The Egyptians had their pyramids, the Aztecs their stepped pyramids... the Greeks had their acropolis, the Romans had their basilicas... and us, Filipinos have our humongous shopping malls.

The monumental forms of architecture of any civilization pretty much sums up the general priorities of the population. Pharaohs who had an obsession for immortality had slaves (with or without the aid of supposed aliens) build the pyramids with cosmological consultation. The Aztecs temples were used for human sacrifices. The Greek acropolis was a haven for religion, arts and democracy. The Roman basilicas for law and government.

The Filipino shopping mall is a refuge from hot humid weather, a warehouse for all thing bright and shiny, a hub for commerce and entertainment. It is our version of the Greek agora and the Roman forum only with video arcades and air-conditioning.


A couple of weeks ago, after the family reunion we attended, the family decided to do a sidetrip to Manila. SM Mall of Asia was in our itinerary. The main draw for me was the IMax theater.

We Filipinos have outdone ourselves. The mall was huge, the only thing I was aching (literally) to buy was a Segway (ala GOB on Arrested Development). Given the landscape and location of the mall (which is along Manila Bay), I could see why they decided to sprawl the mall instead of stacking it up... it can take full advantage of the view without blocking it for the buildings behind it and a horizontal building silhouette works like magic against a body of water... But com'on... haven't they heard of conveyors and moving walks?


SM Mall of Asia (I am productive when bored to death):

1. Alice: "Toto, I don't think we're in Universal Studios anymore..."


2. A cup of yoghurt: "Ooooooh! A huuuuuge refrigerator! with a skating rink?! Joy!"
3. Al Gore: "Lessening the amount of air conditioning is A "moral imperative"!"

4. A cup of yoghurt: "Shut up Gore! have you read this?"
5. Al Gore: "No comment"

6. Minimalist: "Good enough"
7. Utilitarian: "Such a waste of space"
8. Environmentalist: "And energy too! The amount of air conditioning is directly proportional to the amount of enclosed space!"
9. Al Gore: "Yeah! ditto!"
10. A cup of yoghurt: "Here's another one Gore"


11. Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi: "I am having the weirdest, strongest sense of deja vu... I thought we just left the Kuala Lumpur International Airport?"


12. Peter Petrelli: "I don't remember posing for this ad... Must have been before my bangs were telekinetically chopped off my forehead"


13. Filipino-English lexicographer: "Maldita is the closest Filipino word for bitch, in the derogatory sense"


We also passed by the World Light Expo 2007... and by passed by I meant breezed through without going in cause everyone was too beat up to even consider walking amidst a multitude of light bulbs.


I've read from a brochure I got earlier from my Dad that it had an acrobat exhibition and one of 1st Qin Emperor's Terracotta Army (those unearthed sculptures of Chinese soldiers in flank formation). After reading a blog review, I was satiated with looking at the expo from afar. Review, schedules, fees and other pertinent info from Our Awesome Planet.


On the way to Bulacan, I nearly broke my neck trying to get this photo of the car's odometer. My brother, who was driving, has a thing for "7". That's his number as a basketball/ volleyball athlete, his car's plates end with 777, and so I found myself nudging him trying to get a decent picture of the mileage. No one got hurt.






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Labels: familia, filipinowledge, numerology, travels