In Manila, one can clearly see the difference between the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich in this country. Beggars live in karitons or sleep in the streets, but here are also high-class condominiums where the rich live. I lived in Malate before, and now we stayed in Bonifacio Global City. If you are from the province, the place may be very intimidating and you may be ashamed of your naivette, because the lifestyle is so different. BGC may be the richest business area in the country right now. High-end shops and restaurants litter the place, the only limit is your budget. High, beautiful towers and buildings that look like stunning works of art you don't see in the province are all here.
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Bonifacio High Street |
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Fo Guang College students at the library. |
My mother had a board meeting in Lotus Garden Hotel and we stayed there overnight. Walking through the city and going back to my former hangouts filled me with nostalgia... Robinsons Manila, Padre Faura Street, the familiar smell of pollution, the noise, all the people crowding in, the chaos...
We visited two amazing bookstores: Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street houses four floors of books, with a Starbucks cafe inside! I bought books that were not available in the bookstores in Iloilo. I finally went inside La Solidaridad Bookstore in Padre Faura Street, owned by the renowned Filipino writer F. Sionil Jose. Its just a small store with an amazing collection of classics, Filipiniana, and Historical books. I didn't find it when I was in Manila, because I frequently got lost in the city!
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"I always wanted to be in a place where the little things matter." A painting on the fourth floor of Fully Booked, BGC. |
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