AZURE HEAVEN TURNED HELL

Earlier this evening as we were heading out SLEX, I realised myself getting stressed and anxious as I saw Azure.  What used to be a haven of relaxation for me, my family and friends, has now become a source of anger and unease.  I am very displeased with Azure's PMO!  What used to be minor irritations have become all out feelings of disgust and outrage.  It began with small annoyances like:

1. Security guard as we enter Azure merely stops us and asks for our unit number and name while writing it on SCRATCH PAPER.  Upon turnover, they asked for the plate numbers of our cars.  So I ask, WTH was that for? Where's the guard's list for cross reference?  Or better yet, why not issue car stickers instead??

2. Upon entering parking, they will ask us for the unit number and unit owner's name again.  Then what? No cross reference! No nothing.  So WTH was that for???

3. Upon entering the lobby, they will ask for the same details AGAIN!  At this point, I think the receptionists should have an idea of who the unit owners are. The first few months after turnover, they kept asking for the move-in form which we accomplished with the turnover people.  I expected them to be more organised than this since they have different departments to handle everything.  Apparently NOT.  No coordination at all!  You expect us to do that for you or go through the hassle of going to their office and accomplishing that form again???

4. Those stupid baller ID's upon registering for pool use that we have to return or else suffer the fine of php500.  Haven't you guys heard of those waterproof paper bracelets?? I'm sure those cost less and if you happen to charge us a measly php20 to cover that cost, it's better than the HASSLE of those baller ID's.  And btw, where do those php500 fines go?

5. Poor concierge at the Paris Beach Club.  Poor verbal skills, poor hospitality, poor appearance!  If PMO likes to boast of Azure being a high end destination, I suggest they hire people to play the part! And what's with the attitude??  I believe these receptionists aren't in any position to snub ANYONE...guests and unit owners alike.  I wonder if this is lack of experience, breeding or just plain proper direction from their superiors...which I later found out to be true.  I guess they were just following the examples set by their bosses.

These things, to me, are ''small'' annoyances that I can forego since it's just a matter of personal preference.  That just maybe it isn't really the SOP of most establishments.  This was until a couple of days ago when I was approached by fellow unit owners from Azure regarding a memo that clearly struck a (BIG) nerve and caught everyone's attention.  

Upon seeing this, I was pissed.  I thought to myself: This is so unfair!  Is this even legal???  So I sent this, along with other documents I had to Aggy so she can review the validity of all this.  From there, we composed a letter that I handed to Ms. Flores, Asst. General Manager.  

Before heading to her office, Hernan, from our Azure group, asked if he can come with me so I said yes.  When we got to Ms. Flores' office, she was there so we sat down and spoke to her. This is how it went (what I posted on fb, reported what happened in the meeting to fellow azure unit owners):

Ok, where to begin...will try to remember key points discussed before commenting...

Chris where'd you get the memo? She (ms flores) was defensive that this hasn't been released yet and that they're only implementing the membership card come may 1st which is php150 at cost.

The membership card is based on the allotted number of unit owners per unit (ex. 3 for one bedroom) so that those bearing this will no longer need to register.

Ms. flores opened a powerpoint file while we were discussing all these...

She said the allotted guests has been misunderstood so therefore it's really just 1 guest for 1 bedroom, and not 4 at a time.

Note that they are really pushing to eliminate airbnb or daily rental at azure. There were examples in the powerpoint showing airbnb postings that were done in poor taste...then she refers to one post in tagalog at php2500/night. She said they even came across a blog bashing and complaining about azure. There was an incident of a guest wearing a duster at the swimming area and when dissuaded by the guard, yelled, "ay nagbayad ako ng 1500 dito! etc" thus, making a scene. There were even couples caught having sex on the beach, stairways, etc. caught on cctv that they'll be glad to show us as proof. Then she goes about how some unit owners living in azure are complaining that they want to use the amenities but couldn't because the beach was overcrowded. I told her that's just a handful of unit owners since majority aren't living there or even in the philippines. 

When the powerpoint passed through the 2000-2500 guest fee, I commented: "ang bastos naman ng 2500 na guest fee na yan" then she just said that's the reason for the "orientation" this saturday, to discuss and gather feedback from homeowners. (Why call it an orientation when we haven't really agreed to anything yet???)

We already started discussing these things as we sat down so I handed the letter I had at the middle of the conversation.

