The Lone Donut Motel

You know how people say you can do everything in a mall nowadays? Well, I never realized how true that statement is until this weekend.

Driving along the Kalentong stretch passing the Marketplace Mall, I was bombarded by several signs declaring the Lowest Rates for a 10-hour motel stay. Then when I actually processed what I was reading, it dawned on me that this motel was actually in the mall.

I took the pictures of the signs with my mobile phone so they’re not so great. Here's what they actually say:

10 hours Promo
Pay as low as 490 Php
5th level Marketplace Mall

Garage Parking open 24 hours (4th and 5th levels)

So the motel is in the 5th level of the mall. Guess where the movie theaters are? Well, they're in the 6th level. So, when you go on a date in this mall, it can go like this: see a movie, have dinner and... take a nap. Well, it's really your choice what you do in 10 hours. Cross-stitch? Complete a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle? Use your imagination - or not (you can be very literal too). After a good nap, cross stitch, or puzzle you may be in the mood for a little karaoke. Just a few meters away from the mall is Maligamgam KTV. For our foreign friends, 'maligamgam' means lukewarm. I wonder what message they are trying to convey. Not too hot and not too cold - the GROs wear pants and they're apathetic.

Somebody must have thought that people might think it's inappropriate to have a motel inside a mall. Check out this document I stumbled upon: Mandaluyong City Comprehensive Profile 2004. It has a portion actually giving consent for the motel to operate inside the mall:

5.07 Tourism

• Resolution interposing no objection to Asia Inns, Inc. for the operation of Sogo Hotel branch located at the Market Place, Gen. Kalentong St, this city

I bet they don't discuss it in city government meetings when a restaurant wants to put up shop in a mall :P

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I just noticed a couple of things about Manila Managed Services group:

1. Women out number Men 2 to 1. Interesting especially after reading this article. Amazing how similar and yet different two cultures can be.

2. Our people are either really shy about taking the last piece or they have a natural aversion to donuts. A lone donut has been sitting in our area for almost a week now.

Might be because of this: 48 Ways to Know You Are Filipino

40. You eat every last grain of rice in your bowl, but don't eat the last piece of food on the table.

It's not right to treat donuts this way. Isn't there a Donut Abuse hot line we can report this to? Homer would be horrified.

The Lone Donut Journal (Day 5): It's been five days since I was abandoned. I think I saw someone peeking through the gap of my box. He must not have seen me as I was in the far corner. Was someone really there or am I seeing things? I think I'm going crazy. No one wants me. I feel like there's a hole in the center of my being. I feel incomplete, like something is missing. A munchkin! I need a munchkin!