Afternoon At The Town Center

How time flies... It's already been more than a month since I've been there. I've posted earlier the Stallions as a separate entry because I found them to be unique and I had more than enough pictures of them to make a separate entry. I haven't seen any mall with such decorations. At least not yet. But they're not the only ones I took a picture of. It was a lovely afternoon after all and there were lots to see. At least for me.

Stairs Towards Interesting Things. It was around mid afternoon at the time. It wasn't too bright nor the light was any dramatic. These unassuming stairs don't look like much but it's after going through them that I found some fun things. Horse sculptures, among others.

There was actually more to the place than just some artsy metal animals. I spent the better part of the afternoon exploring the place as I  haven't been here before. I found myself enjoying it like it was the urban version of cave exploration. I suppose it's my way of taking a hike.

Beneath The Cerulean Sky. After photographing a few sculptures I was getting a bit thirsty. after queuing to get my drink at a local coffee place, which was, unbelievably crowded in contrast to what I saw from the outside, I went out to sit at the chairs in front of the shop. I looked up and saw this view. Humidity aside, it was a lovely afternoon.

Misty Halls. The exterior doesn't look crowded in contrast to the coffee shop I went to. This is common among malls in the country. Some folks go to the mall for the air-conditioning. Beyond this almost empty place is the mall interior, which is full of shoppers, among others. The sunlight reflects the dust in the air giving this dreamy mood. That, along some post processing to bring it all out.

Corte De Las Palmas. Right at the middle of the mall is this lovely place. I find it refreshing to be here among the foliage. It's a lovely afternoon here with kids playing around. It helps my mood that it wasn't crowded.

Watching Rides. Stepping closer one can see that even this area is a commercial space. There is a coffee shop here and the space in the park is shared with kiddie rides among other things. The guy in blue is a Timezone personnel minding the rides that get rented out to the kids. I suppose it's a slow afternoon for him.

Inside The Mall. Just a few storeys but it's a vast expanse. Initially I found it a bit daunting to explore, but fortunately it's actually laid out simpler than I anticipated. At least it's not a boring rectangular layout.

Natural Light. The place is reasonably bright. But its not just due to the lamps that light up the place. Illumination of the area is also courtesy of vast sky lights at the ceilings.

Corte De Las Palmas. I tried exploring the mall. I think this area is a huge attraction to visitors who just want to relax in the fresh air. In fisheye and monochrome. The fisheye effect somewhat exaggerates the round layout of the place.

Abundant Greenery. Without the monochrome filter one can see that here there's a lot of greenery. There's quite a lot of plants in the area, makes for a refreshing place to hangout in during not so sunny afternoons.

Overshadowing. I tried walking around some more to get as many angles of this place that I like. This was going to be a silhouette shot. But I'm impressed with the amount of detail recovered. It's because of shots like these that I'm glad that I shot using RAW.

Afternoon Stroll. Just one of the views I saw while strolling around the place. This is like one long wide open walkway with shops left and right. It's not the place to be when it's rainy or too sunny but it's perfect on overcast afternoon strolls and evening walks.

Mozzarella Sticks. I wandered to this cafe in a book store. I thought that they were just serving coffee. Much to my surprise they are actually bigger than that. They have an impressive array of items in the menu, much more than the other coffee shops that I've been to. My particular favorite was this one. These are probably the best mozzarella sticks I ever tasted. Not to mention the generous serving. Mango shake was awesome too. They can be found here: www.facebook.com/PressCafePhilippines

Inside Looking Out. Right there at the cafe I picked me a spot right beside the window. It was looking out at the walkway outside and has a clear view of other shops as well. Along with that, I also have a great view. Some interesting people (read: pretty girls) passing by the window now and then.

The View Inside. The area isn't that big for a cafe, but it's fairly spacious and well thought of. The space can be full and not feel crowded. The glass panels complemented by the indoor lights provide more than adequate lighting without being too hot and come sunset, the warm lights take over. Not bad for a cafe in a book store.

The Menu. They actually have an interesting menu. It is more extensive than I expected and the food they serve is quite diverse. I think I haven't even explored the tip of the iceberg on their menu, so this will not be my last visit. I plan on coming back.

For now excuse me while I enjoy my Mozzarella Sticks and Mango Shake while I enjoy the view outside. I'll rejoin you a bit later when I'm done with these delectable things.

Alternatively, you can join me when I revisit next time. I don't mind having a date every now and then. Catch ya later! ;)

(To be continued...)

Steel Stallions Of Alabang Town Center

Horses made of wire, roaming around the place. I watched them all afternoon to my heart's desire.

Playing In The Shrubs. These steel sculptures almost look alive when shot in monochrome.

Okay, not really. They're just sculptures. Life like sculptures on exhibit all over the place. I was not about to let my day end without going where I wanted to explore. So, after my errand I was feeling a tad adventurous. I was in the neighborhood, the day was still young and the sun was still up. Hmm, I was feeling a little hungry too. Off I go then. I've taken quite a few pictures, so I decided to segregate them. This one's for these lovely stallions. I salute the artist/s that brought them to life. Stellar work on their part.

In Vivid Color. It almost looks sci-fi when you see these in color. Imagine these steel things prancing around.

Wild Mane. I don't recall seeing two horses looking the same. Almost each of these sculptures have their own personalities.

Here And There. There's one area there in Alabang Town Center where there's an open alley surrounded by shops left and right... And a sight of this in between.

Brown Stallion. One of the more photogenic ones, Some can be downright creepy in the wrong lighting though. Like this guy: instagram.com/p/2icSVxhVD4

Up Close And Personal. I like the small details on these things. Notice how intricately the wires were bent and welded to take shape and form.