Hernan posted some comments about maintenance then she said that's why pmo is implementing this...to avoid delapidation of facilities and fall of real estate value. (hello! isn't that their job? to use our money/monthly dues for maintenance of azure?!)

Paper bracelets will replace the baller bracelets soon. I also mentioned the car stickers and she wrote it down. Then she mentioned one unit owner suggested they rent out tables for say 5k per day to guests just so "hindi sila pakalat-kalat".

Ms. flores said there's just too much people. That's when Hernan mentioned being there during holy week and asking reception how many guests were there. It was 900, not even half of the 2000 turned over units. She kept on mentioning their worry of overcrowding and maintenance but didn't they foresee that? That's when I told her my example...if I was there with my family, there'd be 3 of us. And if we lived there, we will definitely use the amenities EVERYDAY. When we're not there and I have guests over, there's only 2-4 of them, 2-4 DAYS a month! It's the same amount of people so why are they complaining? That's when I brought up the Novotel article. She said, baka sa north yan. I said, no, it specifically said bicutan. Then she said she doesn't know anything about that.

After all the explanations, she said "that's why I'm surprised with the violent reaction of some unit owners". I then said, we react violently coz for the longest time, ok lang kami ng ok but now this is just too much!  

-----end of fb post-----

Exclusivity of Azure amenities to unit owners only, you say? Here are the articles:

http://manilastandardtoday.com/mobile/2014/11/23/accor-launching-six-hotels-go-hotels-to-open-nine-outlets

C'mon! WTH is this???  You have NO IDEA that this is happening?  You're gonna open a HOTEL to share OUR amenities EVERY DAY and yet we are supposed to limit our guests???

As far as maintenance goes, we are paying php120/sqm per month for our units plus php1500 for parking PLUS other quarterly fees.  I believe this should cover whatever maintenance expenses you're whining about!  

    

Bottomline azure employees, DO YOUR JOBS!  Seems to me that you've been spoiled with how seldom people walk in or use the facilities that the few times you were flooded with people, you blame and make unit owners responsible (suffer) for your INCOMPETENCE! 900 people, one holiday, then you give us this!  Do you forget how many buildings are yet to be built and occupied in Azure?? Smarten up folks and get your asses in gear!

Ardat Lile

The monster woke up and decided to knock on my door. Its treacherous grin masked with a fairy's sweet smile. Ignoring my better judgement, I let it in with arms wide open. I was seduced by the devil's deceitful songs and false rhymes.  Only to wake up drenched in mud and an abyss of terror.  I plead for release but it's too late now. Its talons deep in my spine, while its fangs spread poison on my veins. As the rainbow fades to black, I pray for rain.  Rain to wash away the darkness and dirt from my peers' eyes.  So they can see what lies beneath this villain's veil, and escape the massacre to come.  As I lay down with my last breath, I accept the fault of my careless choices, hold deep regret and curses.  I pity the ogre that doesn't sleep and can never find peace, for it lives in its own horror and will never live happily ever after. 

Negative results = Good vibes

Have I been a good girl the past few months?  I am guilty of some late nights, unhealthy food and lack of exercise...so I dreaded the results of my tests.  My last check up was in August 2014.  I thought the next check up was 6 months after, but apparently, it should've been after 3.  So, come my first checkup after a looooong time, Dra. Cocos asked me to get some tests done: pap smear, ultrasound, sonomammogram, and ca125.  I managed to get the pap, ultra and ca125 done within the day.  I had to wait for a couple of days to get the sono done since the technician wasn't there that day.  Instant gratification with the ultrasound and sono coz they told me right there and then that I'm okay and there's nothing to worry about.  It was my first time to get a sonomammogram and they kept asking me if I've had a mammogram before...Never.  They kept on saying that I should get a mammogram first before getting the sono, but when I showed the doctor's request, they gave me the song anyway.  It was my first time so I didn't know what it was.  It's just like ultrasound but focusing on the breast.  She put some gel and basically thoroughly scanned my chest area.  From the left armpit, up and down, to the breasts, to the right armpit.  I was very relaxed because the technician was a lady and was talking to me.  Although I'd get scared whenever she paused at an area, stop talking, and ogled at the screen.  After she was done, she said, "You're clear.  There's nothing to worry about." Whew, that's a relief!  I was happy and didn't mind having sticky breasts after! Hahaha!

