North

I did some last-minute shopping yesterday and saw this charming Christmas Village at The Block in SM City North EDSA. You wouldn't believe how long I had to stand with my camera at the ready to get photos of each without all the people posing in front of them.

Santa's Mail Station

Elf School

Winter Café

Nutcracker Inn

Frosty Shop

Challenged

I've shown you photos of the pretty rooftop gardens of Trinoma mall here and here. Right across that huge mall is another huge mall, SM City North EDSA. SM, owned by the Sy family, was the first modern mall in the northern part of Quezon City, but through the decades, it had come to look a bit seedy and it never had upscale American or European brands and shops, so the more affluent residents of Quezon City and Caloocan City still had to go south to Makati City to do their shopping. When the new and more beautiful Trinoma, owned by the Zobel de Ayala family, opened with its designer boutiques a few years ago, rich Caloocan and Quezon City residents finally had a place to shop. And since it also had the more affordable local stores, not to mention numerous restaurants and cafés around its green terraces, Trinoma pulled away quite a lot of SM's customers. So SM City North was forced to renovate extensively, building The Block then razing The Annex to the ground and rebuilding it. It also built this Sky Garden above what used to be its open car park. The Sky Garden opened the week after I took this photo. Next time I go to SM City North, I'll try to walk down its 400-meter length just to see what's there.

Steampunk details

I was so curious about these things when I noticed them at SM City North EDSA mall that I just had to come up to them to find out what they were. And yes, take pictures. I like how they look, peeling paint and all.

An air conditioner vent at the Sky Dome amphitheater.



This looked like it could have been a WWII bomb or a telescope.


But it's just an exhaust fan in the parking building.

Peek-a-boo

Another rainbow sculpture of artist Joel Ferraris at SM City North EDSA's Sky Garden, titled "Pixel Planes." The other two which I have posted in the past are Rainbow Waterfalls and Prism 24.

On being a woman

"Pistils" by Joel Ferraris in the Sky Garden of SM City North EDSA mall.

Triangle and dome

I still haven't had the time to walk through SM City North EDSA's Sky Garden, but I did pass near enough to take a photo of this triangular rainbow sculpture with the amphitheater's dome in the background. Not surprisingly, the amphitheater is called the Sky Dome. And I just thought of something: What do you call a rainbow when it's not bow-shaped? :)



UPDATE: The artist, Joel Ferraris, has informed me that the title of this sculpture is "Prism 24."

Bloom where you are planted

Of all the colorful sculptures of Joel Ferraris at the Sky Garden of SM City North EDSA mall, Bloom is the only one with a practical application. I've seen people sitting on them, although mostly just to pose for photos. Wouldn't it be fun to have garden chairs like these?

Squiggly

Remember the rainbow triangles which I posted five months ago? The Hong Kong-based Filipino artist, Joel Ferraris, found my post about it and pointed me to his own blog, and it turns out that its title is "Prism 24." I finally managed to get a couple more photos of his fun sculptures at SM City North EDSA's Sky Garden and here is another, titled "Rainbow Waterfalls." There's no real water, but I think it's appropriate enough to register in Watery Wednesday, don't you think? :)

Natural or man-made, take a refreshing dip in Watery Wednesday.

It's a jungle out there

SM City North EDSA has a fun and educational exhibit going on until the middle of the month. Titled "Safari Adventure" and running the entire length of the mall's Sky Garden, the exhibit features animals found in an African savanna ecosystem. Some displays have animatronics and audio narration, and all have informative banners. This is definitely not my clearest photo of the various set-ups, but I love how the display contrasts with the lights, billboards, buildings and Metro Rail Transit System in the background that I just had to use it.

Rat Pack

As Francisca pointed out in my DQ ice cream cake post, Halloween is gaining a foothold in Metro Manila. Especially in the South, villages decorate for the holiday and kids go trick-or-treating. And what's driving it? Commercialism, of course. Hotels have parties for both children and adults to increase room and banquet sales, and malls are decorated to the rafters, have special shows and even allow children to go trick-or-treating among their stores. This trio—born of a marriage between a ghost and a pumpkin, apparently—was greeting shoppers at SM City North EDSA mall's Sky Garden. Somehow, they reminded me of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra.

