By Pola Esguerra del Monte

One look at the milky pool of white balls inside an old-fashioned building in Makati explains why 28,069 people had already “Facebook liked” Ball Pit Manila by the eve of its actual public opening. In the photos posted on its social media pages, the playground reserved for “kid-ults” — those 16-year-olds and above — seemed like an innocent reprieve from the muddle of adult life. And, in an age of “throwback” posts, that picture of adults in a sea of snow-like balls was a promising return to a fond memory that maturity has stolen.