We came back a week after to get my dreaded ca125 results and meet with Dra. Cocos again but when we got there, the results weren't ready yet.  It got held up because of the long weekend when the Pope arrived.  Another week passed (which is today), we came back.  Mark and I were half wishing the result wasn't there yet but when the lady handed it to us and I saw my score, we sort of shrieked a little and giddily went out of the lab.  

I really didn't worry about the pap smear results because I didn't realize how important it was until Dra. Cocos read the results to us.  I thought it was just one of those tests that women regularly have to see if they have yeast infection or something.  Yeah, that's how ignorant I am about these things because once upon a time I hated going to the doctor/hospital to have myself checked.  It's never too late.  Fortunately, the pap results were very good as well!!!  So we were all very happy.  I felt like a million bucks!

What next? Clarifying every how many months do we really need to go back for a check up. We settled at 4.  Dra.'s parting reminders: stay away from meat and sweets!  She never gave me any maintenance meds or supplements after my last chemo because she'd always say, "kumakain ka naman"...hahaha, pretty obvious with the figure and fb posts I guess.

I still can't get over my ca125 score. It feels like getting a 1.00 grade in UP, that's how I feel!  Now, how do I maintain it?  I feel so inspired to get a lower score that as soon as we got to the grocery from the hospital, I loaded up on veggies and fruits.  I feel so energized that I'm looking forward to exercising tomorrow morning.  And yeah, I'm ready to give up beef and pork again.  Wattaday!  :)

     

Think Big, Do big (proust questionnaire part 1)

Before the onset of the long weekend, I was working on this post when water spilled all over my laptop!  I was furious that I had to redo this, but thankful that I was only on question number 2.  Nikki forwarded this questionnaire to me months ago and I find that now is the perfect time to answer it…

My idea of perfect happiness is the absence of everything I hate or dislike.  It is not a perfect ending or summit to be reached at one point of my life.  Instead, it is any given moment that everything seems perfect to me.  It can be as simple as time alone in my room, temperature just right, no worries, and no physical pains.  It can also be moments of laughter with Mark and Xavi or a sumptuous lunch at Tagaytay with mama and papa.  It doesn’t have to be picture perfect either.  It can be celebrating the end of my chemo sessions with family and friends…inspite of my baldness and weight gain.  I guess it’s a frame of mind.  I used to think perfect happiness would come when I’ve achieved all my goals: a successful career, a house, a car, getting married, having children, and so on…but I realized life is just too short.  Why wait for that tomorrow that might never come?  Why wait to achieve this or have that just to be happy?  Live in the now!  Perfect happiness need not be so grand, it can be as simple as taking a looong shower after playing badminton. 

My greatest fear was crossing narrow bridges…I still fear it, but it’s definitely not the greatest.  My greatest fear is death.  This isn’t about fear of what the afterlife has to offer, but fear of what will happen to those I leave behind.  I am scared of what will happen to Xavi when I’m gone.  I want to see him graduate college and get accepted in his first job.  I wanna be there for him if he gets his heart broken or needs to nurse a bad hangover.  I wanna see his perfect happiness unfold.  I want to be there to support and take care of him until the time he can really stand on his own.  This comes from imagining how my life would’ve been without the support of my parents.  I am so grateful they’re still young and in good health.  I don’t know how I could’ve gone through the past few years without them.

I hate my tongue…it can go on and on and say the most hurtful things.  I used to think it was my temper but I realized that I can get pissed and not lash out at the people around me.  I can blow off steam in other ways that do not involve others…workout, walk out, cook, a LOT of other things except nag and talk.

I used to hate slow people, with some exceptions of course (like pwd’s and senior citizens).  This usually occurs in restaurants, cashiers, slow cars, etc. especially when I see there’s no reason to be slow.  I am impatient that way.  Mark and I have this mantra, we do not line up for food.  Number one, it’s a waste of time.  Number two, we’re here to spend money on your restaurant/establishment and this is the first thing (bad service) we get?  Forget it.  But now, what I hate most about some people is their incapacity to be sensitive.  Having gone through the past 2 years, I’ve had a lot of emotional and psychological lows.  Hearing insensitive things hurt me, then make me angry.  How can you tell me I’m fat instead of say how glad you are that I survived chemo?  How can you tell me that we lost Luna because we weren’t married yet, and God hasn’t blessed our union??  Ugh!

