others waiting for the shuttle with a minute to spare.

I will never again take fro granite my lazy Saturdays just browsing and taking my time in a supermarket!