Whenever we feel bored or just wanna hang out and relax, we can always count on the many establishments and malls of Ayala Land to help make us feel better. Funny thing is that we feel like Ayala has just always been there but we never really noticed how long it’s actually been. Last Sept. 16, 2013 actually marked the 25th anniversary of Ayala Land Inc., and to celebrate, Ayala Land Inc. presented the 25 Stories and 25 Surprises!
The 25 Surprises consisted of many small gestures of gratitude hosted in Ayala Land developments throughout the country. These gestures weren’t grand, but simple and thoughtful enough to make someone happy. Surprises such as a free donut or coffee made were enough to turn someone’s day around. More on that in my next article.
Moreover, Ayala Land also chose 25 individuals to share their stories in a special microsite created to commemorate the event. One of those chosen to share their stories was the Bull Runner herself, Ms. Jaymie Pizarro. Being a runner myself, Jaymie’s story continue to inspire me.
Jaymie, known to the running world as The Bull Runner, started running in 2006. Every work-at-home mom is familiar with her story. “For the longest time, I had a treadmill at home and I would walk on the treadmill trying to lose weight because I had two kids and I never lost the five pounds from giving birth,” Jaymie recalls. “The one thing that changed it all was when one of my friends said that she could run on her treadmill already for thirty minutes.” In two months, Jaymie was also able to run for thirty minutes on the treadmill. In another six months, her mounting passion for running was already looking for kindred spirits. Read more of Jaymie’s story HERE.
So this got me thinking, what’s my story? What makes Ayala Land special to me? I started browsing through my old photos and realized one thing, Ayala makes Christmas special to me.
Like most people, I too look forward to the holidays. There’s just something about Christmas that makes me feel all cuddly and sweet inside. Christmas reminds me of all the things that should matter, it reminds me of the many blessings I have despite my losses. Christmas to me can be lonely, because I’m so far away from my family, but also happy because of all the memories it left with me throughout the years.
Looking back, I realized I celebrated the past 5 Christmases in Ayala.
circa 2009
I love Christmas in Ayala because of all the tall and beautiful Christmas trees. I could never miss out on the chance to have my photo taken by the tree!
I feel sad ‘coz I could never afford to buy a Christmas tree of my own. Roaming around Greenbelt one day, I was thrilled to see their exhibit of Christmas trees made out of scrap. It was a beautiful site to see! Who needs a pine tree when you have a mind as creative as this.
Circa 2009
I can have my very own white Christmas just walking the “halls” of Greenbelt!
Greenbelt became like a second home to me without me even realizing it. It’s just now that I realize how many memories I’ve built in that mall.
Dinner at Dilingers (Greenbelt) with my family
And it’s not just about the mall itself but on how it was built to last. Ayala Land does not create buildings or structures, it creates memories and treasures. They create their malls and establishments in such a way that people would want to stay and talk. They create it not to “force” people to buy products but to create lasting memories.
Circa 2012
My Christmas memory in Ayala is not the shopping that I did, but the decors that I saw. It was not about the money that I spent, but the time I spent with friends.
One of my favorite things that Ayala does is their Christmas display at the Ayala Triangle. For several years, I wished to go see it but never had the time. Last year, I finally saw it. The music, the lights and even the crowd, just made Christmas so much more exciting! I can’t wait for their Lights Show this year!
So that’s my Ayala Land story, what’s yours? Share your story over at http://25stories.com.ph/#/share-your-story
Who knows, they might just give your story the perfect happy ending.
