It is Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

The life-size belen

'Symphony of Lights' in Ayala Triangle

Christmas is indeed in the air!

I decided to join my fellow Arki teachers for a night of wholesome leisure. Celine fetched Faith, Maureen and myself at around 5PM and we surprisingly reached the Fort with virtually no traffic. We took a quick but filling bite at the Venetian Mall and chose to leave an hour early for the 8 PM schedule of Ayala Triangle's Symphony of Lights. We were estimating the hour was enough for us to get from the Fort to busy Ayala Avenue. Or so we thought...

My awed companions

Mc Kinley Road was in its usual heavy traffic.  Looking at my watch, we reached EDSA at 7:45.  We almost made it to the 8 pm sched but Celine's van is too high to pass Tower One's parking height clearance.  We were advised to use the open parking adjacent Nielsen Tower but when we made a turn coming from Paseo de Roxas going to Makati Avenue, the cars were already piling up just to enter the small alloted parking. Quickminded Celine took a turn at the back of Manila Peninsula and we immediately found ourselves back at Ayala Avenue and making a left towards the Greenbelt Area.  This was already 8:15. We missed the 8PM dot. 

People are jam-packed to see the show

Literally a shower of lights!

There were also shining star lanterns

Smoke machine adds drama

We reached Greenbelt 3's parking a few minutes later and when Celine was queueing for a parking card, the dispenser ran out of cards.  Had to literally walk up the vehicular entry ramp to tell the guard the dispenser was empty.  Another delay.  But luckily the next few minutes were smoother-sailing as we easily got a parking slot.  A little while more we were making our way by foot to the Ayala Triangle Park.  The 8:30PM light show was already playing when we got to the quadrangle and people were already packed, swaying, humming and marveling around the light and sound spectacle.  In no time at all it was over and we decided to stick around for the next outing. At 9 PM, the garden lights playfully flickered once more to happy Christmas music.  It was still amazing the second time around.  Afterwhich we left for some late hour shopping in Greenbelt 5.  We were already at Christmas mode! The phrase from the symphony's song- 'Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!' -was still ringing in my head. Too bad all the prices in Greenbelt 5 are way to high!

Heavy traffic, jolly music, festive lights, late night shopping, empty pockets: stuff that signify that Christmas is just around the corner looming, lurking, waiting to pounce. Beware hehehe!