JessicaRulestheUniverse.com

Signage. Sent by pitirpol., originally uploaded by 160507.

I have some unsolicited advice for mall developers: Air-conditioning. If you’re building a shopping mall in Metro Manila, your market wants air-conditioning. I don’t mean air-conditioned shops that you get to by walking in the open air; I mean completely air-conditioned, fully-enclosed, an artificially-cooled biosphere. Because in case you haven’t noticed, it’s hot. Or it’s raining and hot. And the air is polluted. Forget about dining al fresco or strolling in the sun—where do you think you are, Paris? Milan? San Diego? No, you’re in Manila! Deal with it.

Sure, foreigners like to bake in the heat, but in case you haven’t noticed, the locals outnumber tourists, not to mention that solar exposure negates the locals’ passionate attempts at skin-whitening. Fine, put out tables for the tourists, the smokers, the rich people who think sweat is exotic, but do air-condition your entire mall. You won’t be doing it for charity anyway, you’ll be charging your tenants. Who can afford the electric bill, if there’s enough human traffic to generate steady sales. And don’t mention environmental issues and carbon footprints as your “design rationale”—oh please, you’re full of compost.