I used to admire my lola when I was younger.  Seeing how she raised 4 kids on her own (my lolo died when my youngest aunt was still a baby), put them in good schools, managed her own business, and was still glamorous.  All this faded away when I got older, realizing that success doesn’t equate to happiness.  To me, it doesn’t matter how successful a person is or how many friends he has if he has bad relationships with his family.  This is a deal breaker.  I believe that if I can’t get along with my family (the people I’ve lived with since I was a child), then something’s wrong with me.  If I can’t get along with them, chances are, I won’t be able to get along and live with other people.  Of all the people I know, I admire Mela.  She has shown me that you don’t have to go through all the crap I went through to be understanding and sensitive.  You don’t need to get married and have a child to be responsible for other people.  You don’t need to be greedy even if you’re ambitious.  She is strong to a point that I want her to cry sometimes, just coz she deserves to have a break and I want to be on the receiving end for a change! Hahaha J

I used to splurge on designer bags as a form of investment but now I challenge myself to bigger things.  My greatest extravagance right now is getting a new car.  We don’t really need it coz we already have 3, and my other car is fairly new.  So why get this car?  To me it’s a symbol of career growth.  Living comfortably and having everything we need makes me lax.  Seeing this new car will remind me of the monthly payment and urge me to work more.

I am currently ‘’thinking big”.  Thinking of ways to make more money, more happiness, more quality time, more ways to live a fuller life.  I used to distance myself from stress, so I went for simpler and little things.  But I still got the big C.  So now it’s time to be more responsible and disciplined, it’s time to grow up.   

Sick & Tired

As I was walking away from the MAC service center, I wanted to start sobbing and screaming! I was so frustrated, pissed, harassed, and just sick and tired of being hassled again with something I didn't do! Many times have I ended up taking responsibility, dealing with/fixing, and suffering the mess of other people! I really hate it!!! Being stuck with the inconvenience, and moreso, the bill!  Today it's my laptop being drenched in water. Even if it's so darn easy to get a new one, I need all my files!  That will take 96 hours before I can open my laptop again and, hopefully, still retrieve it.  This is my livelihood here, not just photos or silly games!  If I leave it with the repair shop, that'll still take atleast a week.  I keep on gritting my teeth and breathing deeply just so I won't burst into tears or rage. I'm already getting a headache and some muscle cramps. I have this weird tendency to tighten my calves or feet when I'm holding my anger in.  Thoughts flashing in my mind: the presentation I need for Monday, files of my new clients, bills I need to pay, credit card, car, workhours spent on tons of designs in the past, etc.  Then I zone in to "car"...A couple of years ago, my car got totalled.  And yeah, not by me.  It was such a pain coz I had to endure the loss of that car!  Slower moving or even declining some projects, having to commute, checking on the car, having a terrible repairshop since I didn't have that much money to have it fixed.  I super hated it!  Since then I vowed not to borrow other people's car unless I can afford to totally pay for it and have a replacement incase something bad happens.  It seems that some people take forgranted or even fail to grasp that I am REALLY inconvenienced and even lose income because of these things.  I am tired of the lack of consideration.  Or maybe it's my fault. Maybe I should whine and complain more so as not to give the impression that everything's so darn easy!  My work is "easy" because I love doing it and I manage my time and resources well.  I like looking at it as part of my life and not just some task or job I have to do.  That's why I'd gladly say, "I went shopping today" or "stayed up all night finishing a design", as if it's for myself. Instead of whining about the traffic, lugging around tons of stuff in a mall, not having enough sleep, I choose to see the nice things about what I do. I've lived by what my dad told me a looooong time ago: "Work smart, not work hard".  I believe that if I plan everything well enough, this is possible.  So if I wanted less workdays in a week, I'd visit several sites in a day and even save on gas and toll.  When I had to finish several commitments one Christmas season, I hired a driver to save time finding parking between locations.  I delegate, even if it means less or no profit for me.  Working smart doesn't mean giving a half assed job.  It's about being practical and efficient.  So yeah, if I have a lot of time on my hands, it's not because I have nothing to do but because I set it up that way.  I learned early on that I need some quiet/lazy time when I can regroup.  That's why I often cram and set all work on consecutive days so I'll have nothing to think about after that.  I hate it when people just dump stuff for me to do as if I have nothing on my plate, making sudden plans like I don't have a life.  I am freelance but I do have deadlines too you know.  Maybe they don't think of me that way but it feels like that when I already have an hourly schedule planned for the next couple of days.  Whoa! What a release! I feel a little better now.  I think my real problem is saying "NO" or asking for help.  That if I refuse, they'd think I don't know how to manage my schedule.  If I ask for help, I can't be relied on or irresponsible.  If I whine, I'm weak, dumb or unresourceful. Enough looking good for now, I need a break!

