It was amazing evening to watch Passengers (2016) with Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence. Getting to the theatre was an adventure. Chad Curran suggest I write it here you go! (trust me its worth the read)
How it normally goes is we usually meet at Pickel Barrel at Yorkdale Shopping Mall prior to the movie and have a dinner where we discuss ways we can work together, strategize and share business stories. We then go the theatre get our tickets, buy popcorn, play Time Play (my favourite) then watching the movie. After is over have a small discussion and part ways.
That's not what happened on Tuesday December 27th,2016
I got a text from Sujit Reddy at 3:30pm stating that it was very busy at Yorkdale with the Boxing special and shoppers. He recommended we meet at the theatre first and get our tickets then go the Pickel Barrel for dinner.
Responded that I was leaving soon and will meet him at the Theatre
I hopped on the subway and by 4:15pm I was there. I texted him and we met at the Disney store. We head to the theatre and took the elevator near Milestones to the second floor (important point for later). We got of and we saw lot of people! Line-ups for the movie, Line-ups for the ticket machine and people waiting around for friends.
We circumvented the line and head to the ticket desk to get our tickets from our Avalon (our favourite Cineplex employee) she takes care of us all the time. Sujit get his ticket and I use the last of my Cinepoints and get the movie for free!
We head back to the elevator and head towards Pickel Barrel, for some reason we took the scenic route to the restaurant! There were just so many people we lost our sense of direction.
We took the elevator down to the Pickel Barrel and of course it was busy! Added our name to the waiting list and had a seat nearby. We were told it would take 20 minutes. It seemed longer that than. There was lots of time before the movie started at 8:10pm. It was about 5:10pm at that time.
We had conversation regarding acting, business and few other matters and eventually we were called to get seated. Sujit notified me that he had got text message that two friends he had met at seminar a while back were also attending the movie. That was great. We were at 4 people for the movie at that point.
At around 6:00pm Hashim Qaddoumi showed up he had come to our last months event for Doctor Strange. He had been battling the flu for few days and needed to get for breath of fresh air.
We were having great conversation about his digital and IT experience which was very fascination to listen to. Then few minutes later Chad Curran show up our super successful Uber Driver
This was getting good we were up 6 people potentially coming out, Our goal is 10
We all order dinner and had a great conversation. At one point Chad Curran says "I got great story to share!" I said "go ahead!"
Chad Curran explained that he was in the yonge and york mills area with passenger in the back of his car and was a red light. for whatever reason he went through the red light! He got talking to the customer and lots his sense of focus. He got pulled over by the officer and was asked if he knew what he did. He admitted to him that he knew what he did. The office ask for for licence, registration and ownership and went back to the car.
He returned a few minutes with sheet of paper that was a warning! not a ticket. He explained that it would have been $325.00 fine and demerit points.
Chad has assumed being a new driver and having a clean record mattered in this instance and being the holidays
We were all amazed. shortly after that Chad Curren went to get his ticket for the movie and returned at 7:30pm
During that time I go two texts from numbers I didn't recognize. I called them both back and came back to the table.
We settled our bills and began our journey back to the theatre. This is where the fun begins
Chad Curran took Sujit Reddy to the elevator at Pickel Barrel and Hisham Qaddoumi and I took the escalators to the top and waited for them.
As we began to walk I shared with Hisham " Wow that Chad can really walk fast!" We increased our pace. As I said earlier Yorkdale Shopping Mall was very busy!
Hisham and I went up the escalators to the theatre lobby and I could see the Chad and Sujit for the top level waiting for the elevator near Milestones to come up and meet us.It looked like there was problem with the elevator.
Hisham need to print out his tickets so I went with him to the online ticket machine. There were three of them and 2 of them were out of order! The line was about 20 people. I went to the ticket desk to see if Avalon can help us but she was busy. I thought I was budding in line, what I didn't realzie they had created a second line for people to print out their tickets, I got Hisham attention and he was getting assisted by the movie rep.
We went back to the see what was happening with Chad and Sujit and noticed they were both gone! Very perplexing.
We decided to head to the theatre. Hisham joined the line to get popcorn and a few second later. Hyacinth Smith and Min Ankh Re showed up! I told them to go there tickets and we will see them inside.
I called Suit Reddy to find out where he was, he said there was a new elevator in the new wing of Yorkdale that they took and they were in the lobby of the theatre. There were people everywhere!
Next thing you know I hear Chad saying " We are right here and he jumped up and down"
I said "I see you!"
We got connected and headed into the theatre.Go settled and enjoy the commericals
Few minutes later Hashim shows up with Popocorn and two drinks and heads to a seat in the front row.
Time Play music comes up (its a app that you can download on your phone and participate to play games for cinepoints)
At that time I was trying to post on Facebook that we were at the theatre. Sujit says "hurry up your going to miss the game"
By the time I open up the app and get the seciton I had missed the first game, finaly join in the second and third game. In the end I finished in 3rd place and won 50 points!
We watched the movie and at the end of it we all convened at the from Sujit,Hisham and Chad and Hycinth Smith and Min Ankh Re
As I group we walked out outside to the theatre lobby and took a picture infront of the Passengers movie poster. Huge thanks to Hisham Qaddoumi mobile phone and small lense camera that was strategically placed on a guard rail and nearly knocked over by two teenage girls (see below)
And with that Work Hard Play Harder Toronto movie night end for 2016. Look forward to watching films in 2017.
You can find us on Facebook and Meet up groups Work Hard Play Harder Toronto
Huge thanks to eveyrone who joined us throughout the year. It was great having be part of your community of avid movie fans.
(Left to Right) Min Ankh Re, Selket Hyacinth Smith, Jim Pagiamtzis, Chad Curran,
Hisham Qaddoumi & Sujit Reddy
