Magical MCS

 

Para sa mga familiar sa Makati, ang MCS, o Makati Cinema Square ay isang local landmark.

  

When I was a kid, I remember going to the McDonalds at MCS and I remember thinking how awesome the big golden arches are. Until now, andun pa din ang McDo na yun but the ginormous arches are just memories from my childhood because progress dictated that the store renovate.

 

 

But MCS is now known for so many more things than just the towering golden arches of my childhood. Ito ang ultimate go-to para sa dibidi. Siguro it’s making up for the fact that it’s a mall called “Makati Cinema Square” at wala naman syang sinehan. Ilang beses na yan na-raid, but tinderos and tinderas are resilient, and very adaptable there. Kung malasin ang naghahanap ng dibidi nang kaka-raid lang, at walang naka-display, wag mag-atubili — meron ushers dun, and they know what you want. Parang may radar lang sila at magzo-zone in sila sayo pag may naghahanap-ng-dibidi vibe ka. 

 

 

Besides the controversial sale of materials causing economic damage to many movie studios, movie stars, producers, etc., there is another thing which MCS should be hailed for: the tiangge. There’s really nothing much different in the tiangge that you may find elsewhere, but I must say for emergency clothes, whether for work, gimik or laid-back Sundays, you can’t go wrong with MCS. It even has a costume store, and they sell anything from Wonder Woman costumes to Sponge Bob accessories.

 

 

 

Meron din ditong Superbowl… the local, inexpensive, bowling alley. C used to bowl there for inter-Makati law firm competitions. And I was the super supportive cheering girlfriend na taga-bantay ng gamit nya dahil hindi ako kampante sa lahat ng nilalang na dumadaan sa harap ko.

 

 

I have always wanted to try the firing range. Madaming nagbebenta ng baril sa MCS basement, and I guess it’s good for business to have the firing range close by. I know quite a few people who shoot a few rounds during weekends. I mean, it’s indoor, inconspicuous, and accessible. No special membership needed. Magawa nga next week…

 

 Alam nyo bang meron pang Plaza Fair doon? Yun department store? As in buhay pa yun sa loob ng MCS… I never really bought anything from there though. Parang yun style 80s pa din ang binebenta dun, and parang hindi na din napagpag yun mga damit dun since the 80s. It just makes me nostalgic I guess… I mean, PLAZA FAIR dude!?!!!

  

Ang lotto booth na paborito ni C, kahit halos abot kabilang kanto pila. That’s it. He likes it. It matters to me because he likes it. Moving on…

 

Ang mga samu’t saring kainan sa loob ng MCS ay edible naman ang mga hinahain. Pero meron doon na murang carenderia with home-cooked Filipino meals, with ulam selling at less than a hundred pesos, and with super daming rice. Malinis, mura, masarap, malapit… Winner!!!

 

Lastly, technically hindi na ‘to sa MCS, pero katabi kasi — the Little Tokyo in Makati. I am actually surprised sometimes how some Makati people don’t even know that there’s a Little Tokyo beside MCS. Yun MCS medyo madaling matandaan, lalo na kasi may rota ng jeep na MCS talaga. Kaso, yun Little Tokyo parang unless you actually look for it, dehins mo sya talaga makikita. Dito sa LT matatagpuan ang totoo, authentic Japanese cooking. There are high-end restaurants there, yes, but there are also really affordable ones. Meron pa dun resto na nagbibigay ng “Free Beer” coupons for a minimum order of Php 500… guess kung saan ako dun kumakain…

 

 

 

All in all, MCS, though it looks run down, faded, tacky, and smells sometimes, will always be a Makati landmark, and continue to fascinate generations to come.

 

 

(photos from Google Images and our awesome planet)