In Action. It wasn't really moving. But this one gives me an impression like it's about to jump out of its spot and go wild. I remind myself that this is just some well made bent, welded and painted pieces of wire.

Almost Alive. Shooting in black and white gives this particular sculpture a surreal sense of almost being alive. Must be the closely welded wires that makes it look so well put together.

Another Mugshot. Even this close it gives me a sense like I'm shooting the real one.

Three Quarter View. If only shooting real horses were this easy. I like how convincing the mane is on this one.

Contrasting Twins. The black one is simply majestic with that mane. The other one looks like a mule to me. But I won't mess with it. When the night falls, it turns into this thing: instagram.com/p/2icSVxhVD4

Majestic In Color. The mane on this one is simply regal. It almost looks like a rockstar. Pepe Smith perhaps?

Swirly Horsey. This one is rendered a bit differently. Instead of the finer wires, some swirling fettuccine-like metal was used. Reminds me of what they did with that Bruno Mars "Just The Way You Are" video. Instead of a tape from a cassette. this one's purely metal.

Prancing At Dusk. As the sun begins to set and the artificial lights take over, the more life like these things appear to become.

Up Close. I can't help but want to take a ride. This one in particular looked inviting. Alas! Common sense takes over. It's not a horse. Just some wires...

The Nostril. I've never been this close to a real horse. Unlike these things where I can shoot through the nostrils up close, real horses would feel harassed and give me a good kick. I reckon that'd hurt big time.

Coming soon: Random pictures. Bleeding colors. Monochrome. Fisheye shots. And a lovely place I stumbled upon inside a bookstore.

Until then, let's get lost and wander!

Steel Stallions Of Alabang Town Center

Horses made of wire, roaming around the place. I watched them all afternoon to my heart's desire.

Playing In The Shrubs. These steel sculptures almost look alive when shot in monochrome.

Okay, not really. They're just sculptures. Life like sculptures on exhibit all over the place. I was not about to let my day end without going where I wanted to explore. So, after my errand I was feeling a tad adventurous. I was in the neighborhood, the day was still young and the sun was still up. Hmm, I was feeling a little hungry too. Off I go then. I've taken quite a few pictures, so I decided to segregate them. This one's for these lovely stallions. I salute the artist/s that brought them to life. Stellar work on their part.

In Vivid Color. It almost looks sci-fi when you see these in color. Imagine these steel things prancing around.

Wild Mane. I don't recall seeing two horses looking the same. Almost each of these sculptures have their own personalities.

Here And There. There's one area there in Alabang Town Center where there's an open alley surrounded by shops left and right... And a sight of this in between.

Brown Stallion. One of the more photogenic ones, Some can be downright creepy in the wrong lighting though. Like this guy: instagram.com/p/2icSVxhVD4

Up Close And Personal. I like the small details on these things. Notice how intricately the wires were bent and welded to take shape and form.

In Action. It wasn't really moving. But this one gives me an impression like it's about to jump out of its spot and go wild. I remind myself that this is just some well made bent, welded and painted pieces of wire.

Almost Alive. Shooting in black and white gives this particular sculpture a surreal sense of almost being alive. Must be the closely welded wires that makes it look so well put together.

Another Mugshot. Even this close it gives me a sense like I'm shooting the real one.

Three Quarter View. If only shooting real horses were this easy. I like how convincing the mane is on this one.

Contrasting Twins. The black one is simply majestic with that mane. The other one looks like a mule to me. But I won't mess with it. When the night falls, it turns into this thing: instagram.com/p/2icSVxhVD4

Majestic In Color. The mane on this one is simply regal. It almost looks like a rockstar. Pepe Smith perhaps?

Swirly Horsey. This one is rendered a bit differently. Instead of the finer wires, some swirling fettuccine-like metal was used. Reminds me of what they did with that Bruno Mars "Just The Way You Are" video. Instead of a tape from a cassette. this one's purely metal.

Prancing At Dusk. As the sun begins to set and the artificial lights take over, the more life like these things appear to become.

Up Close. I can't help but want to take a ride. This one in particular looked inviting. Alas! Common sense takes over. It's not a horse. Just some wires...

The Nostril. I've never been this close to a real horse. Unlike these things where I can shoot through the nostrils up close, real horses would feel harassed and give me a good kick. I reckon that'd hurt big time.

Coming soon: Random pictures. Bleeding colors. Monochrome. Fisheye shots. And a lovely place I stumbled upon inside a bookstore.

Until then, let's get lost and wander!

Fiddling Around Filinvest City

I got lost here... And didn't even know it. This wasn't the mall I was looking for. But I'm still glad I ended up here anyway.

Purple Frames. I'm not sure what this was about but the sculpture there at the center was certainly eye catching. It's both simple and artsy. I like it.

As some may have probably guessed, I don't go to Alabang often. I had an errand I needed to go to after lunch, and I was a tad crazy enough to try my luck going to Alabang Town Center for lunch unaided by GPS and based only on what I remembered on the map. Well, this is where I ended up. And it's not necessarily a bad thing. I actually enjoyed my short stay here.

Framed View. Well, in this case, the frames are the view. Their color of choice really stands out from the rest. It even contrasts the sky above.

Underwater. Those yellow dot things are either lights or sprinklers,
which I reckon are only activated during the weekend.

In Monochrome. Signs of fading and cracking from the elements are visible even in the absence of colors. Perhaps a repaint is in order soon?

Kanin Club. While I was wandering around I stumbled upon this cozy place. I'd recommend it to anyone into Filipino cuisine.

So Filipino. Note the lovely Filipino-themed decor. If that doesn't scream Filipino cuisine, I don't know what does.

The Small Things. I like how the theme goes as far as even including the small things. The native motif goes even into the table texture.

It doesn't end here though. After my errand I went somewhere else. To be continued...