Long Day
I had to take one of the cars to the service center to have the front shock absorbers replaced. Whenever the car ran over rough roads, there would be noticeable knocking sounds coming from the front right side. After dropping off my protégé at school, I headed to Toyota Balintawak. The journey from Pasay to Balintawak between 7 to 9 AM was incredibly frustrating. Thankfully, it was Friday, and I tuned in to Jam 88.3 for their Friday Slide, where they played nothing but alternative songs from the 90s and late 80s. As Liam Gallagher's "Don't Look Back in Anger" played on the radio, I couldn't help but sing (or rather, howl) along as I arrived at the service center.
I had already made an appointment a few days prior, so everything was set. The service advisor was expecting me, the necessary parts were available, and I knew the service would take the entire day. I didn't want to commute back to Pasay and return later in the afternoon, so I prepared for a long wait. Although there was a customer lounge, I planned to save it for the last couple of hours before the service finished.
Around 8:30 AM, I arrived at the service center. After speaking to the service advisor and completing some paperwork, I left the car in their capable hands. Since I hadn't eaten breakfast yet, finding something to eat was my first priority while waiting. The nearest option was a McDonald's, which was about a ten-minute walk away from the service center. It seemed like a good opportunity to get some exercise.
At McDonald's, I enjoyed a sausage McMuffin, hash brown, and brewed coffee. They had a promotion offering a one-time refill if I upgraded my coffee to a 12-ounce cup. I wasn't sure if I'd need a refill for a 12-ounce cup of coffee, but I decided to take the deal. I leisurely enjoyed my breakfast, thinking I might visit the mall afterward. It was only 9 o'clock, and the mall would open at 10. I planned to stay at McDonald's until half-past 9 and then walk towards SM North EDSA, which was a few blocks away.
As I made my way to the mall, I suddenly realized that I had left my sunglasses in the car. Since it wasn't excessively hot, I brushed it off and continued. I arrived at the mall at 9:45, but it was still closed. Several people were waiting in front of the entrance, and only mall employees were allowed inside. Then a group of Koreans approached the guard and requested entry, claiming it was too hot outside. To my frustration, the damn security guard let them in. I confronted the guard about the unfairness, but all he could say was "Pasensya na po." I told him I also wanted to go in, but he replied that it would be another 15 minutes. It was already fucking 9:55 when he said that. Discrimination and a lack of punctuality—were these the qualities I should expect from a security guard at the most renowned mall chain in the country?
Finally, the mall opened, and the asshole security guard frisked me as if I were a damn terrorist. My pants barely fit, and now I was supposed to be hiding a weapon of mass destruction? Well, technically, I was carrying a weapon, but it was hardly for mass destruction—it was for mass-turbation.
Now that I was inside the mall, I wondered where to go next. I decided to wander around, looking at various things, until I spotted a "Now Showing" sticker on a poster for "Hunger Games: Catching Fire."
Watching a derivative version of the amazing Japanese film "Battle Royale"? Why not?
I headed to the ticket booth, and the earliest showtime was 10:55 AM. It was only 10:10 at that moment. Fine, I thought, I'll kill some time by browsing movie posters near the cinema. I purchased my ticket for Cinema 2 at The Block. However, upon searching, I found cinemas numbered 9, 10, 11, and 12, but no sign of Cinema 2. Determined, I kept looking and eventually resorted to asking a guard for directions. To my surprise, he pointed me in a completely unexpected direction. Finally, I reached the cinema, still with plenty of time to buy popcorn and soda.
I entered the cinema just in time for the trailers and those annoying MTRCB infomercials. I took a seat in the middle of the top row, which, in my opinion, is the best seat in the cinema. And then, the feature presentation began... (More of my complaints about the movie in the next post).
It was nearly 2 PM when I left the cinema. The car wouldn't be ready until around 4 PM, so I still had a couple of hours to kill. I decided to return to the service center but explore some things along the way. There was a Sanrio exhibit in the mall, so I took some photos with my digital camera. I strolled through the roof garden and captured images of various things. I refrained from taking selfies since I didn't want to look foolish taking pictures of myself in public.
Here are the
photos that I took:
Upon arriving back at the service center, the service advisor informed me that the work on the car was nearly complete. Seeking some comfort while waiting, I made my way to the customer lounge, where I watched a basketball game on the TV. A kind lady offered me a cup of coffee, which I gladly accepted. After a few more minutes, the service advisor approached me with the good news that the car was now ready.
Next, I needed to return to Pasay, where I would wait for my protégé to return from a night out with friends. We were scheduled to travel back to Pampanga that evening. Unfortunately, the journey from Balintawak to Pasay at 4 PM turned out to be another chaotic experience. I finally reached home in Pasay around 5 PM. We left for our trip at 8 PM after having dinner. One might assume that there would be less traffic during that time, but that assumption would be completely wrong—it was yet another nightmarish ordeal. We arrived in Angeles City around 12 AM. As I climbed into bed, I didn't just fall asleep; I fell into a state of unconsciousness.
Photo Credit: http://tsikot.com/hub/file/pic/listing/2013/08/bbb376b338e8e4a4ae6fa8387e3849c2.jpg
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