ES2PIDO|Estudyanteng Pinoy Dormitorian

If an airconditioned mini grocery store opens in our neighborhood or near your town / downtown / uptown (whatever), there would be 3 most likely possibilities.

It would be a regular 9 to 9 (or 10) pm shop, a 7eleven (or some unknowns), or a store built by some small players. Family business, I suppose.

Among these three, 7eleven’s where I oftenly purchase goodies. Of course, my mom goes to those groceries because she has the bucks to afford so I’m the poor proletariat who frequently goes out-of-town too early or returns home too late. I’m the gooey who peeks out for open sari-sari stores for mini bites to munch on because typically, err, I wake up like Juan Tamad.

Why are these stores convenient?

1. People would agree to me that their first reason why commuters enter conveniece stores is because they want to make pabarya or cashing out or coining out big amounts of money for small expenditures. Small expenditures like buying cigarettes, candies, cellphone prepaid loads, tricycle or jeepney fares, and so on. Of couse, when my mom hands me out my allowance, expect that it would be 5-hundreds or thousands–fresh from the bank. For my own convenience, I usually purchase iced green teas or sparkling mineral waters while those red capped people on the counter frenzied by digging in their registers for 20, 50, or 100 peso bills. I’m so mean.

2. I don’t know how but a lot of Filipinos are transposed to our traditional Filipino time. I am always late. Late waking and brushing myself up while forgetting to feed the worms in my stomach. It’s good to know that at last–for 48 years–Indang, Cavite where my so-called Cavite State University is located, finally has a franchise of 7eleven for our own convenience. I love baked macs and hotdogs and micro breakfast meals. I was happy when they offered freebies to micro meals, like ice teas and stuff.
   Actually, we have this municipality-proclaimed 24-hr store–sari-sari store, that is– which offers typical Filipino items in retail prices. I used to go there because I can take a closer look at the sari-sari store owner’s interiors. They’s f*ckin’ rich, but a sari-sari store.
3. For Fresh-air! These stores are open to everybody. So whenever you are waiting for someone and you don’t want too many people to buzz you off with a hybrid of aromas from a variety of fast-food meals in Jollibee or McDo, 24/7 stores fit you with their offerings of some stainless-steel tables and chairs. Not to mention if the security guard is a hunkie or the saleslady is a hottie. ^_^Of course, don’t let the staff to notice your objective. Buy yourself Mentos or a bottled green tea.

4. Of course, when I’m so freakin’ late going home (because my employer-slash-director who lately had a blind item for his brash loud-mouthed character… har-har), I buy food. Not in closed Jollibees. Not in McDo’s. Not in Greenwiches (all of which are located in Dasma Bayan [downtown]) but in 7eleven’s.

5. Very appropriate for cramming people of the Philippines. When I need items in a hurry while sari-sari stores are still closed, 24/7 stores are just right for me. School supplies, tissue papers, drinks, and of course, energy drinks. I swallow a bottle or two of Bacchus or Red Bull everytime I feel insane of not sleeping for loads of work.
6. Diversionary tactic. If you want to hide, or just want to show you a busy doing other stuff, let your friends or colleagues see you entering one of these stores and pretend that you are looking for something. That would be convenient in case you don’t want to enter fast-food chains.

   And my last (but can still add up)…

7. Books and mags. Food. Toiletries. School supplies. Kitchen cleaning materials.