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.

Westward Ho!

The Sky Garden of SM City North EDSA has a covered walkway which links all of the mall's buildings. I've never seen one, but it reminds me of historical American West covered wagons.

Philippine Independence Day

Today, 12 June 2008, the Philippines is celebrating its 110th year of independence from Spain. Even the malls got into the action—with Independence Day sales and decorations using the colors of the Philippine flag. This is what The Block at SM City North EDSA looked like over the weekend. I know this is a cheeky way for me to mark our independence, but I just couldn't resist.

Crazy drivers

Have I already mentioned that Manila's traffic can get really horrible? This is at the corner of North Avenue and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), where two large malls are located—SM City North EDSA and Trinoma.

The war of the malls

When I first wrote about SM City North EDSA mall's Sky Garden, I mentioned that it was a response to the challenge of the more beautiful TriNoma mall, with its lush plants and numerous water features, which opened right across the street. The Sky Garden has some ponds too, and Starbucks opened a branch right beside one, like it did in TriNoma.

Natural or man-made, take a refreshing dip in Watery Wednesday.

From Italy, by way of New York

The elaborate paper tole map of New York City and funky lighting fixture of Napoli Pizzeria Ristorante in The Block at SM City North (a mall). The World Trade Center towers are still there, but written underneath its name (which can't be seen here, sorry) is 9/11/2001.

Manila hemp

During Spanish colonial times, one of the most important export products of the Philippines was marine rope made out of abaca (Musa textilis) fiber, known worldwide then and now as Manila hemp. It proved to be more flexible and resistant to salt water damage than rope made out of hemp, to which it has no relation whatsoever. Classified as a hard fiber, abaca is one of the strongest and most durable natural fibers in the world. Its pulp is used to make specialty papers for tea bags and money. It is also used widely in Philippine handicrafts like furniture, rugs and carpets, clothing and fashion accessories. This Filipiniana dress designed by Jontie Martinez, part of the Maria Clara exhibit I caught at The Block at SM City North EDSA, features a kimona (the blouse) and panuelo (the shawl) made out of abaca. With today's technology, textiles using the fiber can be as delicate and smooth as silk but it was the rough texture of this piece—its 'naturalness,' if you will—that caught my eye. Amazingly and wonderfully, the coarse-looking cloth proved to be very soft and smooth to the touch.

Retail therapy

Many of the largest malls in Metro Manila have a section dedicated to health services: clinics, skin care centers, gyms and such. Healthway has clinics in several malls (this one is in The Block at SM City North EDSA) and it offers medical, dental and skin care services. And these are full services—they have general practitioners (family physicians) and specialists, including surgeons and anesthesiologists since they have several small operating rooms for minor procedures. I've used both their doctors and dentists several times and I'm quite happy with their services. If your medical insurance doesn't cover them, they have inexpensive annual packages that are good enough for general health care. I like the fact that they're located inside malls too. Aside from being open seven days a week, if I have to wait for a doctor to arrive or for the results of a laboratory test, I can relax at a café or go window shopping. And after spending a couple of grueling hours in a dentist's chair or being poked and prodded by a gastroenterologist, what better way to reward yourself for being a good girl (or boy) than by doing a little shopping?

A roc's wingspan

Persia Grill is one of many restaurants on the Sky Garden of SM City North EDSA mall. I must say that my husband and I weren't impressed with the food we ordered, but I do like their sign and lanterns. If someone can tell me what this creature is supposed to be, I'd really appreciate it.

Bejeweled

Another Filipiniana dress from the exhibit that I caught at the SM City North mall. The butterfly sleeves, simpler neckline and contoured bodice identify this as a terno. Traditional dresses such as the terno and Maria Clara are still worn by Filipino women nowadays, but usually only during formal occasions. However, this is also the first time I've seen a terno's sleeves made completely out of beads and golden ornaments. This fantastic creation is the work of David Ocampo.