Makati City, Philippines

[slang]

This is the Uni-Mec grocery store in Comembo.

There is a grocery store, drug store, fruit market, bike shop, bakery, pawn shop, Infotech office and police station right here on the end of this block.

It's one of my favorite places to sit back and watch people.

The grocery store has a line of tricycles next to it. When you exit the store you can step right into one, no muss no fuss. Not exactly perfection because of the size and quality of the trikes but convenient for sure.

This store as many others also has a room out in front that you can leave your bags of goods from other stores. Step up and put your bag on the counter. They take it and put it into a space underneath and give you a plastic card. On the way out grab your other bags and you're off.

Once inside the UM store you'll find a very packed store but it is air conditioned. The carts are small and there's normally a lot of kids playing around either with the carts or each other.

As I've said many times before, Filipinos dont know how to flow. This is true in the street and on foot. People stop right in the middle of the flow and start talking to someone or answer a cell call all the time. In the US it's generally regarded as normal to get the fuck out of the way of the flow when you have to do something other than move forward. They don't flow.

Once you get around 50 people screwing around doing this or that you'll find the items that you're looking for...and 50 people will somehow be unable to get around YOU.

Everything is tight Everything is small.

But the great part of it all....

Everyone is polite and smiley.