Pebble park

"My life is full of mistakes.

They're like pebbles that make a good road."

~Beatrice Wood (1893–1998), American artist and potter

A wooden bridge connecting two of the buildings of Greenbelt, a large retail complex in Makati City, seen through the trunks of some very tall and skinny palm trees. I like how Ayala Land used light and dark pebbles in this part of the park—they make the ground look like freeform art.

The golden pond

"Alive without breath, As cold as death;

Never thirsty, ever drinking, All in mail never clinking."

~J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Just a few of the hundreds of koi we saw in the ponds of Greenbelt, the large retail complex in my Lush post from the other day.

Weaving life

"We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing."

~Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888), American novelist

On display at the 3rd floor of Greenbelt 5 mall are the gorgeous nito vine baskets of the indigenous Iraya Mangyan of the island province of Mindoro. The Ayala Foundation has committed to providing education and skills training to a community of Iraya Mangyan in the town of Puerto Galera, a popular beach and diving destination. Part of their commitment is to revive the traditional art of weaving beautiful and functional baskets made of nito (Lygodium circinatum), a forest vine. Sales of the baskets go directly to the families who weave them.

You can learn more about—and support—the Ayala Foundation's Iraya Mangyan Project here.

Mall creatures

"The real world is where the monsters are."

~Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

"Garden of Earthly Delights" in The Gallery of Greenbelt 5 is artist Leeroy New's latest exhibition. I have featured some of his works before: the alien on a tumor, a spiky red balete, and two lovely young ladies in fluorescent plastic. His work is unmistakable and can seem more like creatures from nightmares. An article in Circuit magazine's website about this exhibit is quite educational. Even after reading it, though, I still wouldn't want any of his works in my home.

High street

"Unlike a fountain that circulates the same water in an enclosed, perpetually recycling system, a human being circulates thoughts in an unlimited reservoir of self. Don't limit yourself to being a mere fountain when you contain an ocean."

~Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

The stores of the shopping and dining arcade that is Bonifacio High Street all open up into a park that runs the entire length of this unique mall. The park has fountains, playgrounds and sculptures, and is also pet-friendly. The Old Navy store at the corner is the first in the Philippines and only opened in March.

Choo-choo

"People used to play with toys.
Now the toys play with them."

~Idries Shah (1924–1996), Reflections

A colorful train that doesn't need tracks and which goes round and round a small plaza keeps young children entertained while their parents eat or shop at Bonifacio High Street.

Play

"Men do not quit playing because they grow old;
they grow old because they quit playing."

~Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841–1935)

Part of Arts BGC 2014, this mosaic mural and sculpture installation is in Bonifacio High Street, a high-end retail center in Bonifacio Global City in the City of Taguig. Created by the Mighty Bhutens, a group of artists based in Baguio City, the artwork is titled "Araw + Ulap + Laro = Saya" (Sun + Clouds + Play = Happiness).

In case you were thinking of asking, I have no idea what the group's name means.

See murals from around the world in Monday Mural.

Hide and seek

This is the side of TriNoma mall that faces North Avenue, taken early in the morning before its thousands of visitors (estimated at 180,000 to 200,000 daily) arrive and the streets get blocked by heavy traffic. There's a little boy hiding behind the palm tree in the foreground. Do you see him? I didn't until I uploaded the photo.

Playful

I really like the bright and mixed up splashes of color used on the facade of Eastwood Mall.

Building blocks

One of the brick walks of Eastwood Central Park, flanked by the colorful Eastwood Mall and the 1800 Building (an office building), leads to the Excelsior (a residential condominium building) across the street.

Fans

This was the scene at Trinoma mall's Activity Center last Saturday, where the young stars of the Tagalog romantic-comedy "It Takes a Man and a Woman" were having a show to promote the movie. The rail on the second level—where I took this photo—was three people deep. I'm sure the two higher levels were too. The movie opens in theaters nationwide on March 30.

Bump

 
During weekends, all the roads which lead to SM Megamall, which has three other malls nearby (Shangri-la Plaza, St. Francis Square and Robinson's Galleria), have bumper to bumper traffic. In Manila, the phrase is almost literal because only a foot or two separate cars from each other.

Transparency

V-Mall is one of several buildings at the Greenhills Shopping Center. When I was much younger, it was called Virra Mall and was a concrete block with a warren of tiny shops selling pirated software and videos, PC clones and other questionable electronic gadgets. With the new name came a brighter and airier space, and—hopefully—more legitimate merchandise.

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My Manila will be on autopilot from November 1 to 5. Be well, be good.

Look but don't touch

The mall SM City North EDSA has a waterfall flowing from its Sky Garden. Too bad no one's allowed anywhere near it.

Where are you going?

As a service to their shoppers and to the general public, most malls in Manila now reserve space in their parking lots as a terminal for public transportation vehicles. And yes, vans and utility vehicles are used for public transportation here too. They are usually "express" services, picking up passengers at one terminal and letting them off at just one other terminal. In theory, at least. Of course, if you're willing to get off a slightly moving vehicle among faster moving vehicles, you can get off anywhere you want as long as you pay the entire fare.

Respite

Because of its glass walls, the view inside the charming La Crêperie in The Veranda of Robinsons Galleria is that of the mall. Thank goodness its food is yummy.

Building blocks

The varied textures, angles and shapes at the northeastern corner of Trinoma mall.

Not real

It is summer in the Philippines and Eastwood Mall's central atrium is decorated with gigantic sunflowers. Red sunflowers may not be real, but their fiery color is most appropriate, with Manila's temperatures already hitting—and going beyond—36˚C (98˚F). Factor in the humidity and it's not surprising that "malling" (which isn't a real word, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary) is a part of our Filipino-English vocabulary.

Fancy

The lobby and snack bar of Eastwood Cinemas.

Terminal

Since the Manila Metro Rail Transit (MRT) System's last northern station is beside TriNoma mall (see previous post), the mall's management converted a portion of its outdoor parking lot into a transport terminal for jeepneys and their air-conditioned counterparts (Asian Utility Vehicles licensed as public transport vehicles). It's a service to commuters and it probably translates to more customers for the mall too. What's a few shopping errands between the train and the jeepney?