In the Philippines, there's a line usually heard from children playing in the streets: "wala pang five minutes" (five minutes hasn't lapsed yet). This is stated usually when a portion of food fell on the floor, and to save face, to save the food itself, and to save money that was spent on that food, the child will pick up the food on the floor and still eat it.
I don't know the science behind this children's "myth", but I and my childhood friends believe that until the first five minutes are over, any food on the floor is still germ-free. However, we all know that this is absurd.
But as an adult, I guess I'll have better use of this phrase. When I am given a chance to shop for free in any supermarket of my choice, taking whatever I want without charge - this is when I might be able to shout this phrase again!
Photo by Bruno Kelzer on Unsplash
I remember watching variety and game shows with this kind of segment. A lucky contestant gets a chance of a lifetime to shop on a certain time limit, and the game show will pay for whatever is in the pushcart. I wonder if I will be the lucky contestant, I'll pick/point out these items:
Appliances such as an air fryer, a microwave oven, an induction cooker, a two-door refrigerator, top load automatic washing machine, an inverter split-type aircon, a vacuum cleaner, the widest flat screen Smart TV I can see, and home entertainment sets such as a gaming console and karaoke system.
I would love to have the latest operating system for a desktop and a laptop. An e-scooter would be great too!
Provided that all these items are in the same area and I wouldn't have to roam around the shopping center to gather these. But in case, I believe most of them can be seen in the appliance section of the mall.
If time permits and I can just point out all of those above-mentioned items to get them, I will also get some food items such as canned goods, milk, and chips - items that are not easily perishable. I will use them to open up a small variety store.
I would also get some pet supplies! For sure there will be some available in the pet section. My pets would love a couple of sacks of pet food, cat litter, toys, and grooming and bath supplies. These days, these items are becoming too costly so I am adding these to my list.
As the time limit draws near, then I will shout - "wala pang five minutes!" to boost myself to hasten my movements all the more. Until the time is up, I will add to my hoarding some clothes for me and my wife, shoes, and some inner garments.
The only place I can think of that can accommodate all of these items are in SM Mall of Asia, the largest shopping mall in the Philippines.
But of course, realistically speaking, even if all of these items can be seen in SM MoA, five minutes is five minutes. So by order of priority, I will be at the appliance center first, then the laptop and desktop area. The other items are all just welcome additions to my shopping list.