ショッピングモールという箱の外で | Outside of A Box Called Shopping Mall

７月３日、晴れ。風はきつく気温は若干低め。これが８月だと「もう夏も終わりか」といった天気だった。

その日「オタワに天皇と皇后の両陛下が到着した」とのニュースを読んだ。ケベック州のカナダ首相の別荘で滞在するとのことだった。

友人と待ち合わせ、久しぶりの単独ではない買い物（いつもは一人で済ませる事が多い）に行った。
昨日は僕にとってはかなりの高級路線である。トロントのYorkvilleという界隈（New YorkのSoHoと5th Avenueを足して、４か５で割った感じ）で買い物をした。行った店舗は２店舗なのだが、いわゆる夏のセール狙いだった。

１店舗目、友人はTシャツを買った。僕はお目当てにしていたものが全く店頭に並んでいないのにがっかりした。セール前に（といってもかなり前の２月だが）見たときは僕のお目当て用の小さいコーナーがあったのに今回は全くなかった。冗談で、「売れ残りはVaughn Mills (トロント郊外のアウトレット系ショッピングモール）に移動したんや」と友人に呟いた。

２店舗目は、以前いつ行ったか覚えていないくらいのお店で、その店が入っている建物の内装はすっかり変わっていた。そこで僕は、「これ」っというものに出くわしてしまう。高級衣料品店なのに払った額は２けたの真ん中くらい、試着し気に入ってしまい迷わず買ってしまった。

夕刻のほんの短い、友人との買い物時間だったのだが、なんだか充実していた。
ショッピングモールという箱も便利なのだが、やはり街を回るのはいいもんだ、特にきれいな天気の日には。


July, 3, clear sky. It was a little windy and the temperature was rather chilly a little bit. If the day was in August, it was the weather that we would say "Oh, summer is over soon."

On the same day, I have read a article that Japanese Emperor and Empress arrived in Ottawa for a visit. They will be staying at a cottage of Canadian prime minister, located in Quebec.

I met my friend and went for shopping with him (though, I usually go to shopping by myself most of the time).
The shopping yesterday was very high class for me. We shopped in Yorkville neighbourhood (the neighbourhood is like adding New York's Soho and 5th Avenue and divided by 4 or 5). The shops we went were only 2 places. It was for summer sale.

At the first store, my friend bought a t-shirt. I was a little disappointed that the store didn't have anything that I was looking forward to. When I went to the store before sale (though, it was like this February), the store had a little section for what I like but it has been gone during the sale period. I said to my friend jokingly, "Any leftovers were sent to Vaughn Mills (An outlet shopping mall in the northern suburb of Toronto)."

We went to the second store. I don't remember when I went to the store the last time. The building, where the store is located, were renovated and changed a lot. At the second store, I found a bingo. At the high class store, but the price was in the middle of 2 digits, I tried it on and bought it right away.

In a short period of time shopping in the evening with my friend, I was somewhat so filled. It is very convenient to shop at a box called shopping mall, but it is fun to walk around on the streets, especially on a very nice sunny day like yesterday.