Ah, SM North Edsa, the cornerstone of my collegiate escapades, where skipping classes and dodging responsibilities felt like an Olympic sport.

Back in the day, when the mall was much smaller, my chances of getting squished in a sea of shoppers were as slim as my chances of passing Math 100.

But oh, how times have changed. Venturing into the mall on Easter Sunday was a blunder bigger than my attempt at DIY haircuts during quarantine.

I strutted into the department store with the confidence of someone about to conquer Everest, only to be bulldozed by a woman on a mission. While apologies were exchanged, my bruised ego couldn't accept the pain away.

My grand plan of achieving 10,000 steps turned into a 10-minute sprint to the nearest cafe, where I took solace in the fact that at least some chairs were unoccupied.

SM North Edsa is indeed a majestic palace of retail therapy, a sanctuary for the stylish souls drawn to Muji, Uniqlo,Mango, etc. But for a self-proclaimed enochlophobia like me, navigating its corridors on a weekend is akin to willingly entering a human pinball machine.

Would I return, you ask? Absolutely, but only on a Monday morning, when the mall is as empty as my social calendar.

Lesson learned: malls need people like a fish needs water, but this fish prefers a tranquil pond over a bustling ocean any day.

And let's not forget, I didn't just experience a gentle nudge; I survived a full-blown contact sport session in less than two hours.

So here's to SM North Edsa, a place of wonders for the brave and the resilient, but perhaps not for the faint-hearted over-50 club like me.