at your service

i was at the SM Megamall Supermarket last night to horde on C2 litros when it happened.

suddenly, a voice came over the PA system, "Attention SM Shoppers: This is our purpose..."

after three claps, every sales person on the floor raised his/her arms and shouted, "At your service!"

and then they went back to whatever it was they were doing before the "announcement".



now i have some objections to this apparent customer relations propaganda engineered by our friends at SM. first, the grammar is incorrect. second, anytime i am suddenly affronted by three claps and a caterwaul, i do not feel i am being served. (somehow, the emotion is more akin to being taunted by the opposing team during intramurals.) third, it is a humiliating exercise for any person -- sales or otherwise -- to go through.



SM, is this going to be a regular thing now? this "announcement"? it's bad enough that every mother's day, you have your sales persons sing to motherly-type customers at the cashier's. ick.

Switchfoot is coming to Manila!!!

mark your calendars, kids: 10 sep 2007 at the cuneta astrodome. check this site for updates.

trainspotting

Baby Dawn was Sick boy's bairn, aye? quite sad rrrealli. find oot what "Trainspotting" gadge ye are herrre.

a month more

i'll have a month more of you, ortigas.



... of your lovely architecture



... of your gravel-laden parking spaces



... of your unfinished twin obelisks



... of your spikey plants

i'll have a month more of you.

bumped into rhoda

yesterday i was walking up and down emerald avenue trying to get a cab. it was around 6:30 and i should have been in makati at 6:00. an itinerary is hopeless in this city when it involves a cab ride. it also didn't help that it was cold and rainy.

and then a girl blurted out my name from that golden strata 3000 building. funny that my mind immediately assumed it wasn't me being called out. for more than 2 years now in this city, i still thought nobody i actually new would bump into me in the street. it was rhoda macachor.

rhoda was as sweet as ever. she got a superb job that sends her all over the country to train people. how perfect is that for her? the next day, she was leaving for zamboanga. it also turns out that she's living with joy marpa and jotay somewhere in mandaluyong. i hope i can see them soon.

notes on a scandal

i've been telling people to go see this film. judi dench scared the hey out of me.

(something bizarre: the afternoon i bought this dvd, i was listening to paolo nutini. i got home and saw gerald butler get a stunt award for 300 on tv. and then i saw 'the last king of scotland'.

i thought the scottish connection would end, but then i put this film on and was shocked -- when you see this film, you'll understand why.)

trinoma

trinoma isn't a mall. it's either a resort with a lot of stores or a big store with an even bigger garden. you walk around never far from the sound of water trickling in some made up waterfall. in every bend, beautifully landscaped foliage. at night, fog effects hover on the waters.



centuries ago, men built hanging gardens for the gods, huge monuments to departed wives, or bejeweled halls for noble heroes. today we just ask the architectural geniuses from ayala land to build us the commercial centers of our dreams. all for a better shopping experience, why else?



trinoma means 'triangle north of manila'. the mall is quite spacious with snaking walkways here and there. as of writing, around half of the stores are already open, including a pretty little starbucks upstairs.

now i've something to see in QC aside from UPD and grill queen at teacher's village.