from the sm mall of asia, specifically.

i guess the adventurer/shopaholic in me didn't really give up without a fight, so i found myself traversing the metro on a saturday afternoon just to visit the mall built at the farthest location possible. so far away that they had to extend the coastline just to fit the extension of edsa built exclusively for it. since i would be going into unknown territory, i had to rendezvous with migz, kiki, deonne, wilson, and karen at robinson's place. poor robinsons, being relegated to being the meeting place for going to a much cooler mall. that, and being an airconditioned walkway from pedro gil to faura. but then, that use makes it more valuable than all the other shopping complexes put together. except this one.

i'm happy to report that the mall of asia does not disappoint. my humanities ii prof will be glad to know that it isn't a plain, boring box of gray jutting out of the bay this time, but an artistic work featuring flowing curves, graceful folds, and immaculate design elements (think sydney opera house meets somewhere with nice open spaces). the sprawling 4-building complex comes complete with fountains, open-air balconies (which are unfortunately scorching with the weather), marching bands, baywalk extension paths (with matching tile!), clowns, theater-like plazas with sunset views, shuttle trams (train-train, as miki puts them), fireworks displays, and so much more. it was a veritable fiesta in there, practically a high-class mall. practically. mr. henry sy obviously didn't spare any expense on this project, and are we glad that he didn't.

if there's anything about the largest mall in asia though, it's that it's too large. and way too crowded. yes, it's big enough to hold the crowd present and more, but when window shopping becomes a demanding crawl through viscous globs of people, it does detract from the charm a bit. the wait at the skating rink was nearly 30 minutes long, and all i had to show for it were aching leg joints, bruised and frostbitten hands, and a rear end that had to endure only seven flops in an hour, but that's another story. we walked around for nearly 2 hours after, and all we got to see were the outdoor areas, discounting the *other* resto strip on the right side of the main building. that only leaves the 2 floors of the main building, and the hypermarket (yes, the *hyper*market), and the department store. and now, ladies and gentlemen, that's how big the sm mall of asia is.

i'm actually a rather reserved mall-goer; i'd much rather walk down god-forsaken avenues than dart and weave between a million random faces. i'd love to come back when the crowds have thinned a bit, but seeing as how nearly half of the shops will be opening on the 30th (but are currently covered with pink-and-maroon window boards, much more aesthetically pleasing that haphazard wood scraps and masking tape, props for that) and knowing the insatiable malling beast hidden deep in the hearts and souls of every filipino, which knows no time nor place nor cost, that's going to be a long ways away.

"here at sm, we've got it all for you." that jingle hits home this time over for sure.

**edit: happy birthday tita cheryl!**