CnC Living Travel Log: Manila Styles, part 1 of 3 – malls and churches

When you visit Manila, 2 things strike you about the lifestyle: malls and a sense of spiritualism (specifically Catholicism).

There was a very tempting Marc By Marc Jacobs store and an Escada store at Greenbelt – nicest or at least highest end mall we visited.  You can certainly tell how high-end the mall is by the shops that inhabit each mall – Balenciaga may be featured at one mall while another may have local shops.

Mr. Gadget theorizes that malls are prevalent in the Philippines because:

1) it’s a warm country and a centralized place with air-conditioning would appeal to the masses and

2) it is somewhat of a homage of sorts to American consumerism.

Interestingly enough, I didn’t actually recall too many shoppers with bags and wondered how profitable the malls actually were.   But I can see malls as a meeting point, shop windows as an aspirational escape, and the act of shopping as a family activity.  It seems natural then to have churches centrally located so families can pray together in the midst of doing shopping or eating.

Thus my little observations on malls and churches in Manila.  Onto food and styles in parts 2 and 3 …

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