SK Shopping Trip

My first solo excursion in India was a trip to the GVK mall. As it turns out, there are lots of malls nearby and this one was a long way off, but I enjoyed the sights. Black water buffalo - with horns - wander the street freely and it's up to drivers to avoid them. But this is still a very Westernized city, with many recognizable brands. Compared to Delhi, it's much more modern and congested, but also more attractive. Lots of pretty plantings, some lakes, gardens & parks. And everywhere you look, something new under construction.

My driver, David, was kind enough to lend me a cell phone when he dropped me off so that I could call him when I was ready to leave. Entering the mall required a security check & wanding. When I got inside, the sounds & smells were overwhelming. There was some kind of "get your picture taken with a race car" thing going on -- loudly -- and all sorts of food smells coming from KFC, Subway and I don't know what. This mall, like many, is about 6 stories high with a center atrium. There are elevators & escalators to connect the floor -- I saw a whole family taking what must have been their first escalator ride.

I wandered into the first store on my right, Shoppers Stop, which turned out to be a modern department store. Women's wear was quite confusing at first -- I started looking at a rack of tops, but where in the world were the bottoms? Then I moved to the Salwar Kameez (SK) section & realized that I could buy the whole package (top, bottoms & stole). Pretty soon, I had a sales woman at my side. She advised that I would need size XL (sad but true) and encouraged me to try on many outfits. Most of the ones I picked turned out to be too fancy, but one set is just right. I've always wondered about the pants. There are different styles, but the ones I got are extremely long (so that they can bunch at the ankles) with a gigantic drawstring waist. Should be comfortable anyhow. Now, will I ever have the courage to wear them?

My sales person really wanted me to buy more, but I refused. Then she offered me a preferred shoppers' card. Me: No thanks. Her: But it's free. Me: No thanks. Her: But you will get a discount on this purchase. Me: Oh, really -- how much? Her: This SK is priced at 1800 rupees but with the card you can have it for 1100. Me: Well okay then. Back at the hotel, I look at the price tag. It says 1799 on one side, 1049 on the other. I think I've been had.

I picked this mall for its FabIndia store, which had been recommended. But when I got there, I found that I couldn't take the heat -- the store was literally too hot and the goods were arrayed in a way that required the services of a sales person to even look at them. Nope, not today thanks.