I have fond memories of trips to Cubao where we did most of our shopping where I got to tag along. . I would always have happy thoughts associated with the COD department store, particularly its third floor where the toys section was located. To a toddler's eyes, an entire floor dedicated to toys would seem like a whole world of fun all around him and I guess that was how I felt back then, marveling at the selection even though I knew I couldn't have them all. I knew though that if we went there I was sure to get something for Christmas and I knew it would be at least one of the toys my parents asked me about while we were there. For refreshments, we usually went to Ali Mall where I was introduced to Shakey's Pizza and got to associate the parlor with the noisy band that played there. If we wanted lighter snacks there were the kiosks at most corners in the Araneta Center where we could get waffles or corndogs.
We always went shopping in the afternoon and concluded our sorties in the evening when the highlight of the day will be revealed. COD was famous for their mechanical diorama depicting Christmas themes. Every year, this display was awaited by people from all walks of life, who converged on every available space in front of the department store building. Traffic along the streets also stopped and at the time I remember you won't hear any complaints as even motorists took time out to watch the spectacle. Afterwards, people simply dispersed and drivers went their way, and peacefully. Of course, it was still Martial Law at the time but I'm sure people will look back to then and say that people were more disciplined and respectful at the time. The last time I checked, the same was still on display in its home for the past few year now - at the gate of the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan.
When I was a teenager and in high school, my parents still took me along for Christmas shopping although I was not that enthusiastic as when I was in grade school. SM was still a department store in Manila and had not yet established itself as a retail giant when I was growing up. They did start building their chain when I was in high school and I remember shopping at the SM Cubao where, as advertised, they got it all and at prices that seemed to all end with 95 centavos (e.g., PhP 29.95, 49.95, 99.95). I pretty much did my own Christmas shopping when I was a junior or senior in high school. My parents decided to give me my Christmas money to get me whatever I wanted knowing I had to keep within a budget plus maybe a few pesos saved from my allowances. I remember deciding not to go with the crowds and instead went to Cubao after Christmas when there were significantly less people and it was not a hassle to commute or go around.
While SM was on the rise, COD sadly was already in decline. Farmers eventually burned in a fire that led to its reconstruction and most stall and stores not returning. Ali Mall, which we also preferred for watching movies, was not able to keep up with times and was only finally overhauled and upgraded not five years ago. By the time I was at university, the first SM City in North EDSA was already completed and the doors opened to a new era of shopping.
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