Appreciating the Familiar

Twelve years after it opened, I just want to pause and capture some images of this pasyalan that my friends and family go to: UP Town Center in Quezon City.

We went here yesterday and I realized that I like the place because:

1. It has tiangge/bazaar areas where you can find a lot of cool stuff at cheap prices. Yesterday, we bought a bamboo linen spray for 300 pesos.

2. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s branch here (the one on the ground floor in front of Lacoste) has ample seats. We had tomato herb pasta, lemon torte, lemon chamomile tea, and mocha chip ice blended in the afternoon.

3. You can simply walk or sit for a while amid the green spaces. Just breathe slowly, have a good conversation, and even browse using the free mall WiFi.

4. You can do your grocery shopping at Landers or at Merkado. When you’re tired and hungry after that, get some pho, rice bowls, or refreshments at Pho Hoa right beside Merkado. We had stuffed chicken wings, meatballs pho, and fried spring roll, grilled pork, & fried rice last night.

5. On the ground floor near Toys R Us and salons, there is a Retrosweets kiosk and the attendant is nice. We got the small Turtle Pie and Sweet Caramel Cheesecake for takeout.