SM Marikina: Bright! Very Bright!

The SM Mall near our place opened last September 5, which coincided with my birthday. For about a month before the opening, me and my family have been joking about going there on opening day. Unfortunately, some things happened and we ended up at Sta. Lucia on September 5.

It was a good thing we didn't go to SM Marikina on opening day as the place was supposedly packed. There were a lot of people checking out the new mall. Among other things, there were free film showings. Oh well. (And if I had known, I would have gone there too.)

So, finally, after more than a month and a half, I found myself going there because Globe Handiphone/Wireless moved from Robinson's Marcos Highway to SM City Marikina.

Even from the outside, it looked small. It looks a lot smaller than SM Centerpoint in Sta. Mesa. But it did have a better looking facade with the glass wall which was about a third of the width of the building, and from the first-floor to the top.

I didn't put much significance to the glass facade. Until I stepped into the building. And it was bright inside. It was very bright inside from all the sunlight streaming in through the glass wall. I did enter the mall before noon time, and the building faced south-west, catching the afternoon sun straight on. Walking around the building the northern side facing the river, also had an ample glass wall. As a general rule, SM Malls have always used bright lights inside. And the bright lighting plus the natural lighting coming in through the glass made the interiors very bright indeed.

As an added bonus, the place looked airy. But this was maybe because of the relatively wider hallways. At least, the hallways are wider than most of the SM Malls, like MegaMall, Centerpoint, Manila, North EDSA, Fairview, and Cebu and relatively wider than Southmall. It's almost as wide as the center area of SM Makati.

In terms of being light, and sunny, SM Marikina compares favorably with Ayala Town Center. In fact, the only place I've found about the same amount of natural light would be Ayala Center Cebu. And Ayala Center Cebu has about as airy an ambience as that of SM Marikina. (Amend that, Ayala Center Cebu is a lot more airy.)

Yes, I've been to SM Mall of Asia. Once. Or twice. And I don't really like it. It has more room. But the place stinks from Manila Bay's breeze and it has a sheen of dirtiness to it.

Gundam 00: The First Season

I may not have watched all the Gundam series, but I would admit to being a fan. In fact, I remember buying a Gundam model before any Gundam series was ever shown on local TV. At the time, these toys were just on display and nobody was buying them.

(Come to think of it, it seems that one reason nobody took notice of these toys at that time were because of several things: these are not Voltes V or Mazinger Z; the Gundam anime series weren't being shown yet on local TV; and/or the toys needed some assembly. I would guess the latter.)

Moving forward to 2008, and here's the latest incarnation of the Gundam series. Gundam 00 is still mecha, but with more neurotic main characters than ever before. Sure Gundam Wing had four boys who were each loners and neurotic, but in Gundam 00 the main characters are not just hung up with something, they're also bishounen types.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I've always thought that the bishounen was a counter-foil to the protagonist. Much like the noh drama having a shiite (protagonist) and a waki (antagonist), the characters have masks which portray the emotions or thoughts of the role. Here, much like the noh drama, the counterfoils also have their own sidekicks. And there's a musical interlude every so often.

This is not a bishounen fest (nor a babe fest, for that matter) but for the most part there is more technical emphasis on the mecha than in most anime or even compared to earlier Gundam sagas. And the machines are more vulnerable Gundams.

There is however quite an emphasis on being slightly large, though still within the norms (I think). The tech girls are have big boobs. At least that's two girls with big boobs out of three in the cockpit. And the main strategist is tall and sophisticated, she has her own mini-bar, in her quarters, on Ptolemy which is a mothership and control center for the Gundam fleet. The guns are also slightly large. Or in the case of the sniper (called, fittingly enough, "Lockon") a very big sniper gun. Big! Really big!

As a mecha series, this is violent. But some of the characters are more violent than others. I would say that there are some who are certifiably insanely violent, and they're on both sides of the fence. Real psycho types. Though I would respect them more than the other types who are too cool under pressure. Cold blooded with ice in their veins. And two of them are girls.

Oh, and one schizoid.

Yes, I like the graphics. Yes, I like the story. Yes, I like the series even without the great graphics or the immersive story. So sue me!

The second season is soon to begin in Japan. And the first season is about to shown in the US.

This series rocks!

Wearing the ring... Again

I never really knew my wedding ring was kept since I had it repaired (altered? enlarged?) but I was pleasantly surprised when I found it again. I was rummaging among some of Lilia's things trying to find a pair of scissors. And among some of the knick knacks were the rings we've had repaired.

I wasn't really trying to find it. And was not really thinking of wearing it. But it was there. And I wore it. It's now of a good fit, but a bit tight going through the knuckle. I should still be able to take it out anytime I want to. Just needs a little bit of getting used to. And I need to remember to take it off every so often. Or maybe not.

Yes, finger still hurts a bit till now, but, at least, the ring is not pressing on the finger anymore.