Forgive & Forget

The song goes, time heals all wounds…i beg to disagree!  Some people say I am unforgiving and carry much grudges.  What is forgiveness really?  What does it mean?  Forgive and forget?  Apology accepted?  Being civil?  Flashing a smile at the other person?  Befriending them on Facebook?  I don't really know any real formula here.  It's a mix of a lot of different things.  To me, it's how I felt at the time it happened.  My chemo was miraculously easy, so I tend to forget about some details and that I was ever that sick.  So I've been carelessly enjoying the holiday season, feasting on sweets, junk food, staying up late, and even having some alcohol.  And now that my check up is near, I again fear of what results my blood test will show.  Post chemo, I was tremendously hurt by some close relatives.  Now THAT, I haven't forgotten nor forgiven just yet.  I was ready to boycott X'mas eve dinner and fortunately enough, they weren't here for the holidays.  I guess the universe has a way of altering things for me nowadays just to avoid turmoil and confrontation.  There was also someone I didn't want to invite to the wedding that became a large issue because it wasn't dealt with properly.  Sometimes, it shows lack of breeding and being the bigger person but honestly, why should I suffer in my own wedding  by bending over backwards just to be nice to someone who clearly hates me?  Why should I be uncomfortable in a place or event that's supposedly for our enjoyment?  I recently thought about 'forgiving' these people to start the year right.  To let bygones be bygones and have no ill-feeling whatsoever.  But during this process, I was actually suffering more because I didn't feel I was ready to let go.  I was torturing myself by making me think that I am wrong and that i should be the bigger person and be ok with everything. To be understanding, giving, and forgiving.  But I can't.  I think I need an apology or even a small sign of being sorry for what they did.  And besides, as long as I don't need to see or deal with them, I'm fine.  It's not like I'm carrying the burden on my back everyday.  Like Lily in How I Met Your Mother, I've coined the line, "you're dead to me".  It simply means, in my world, I'd like to believe that you do not exist.  When I told Mark about this dilemma, he assured me that I was doing fine.  If letting go of those sentiments are making me suffer, then maybe it's not yet time.  There have been a lot circumstances like this in my life.  Friendships lost, then found again, while others lost forever.  I sometimes get furious at someone then, like a goldfish, forget about whatever it was and it's back to normal.  There's a certain line between being irritated or pissed and being hurt.  And I've seen that I get "hurt" when I'm disrespected in any way: disloyalty, backstabbing, lying, etc.  I find it more stressful to "keep enemies closer" so I just throw them as far away as possible.

I talk about this now coz I realize how important every minute of my life is.  It's not the same as being in good terms with everyone just to have a clean slate, but truly having a wonderful time with those who are willing to share that same experience with me.  I don't wanna waste time and space on things and people that harm me.  Time to let go of my outdated views, and therefore, expectations on family.  Keep, donate, throw...I guess my spring cleaning overextended to the people in my life, haha!         

 

                       

Stop and smell the roses

I just noticed how I've been using the word "finally" a lot these days…"It has finally arrived, I finally get to do this, That's finally complete, Finally done", etc.  I guess it's about the excitement of achieving or getting something after a long wait.  I used to be so impatient about a lot of things and tend to fast forward or hurry the process…therefore, sometimes losing the thrill in the end product.  I lost the awe and wonder.  The magic was gone.  I remember when I was a kid and I'd get so giddy and excited for Christmas day so I can finally open my presents.  Those times that I couldn't sleep coz I can't wait for us to go on our family trip.  How I'd stare and tinker with my new cellphone for weeks.  Playing with our new puppy everyday that I'd have scratches on my arms.  Times we'd go to Baguio and wish we would never leave.  Soooo many things that have lost their touch.  I wonder, have I been spoiled too much that I don't get amazed with anything anymore?  Is this about being ungrateful? Being a snob and having a huge sense of entitlement? I never did get to answer these questions but was faced with the proper words to live by: Live and linger in the moment.

