Putting on the Glitz: The glamour and grandeur of reflections. My entry to Reflection Hunters Contest hosted by Ma'am @olgavita.

The reflections I'll be sharing with you today were primarily captured while I was present at the Philippine Blockchain Week conference in Pasay City on September 19–21.

The inspiration struck me as I snapped a photo of my own reflection after using the elevator to convey me from the tenth floor where my room is nestled to the ground floor of the Holiday Express Inn, where I was staying temporarily, so I could walk to the Marriott Grand Ballroom, where the event was being held, due to my intense yearning to write longer compositions to be shared in the communities I joined.

The Marriott Grand Ballroom's exterior can be seen on the picture, while the Belmont Hotel can be seen partially mirrored in its glass walls. When I first arrived at the location, I was astounded by the cleanliness of the lobby where the ribbon-cutting ceremony is taking place. Just the floors themselves are beautifully cleaned, reflecting the attendees and the surroundings.

A symbolic tunnel was constructed next to the escalator that leads to the venue; it serves as an entrance and makes a great backdrop for memento photos, and it turned out to be one of the most memorable places of the event when a fellow attendee asked me to take pictures of their group. For me as a photography enthusiast, this moment seemed to be very precisely timed.

While taking a break in the third-floor lobby next to where we ate lunch, I observed that the Marriot Grand Ballroom's exterior was wonderfully reflected in the glass walls of the Belmont Hotel.

After we finished our portion of the conference for the day, I snapped a selfie with the famous architectural pillar from the grand ballroom in the background, along with the ornate letters and numerals that spell out "PBW2023."

When I returned to the Holiday Express Inn for another night, I shot another picture inside the elevator on my way to the smoking area next to the casino to relax before going to bed.

On my final day in the city, I returned to the Marriott Grand Ballroom after the event to see what it looked like during regular business hours. The venue had retained its glitz and grandeur.

Starting with the bottom floor's interiors, which turned out to be the grand ballroom's lobby and reception area and where the event's ribbon-cutting ceremony was conducted, the area was amazingly enormous, with cleanliness evident around every corner.

The venue is famous for its meticulously constructed interiors as well as the presence of both local and foreign artists' works. It also boasts new technology created to improve the experience of the events being held there, from the contemporary lighting system to apps that make conferences at the Marriott Grand Ballroom more sociable, collaborative, and technologically driven in this digital age.

The waiting area is so lovely and the sofas are so comfortable to relax in that I almost forgot that I had an appointment with the event organizers at that time because it put me in a state of euphoria as soon as I sat down.

My attention was drawn to some reflections on the well-polished floors as I sat on the couch, which at first I mistakenly assumed were works of art. It turned out to be Dalmore 25 years old single malt Scotch whisky that was on display.

My phone then rang, and it was one of the organizers asking me to wait for them at the Marriott Hotel's main building. Unfortunately, I was unable to snap interior photos of it because we were too busy communicating. However, I was able to shoot a few pictures of the place I last place I went before boarding a bus to return to my hometown of La Union, Philippines, while we dropped by at the cafe.

I can compare the setting to that of the Grand Ballroom since everywhere I look, I can see and feel a hint of the grandeur and splendor of the location.

An acoustic duo band is playing calming pop soft rock music to bring more upbeat energy and make the atmosphere more inviting.

The cafe also has a large waiting room where people may unwind and converse with their colleagues in the incredibly comfortable seats there.

As it became later in the evening, I said goodbye to the event coordinators who had been present throughout my final tour from the Marriott Grand Ballroom to the cafe and thanked them for the gracious welcome I had received while I was there.
In the same way, I'd want to thank the family of the event's originator who joined us at the café and took a photo with Ma'am Chezka Gonzales, founder of Philippine Blockchain Technology, Incorporated, before I rode a motorcycle to the bus terminal.

That's all for now and thanks for taking time to read my humble composition.

POSTSCRIPT:
How was a common man like me able to enter such a lavish location that evokes the sparkle and grandeur of the wealthy? In the year 2023, on March 18, @bloghound informed me that the founder and co-founder of #DBuzz would be attending a blockchain conference being held in the Flotsam and Jetsam Resort in our home province. Since I had the day off at the time, I rode my motorcycle to the event. Following the event's conclusion, a raffle was performed among the attendees, and I had the good fortune to win a premium ticket for the grand finale at the Mariott Grand Ballroom. Thus, I waited.

Thanks, @bloghound; to Philippine Blockchain Technology, Inc.; and to the #DBuzz team for making this once in a lifetime experience happen.