Brightside Entry | In The City

When I was growing up, our office (for those who don't know me personally, my parents are the founders of Ancilla Enterprise Development Consulting, Inc.) used to be on Ayala Avenue and I would spend my summers there, photocopying things and at one point, going to acting classes (I used to want to be Gwyneth Paltrow)/creative writing classes in the afternoon. Coming from somewhere like Alabang where the streets are wide and you have to drive everywhere unless you're looking to break a sweat, it always fascinated me how in Makati the most common mode of transportation was to walk. Unlike Taft or Quezon City, there are hardly any jeeps in Makati--and if any they end up in the same place: SM Makati/Glorietta, so if you're headed elsewhere keep walking (literally). When we moved our office to Alabang, a part of me was heartbroken. It was difficult letting go of the hooj office on Ayala Ave. for the smaller, more laid back one in Alabang. 

Last night, Marz and I spent the night at my sister's apartment on Rada Street (it runs perpendicular to Ayala Avenue) and it was fun goofing around until late last night and waking up at 7:00 this morning and still having time for breakfast. :) So I decided I'd do a post on the things I love about Makati apartment living while waiting for interview--which got moved to 1:00 pm, sadly.

1.) Convenience. If you live in Alabang (whether Alabang Hills, Hills Borough, Tierra Nueva, Pacific Village or Ayala Alabang) you'll know how it feels to be halfway through a movie, want chips and find that you have to get into your car to drive for fifteen minutes outside your village to get something at the 711 at Town Center or Molito. And if you live in Paranaque (BF Homes, BF Resort) you'll know how it feels to have to get into a tricycle and pay P30.00 + to get somewhere where they sell softdrinks and ice. But in Makati (or Taft, even), all you need to do is literally lift a finger--and press the down button on the elevator. There's a 711 on every corner and somewhere to eat on almost every street--whether you're looking for something affordable like the jolly jeep or something with more ambiance like The Plantation on Palanca Street.

2.) Humming. One of the things I abhor about the suburbs is probably one of the things that most people love about it--that silent-but-for-crickets type quiet. Whenever it gets like that in my room in Alabang, I turn up the radio until I'm too sleepy to think about the creepy cricketing. But living in the city, there's always somebody awake when you're asleep; there's little room for nightmares when you're lying in bed listening to the distant hum of cars below.

3.) Mosquito? Nope. Most residential condominiums have units starting at the 6th floor--this is because less bugs can get in, the higher up you are. Our condominium for instance, is on the 24th floor and so you can sleep with the windows open without worrying about anyone (except maybe Cat Woman) climbing into your building or a mosquito attack.

4.) Somewhere, A Place For Us. There's always somewhere to hang out--an internet cafe perhaps (which is what I'm doing at the moment) or a coffee shop, hell even steps leading up to a building on which you can sip your coffee without anyone bothering you. If this re-sched had happened to me in Alabang, for instance, I'd be sitting in the building lobby for hours, bored out of my mind.

5.) Time. One of the main reasons people live in the city is to get to work easily. I've never heard of anyone moving to Makati or Pasig because it's far from where they live. This gives you more time to concentrate on living your life, as opposed to spending hours and hours on buses and worrying about whether or not you'll get to where you have to be by the time you have to be there. It's an hour from Alabang to Makati, for instance--so if your work starts at 8:00 am you'd have to get up at 6:00, possibly scarf down a piece of toast, rush to the station by 7:00 am and get to work just before 8:00. Whereas if you live across the street from work, you can get up at 7:20, take a shower and have a quick breakfast and get to work by 8:00 sharp, still looking fresh. :D

While I love being in the city, one of the things that I do have to warn everyone about is the higher cost of living--you'll have to spend less, but when you do spend, it'll be more than you usually would: this applies to toiletries, groceries and heck, even Mc Donald's! (A cheeseburger in Makati is P85 whereas in Alabang, it's P75) It also takes a lot more self-discipline to live alone or with friends; there'll be no one to tell you to take care of your health or go to bed on time. You have to do things for yourself. :) So, yeah. Living in the city is fun but it must be done with great amounts of thought indeed.