I was too busy to do this before.  I kept moving too fast to the future that I wouldn't stop and smell the roses.  There were too many goals that had to be done ASAP that before I even finish the one in front of me, I was already worrying, preparing or gearing up for the next task at hand.  I was unknowingly stressing myself even if I vowed not to.  The very reason why I chose to practice freelance interior design instead of a full time job.  Time came when I had too much on my plate that I didn't have a day off.  I was working 7 days a week.  Some days were spent out on meetings, site visits and purchasing all over metro manila.  The times I did stay at home were spent on preparing for presentations that were usually all nighters.  Coming back from a vacation left me tired and wanting to go on another vacation.  Our trips have become more of an adventure/exploration rather than relaxation.  This is when I started classifying our vacations to: chill, road trip, and travel.  Travel is about exploring the food, culture, and sceneries of the area.  It involves walking, eating and shopping.  Road trips involve driving and a lot of physical activities that may include hiking, water and board sports.  We often bring a lot of "toys" and tools on these trips so that there's always something to do wherever we are.  We even created a sub classification: Epic road trip - for trips covering 1000km and up.  Chill, to me, is what a vacation is all about.  It is our "beach bunny" mode.  Unlike road trips where we're prepared to or often roughing it, chill involves lovely accommodations, lazing by the beach, tons of sleep and freedom to do, well, nothing!  

Being idle and prohibited to do certain things for months the past 2 years made me see a lot of wonderful experiences I've had that I wish I could've enjoyed and savored more.  Yeah, photos are there to remind me of the places we've been to but what's more important are the memories attached to it.  I try to keep my phone (and other gadgets) away, not think of other things, and be present to what's in front of me when we're on vacay.  I don't need photos to remind me of some of the best vacations we had because those are forever stored in my data bank…how carefree I was, what music was on, what we were laughing about, how cold it was, the color of the sky as the sun set, the amazing landscape, so much food I had, etc.  How awesome is it to reminisce on memories like these rather than look at a perfect picture and only be reminded of how I was hurrying home to finish a project, how badly I wanted to get a massage, was dealing with an irate text message, had a fever, or worse, couldn't remember the moment at all!  

After a while, I realized this doesn't only apply to vacations but every single moment of my life as well.  I honestly enjoyed my second wedding more (inspite of my medical condition) because I wasn't worrying about anything at all.  When everyone told me not to worry and assured me they got it all under control, I listened to them.  It paid off because it was the best go-to memory I had when I was on chemo :)  On our recent trip to Japan, I was struggling with the idea of making it ''worth it'' by fitting a lot of sites to visit within the time we had.  I wanted to experience snow, but this meant packing up the night before (finished at 1:30am, btw), waking up at 5am, check out of the hotel, travel for at least 3 hours to see snow, stay there for an hour, get back to the hotel in time for the 3pm bus shuttle to the airport.  This doesn't include the walk, waiting, and figuring our way around the place.  It was indeed gonna be cutting it short.  A part of me was saying might as well do it coz we're already there but a larger part of me was saying I don't want to be stressed and go home feeling exhausted and wanting another vacation.  Just thinking of how tight the schedule was stressing me out, what more if we pushed through with it?  I would've been looking at my watch every 10 minutes and wishing the train or bus would go faster instead of enjoying the ride.  I'm glad I chose not to go because Japan left a lot of wonderful memories that I really want to and will have to go back.  I even look at traffic as a time to clear my head (when alone), chat with friends (on speaker phone) or whoever's in the car with me.  I treated checking in the hospital for my chemo sessions like I was going on a chill vacation.  I again allowed myself the joy of purchasing stuff for my clients as if I was shopping for myself so that work didn't feel like work.  At home, the 3 of us don't mind watching Harry Potter over and over again because we all feel happy watching it.  We sometimes even setup seats and food watching reruns and old movies to imitate the director's club cinema with the bonus of the pause button.  Impromptu Sta. Rosa or Tagaytay trips for coffee, dinner or palengke is a luxury because it is nearby.  I mean, why subject ourselves to the traffic, congestion and crowds of going to a mall when we can just head the opposite direction?  By the time we get to Rockwell or Greenbelt, we're all probably so hungry, harassed by traffic, and tired looking for a parking spot…then the long line of getting into a restaurant? Forget it.  Overall experience is already 2/10.  I believe in making every moment count.  Whether stuck in a bad situation or on the planning stage, there always is a choice.  I choose to be happy.