Ron Does Stuff

I think the last time I was in the Metropolitan Theater was when I was a freshman in high school, or maybe even younger? All I remember is we watched Ibong Adarna. Or maybe it was Walang Sugat. Either way, IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO. So when I had a chance to visit the renovated theater yesterday thanks to Komiket x Dia de Manila, I immediately took the chance.

And you know what? They really did their thing with this renovated Metropolitan! I think for more than a decade, all that I’ve ever seen of the Metropolitan every time I’ve passed it were its broken windows and the graffiti on its walls. The way it looks now is entirely different from what it used to be when I was growing up.

I even got to see other areas of the theater that I never got to see before, such as the Ballroom, which is where Komiket and other vendors were located. It’s all part of the Dia de Manila tour organized by the Nilad Community, an umbrella organization founded in 2023 to “create large-scale projects and events to promote the City of Manila.”

It was definitely a different experience manning a booth at this venue, I think because of the venue itself? I felt like I was as much a visitor as the rest of the people coming in, as opposed to the few times I’ve manned a booth whenever Komiket is at a mall.

Yesterday’s experience also reminded me that I may not be as mindful as I like to think I am. There were a number of people from the deaf/hearing-impaired community, and like an idiot I kept talking to them when they were very clearly using the notes app on their phones to communicate with me. Good thing there were other people there who knew sign language, but I could have made things easier for these people by responding using my one notes app rather than having to look for an interpreter/third party. Will keep this in mind in the future!

Anyways, check out some of the photos I took with my phone at the event!