Bright Lights, Big City, American Girl ~ Part II

When Florida resident Gabriella Gajo turned 10 years old in 2009, her grandmother whisked her on a trip from Orange County, Orlando, to New York’s Big Apple. The voyage to the American Girl store was a dream-come-true for the pre-teen. Her grandma, a.k.a. Julieta Gajo (or “Lola” in Filipino), told Gabriella’s little sister Kiara who waited at home, “When you turn ten, we’ll do the same thing for you.”

[Click here to see Gabriella’s story, October 2009.]

Kiara counted the years and days until she, too, reached that magical double-digit. Today, some three years later, the American Girl phenomena is still going strong, still offering devoted young mademoiselles a virtual fantasyland of collectible 18-inch-tall dolls, their books, clothes and a seemingly endless selection of accessories. Explained Kiara, “Each doll has an interesting life story. Also each doll’s character lived in a different time frame. I love reading their stories. One helped out the wounded during wartime. One learned to be a journalist like my aunt. One doll enjoyed fiesta picnics.”

This time around, however, grandma and granddaughter travelled to Chicago where the iconic red store sits on North Michigan Avenue under the shadow of the John Hancock Centre. Said Kiara of the city’s architectural landmark: “I saw an enormous building that I had to stretch my neck real backward – and I still couldn’t see the top! The building was that tall!”

With her doll “Josefina” tucked under one arm, Kiara recounted how her big sister had written a letter for her to read on the plane ride from Orlando to Chicago, “She said everything that I was dreaming of will soon be real.”

The first item on the agenda: Lola and Kiara took Josefina to the hair salon where they dolled up her ‘do with braids and white tied ribbons “like butterflies.”

Much like the location in Manhattan, the multi-level store in the Windy City also features a popular café that is decorated in black and white with bursts of fuchsia. Kiara – with Josefina seated beside her – was treated to a mini-hamburger and -hotdog, macaroni and cheese, and pink lemonade in a fancy cup. According to the young gourmand, the “best part” was dessert: chocolate mousse, a flower-shaped cookie, and heart-shaped cake. “It was the best restaurant I have ever been to!

What did Kiara purchase with the $180 she had saved up over the years? “I bought Josefina pyjamas and a “Feel Better” kit,” the latter which is a package of pretend supplies to “help” your doll if she gets sick. Fully equipped like her Lola and mother who are both nurses, the packaged contained doll-size crutches, sticker band-aids, a foot cast, and arm cast.

As is the Gajo family tradition, Lola asked Kiara what were her best and worst moments of the past year. The best, clearly, was her visit to the American Girl store. And the worst? “There was no worst,” said the happy ten-year-old who thanked her Lola repeatedly for “the best day ever in my entire life.”

Reflecting on what has now become a rite of passage for the Florida American-Filipino-Puerto Rican family, Mrs. “Lola” Gajo wondered what they’ll do next for her grandson Alexander who still has half a decade to go before turning the big 1-0. American boys, it seems, get a different kind of celebration. “Maybe he’ll go to a baseball game with his grandpa instead.

Author and freelance writer Patricia Gajo is, actually, a Canadian girl living in Montreal. She is Julieta’s daughter and auntie to Gabriella and Kiara.