Makati Work Blues

If you work in Makati, you’ll know there’s a walk way that snakes parallel to dela Rosa, takes a left turn through between Greenbelt, and Ayala, extending over Makati Avenue, taking you to the Landmark. In my three weeks working in Makati, I’d never seen it crowded with people. Unlike the sidewalk of Ayala in the morning, or after five in the afternoon, it was simply not overrun with long-sleeved tucked-in wearing young professional lads and high-heeled pretty girls donning the latest in fashionable office-wears. (I suspect mostly, bankers, or real estate agents. In a profession that has something to do with finance, selling stuffs, or maybe, they have conservative taste in clothes. I don’t know) You ask me how it feels to walk with this crowd? I feel out of place. The place feels out of place; it doesn’t feel like I’m in the Philippines. It’s an escapist paradise until you hopped on the bus, or the train. To the great City of Man, the rest of Metro Manila, with blotches of pink and blue here and then for overpasses.

Or maybe you aren’t aware of the walk way. I wasn’t until my boss told me of its existence.

On my first week, I appreciated the architecture of the buildings, almost had a stiff neck, sitting on the bus to work, looking up at them. (The bus is always crowded, and slow. Take the “Ortigas Fly-Over Crossing Ilalim” if you want to get to “Ayala Leveriza” fast. Another thing, when you ride the bus, seat yourself nearest to the window, or seat at the left side, for some reason people sway to the right side whenever the bus accelerates or suddenly halts.) I bet there’s an excellent view on the top floors of Makati Shangri-La. The buildings have a solid look, seems like earthquake-proof. Beside the walkway, there’s this art-deco building. I think it’s a hotel. Bougainvilleas hung on one of its floors, very beautiful. It seems to stand apart and on its own. Across the building, there’s a Mom-and-Pop café. Excellent empanada’s. Didn’t go there myself, but had some empanada’s delivered to our office.

Our head took me to get some office supplies. We went to Greenbelt, didn’t know where it was really. Haven’t set foot on the mall, then. Noticed a very spacious branch of Zara, I think I should get myself a shirt from that store. They make shirts for my built, but shirts cost a lot. I got to come clean, I bought a shirt with a pirated design from Zara.

Slums, Makati has slums. You could see the disparity, there’s two face of Makati. The slums of northern area, near the Pasig river. Guadalupe, and Estrella. There’s slums in there, you can’t miss it. The shanties’ atenna’s protrude past the white-washed walls, reaching up, but simply can’t compete with the Ayala skyscrapers for a piece of the sky. Damn right, it’s a poetic image. Slums.