A friend of mine residing in Manila sent thru e-mail a batch of gorgeous photos in JPEG format. He was there during the premiere of the movie I just reviewed and said I might be able to use them..Right on, kiddo!
In the '70s, the area where Glorrieta now has some movie houses called Quad Theatres. There were 4 theatres, and if I am not mistaken there was also one called Magallanes theatre, not very far. Rustan was already there then. At that time ( up to now ) Makati stands for affluent shopping, beautiful and rich people, a far cry from the crass and dirty Quiapo crowd where pickpockets and hustlers would rob you clean. One night, when I was still studying at Adamson U. along San Marcelino, a friend and I decided to walk up to Quiapo to catch a JD bus that would bring us to Quezon City where I was boarding. Eventually, we reached the bridge and we found its pedestrian lane filled with sleeping people, just like a subway in New York. Men, women children were there. Well, someone told me Quiapo, including the Underpass is already "clean." That I have to see for myself the next time I will take another holiday to Asingan.
Anyway, Glorrieta now is the center of suburbian shopping. I can even call it an extension of world class Malls because almost all of the shops you find in NY, LA, SF and yes! Toronto are found in this Makati Paradise. I do not mind the Security person frisking my pants each time I enter the Mall, as long as he does it properly. Once you are inside, you feel secure because each store has its own guard in blue uniform, looking after your safety. Even McDonald's ( called McDo locally ) has its own guard in case some burglars would run off with some burgers and fries. Hope they won't forget the ketchup.
Now let us all enjoy these photos...
2 comments:
I have to say this, because when you mentioned those places in Manila, memories came rushing, and really, I feel like getting up now and going to manila.
Yes, Makati has always been more upclass than other social centers. My boardmate Ben and I would go there, wide eyed and ..."can people be really that white and beautiful?..." at lovely ladies, expensive cars, and rocket high prices!
As a rule, we would eat mami and some rice before going to makati, so we would be full and not, in hunger, be forced to eat at the restaurants there and be miserable afterwards and thrive on tuyo and canned sardines for the rest of the month.
And we loved the theaters in Makati! Though it charged us much more than the average Manila theater, we came out "nakalamang!" Why? well, you know, maybe the upper class men and women moviegoers consider it below their standing, or they were brought up to be real proper and prim, but the guards at the theaters dont mind it, and there are no dividers betweenthe entrances of the theaters, so after we finished a movie, say at Cinema 1, straight we walk matter-of-factly to Cinema 3!
You are not alone! The new theatres in Toronto have 8 or 9 auditoriums. And no guards! The ushers who are just students paid minimum do not really give a ----. One can go to the washroom, which is still inside the hallway where the theatres are, then go out and go to another auditorium! You could watch so many movies until your eyeballs would pop out of their sockets!---#
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