Bonifacio High Street
I arrived at Bonifacio High Street late in the afternoon, when the sun had just come down and the bright pink sky was slowly turning into a light shade of indigo.
That day was a holiday. I expected the place to be packed with women wearing high-heeled Gucci stilettos, men flashing their big Philip Stein watches, and social butterflies, their faces heavily made-up, with their Ray-Ban sunglasses laying over anywhere but their eyes as if to say, “Thank God I can put these sunglasses away. The sun is out and it’s time to party.” I wore my best clothes, thinking that it wouldn’t do to wear anything but the most fashionable clothes at a place as well-to-do as Bonifacio High Street.
I started walking around the place.
The name really suits the area—the place looks like a long street with high-end boutiques lining the sidewalks. Instead of an army of cars in the middle of the road, though, one may only see an expansion of green grass, where the stone fountain held up by three metal supports is located; a few water fountains, where photographers test their camera’s new lenses; and a small area with a stone floor, where children and families usually play together. People and dogs alike can be seen here. In fact, if one were to focus on only the middle road, one might think that this place was a park.
On each side of the road are four blocks. The shops are clustered into each of these blocks: B1 (or Block 1) consists of sports and hobby shops and B2, of children’s stores. The third and fourth blocks across B1 and B2, which are both identified as B3 (there is no B4, because perhaps of the Chinese belief that the number four brings bad luck) also include sports and hobby shops. Home interior decoration stores can be found in the fifth block, while the stalls in the sixth block sell men’s accessories. (Also, the popular flagship store of Fully Booked is found in B6.) B7 is where shops commonly found in Ayala Malls are located (like United Colors of Benetton and Gap), while
That day was a holiday. I expected the place to be packed with women wearing high-heeled Gucci stilettos, men flashing their big Philip Stein watches, and social butterflies, their faces heavily made-up, with their Ray-Ban sunglasses laying over anywhere but their eyes as if to say, “Thank God I can put these sunglasses away. The sun is out and it’s time to party.” I wore my best clothes, thinking that it wouldn’t do to wear anything but the most fashionable clothes at a place as well-to-do as Bonifacio High Street.
I started walking around the place.
The name really suits the area—the place looks like a long street with high-end boutiques lining the sidewalks. Instead of an army of cars in the middle of the road, though, one may only see an expansion of green grass, where the stone fountain held up by three metal supports is located; a few water fountains, where photographers test their camera’s new lenses; and a small area with a stone floor, where children and families usually play together. People and dogs alike can be seen here. In fact, if one were to focus on only the middle road, one might think that this place was a park.
On each side of the road are four blocks. The shops are clustered into each of these blocks: B1 (or Block 1) consists of sports and hobby shops and B2, of children’s stores. The third and fourth blocks across B1 and B2, which are both identified as B3 (there is no B4, because perhaps of the Chinese belief that the number four brings bad luck) also include sports and hobby shops. Home interior decoration stores can be found in the fifth block, while the stalls in the sixth block sell men’s accessories. (Also, the popular flagship store of Fully Booked is found in B6.) B7 is where shops commonly found in Ayala Malls are located (like United Colors of Benetton and Gap), while