Today, I was supposed to register for an exam, a part of a great plan to give my life a little nudge and direction. For the first time in years, I went back to the Ateneo and still felt like the outsider on campus. I went to the Center for Testing office, pretended to be more confident than I really was and found out that they ran out of registration forms and could I please just come back on Monday when they would probably have another batch of it. And oh, that the Php 500 was just my registration fee and the actual testing fee was actually Php 1,400.
I was pretty depressed when I left campus so I decided to wile my time away in town. I’m a certified couch potato, so I don’t usually roam the city streets. But my spirit was at such a low point that being home and watching the local Saturday noontime shows was not going to do my mood any good.
It didn’t take me long to explore the market goods and to realize what a commercial void Zamboanga City is. One block of stores and you’ve seen them all.
While I love Zamboanga City with all my heart, it depresses me to know that I have to import the stuff I want from other cities. Our one big mall does not have variety; all other department stores look and smell the same. We’ve got tons of small Asian-ish stores that sell second-hand apparel, factory-reject toys and trinkets. And in all those things I see the faces of the Boys over Flowers cast winking/pouting/brooding/making a cutesy peace sign at me. Not that I don’t appreciate the fact Filipinos are embracing our Asian neighbors, and in the process, our Asian heritage, for that matter. It’s just so Meteor Garden all over again.
On top of that, we have no decent bookstore to speak of at all. I deplore the non-existence of an SM in my city, the existence of which will automatically bring the National Bookstore in its wake. That, and a variety of novelty shops that will satisfy my anime and DVD vices.
The thing is, with such limited shopping choices and opportunities, people get boxed in with the conventional and we get boring and rusty and dumb and retarded. There’s nothing in our stores that would wake up a weary 23-year-old mind, like say, a good book, a creative nook to hang out in or a store that encourages expression and artistry with their wares. Stores are not just there to bring merchandise: they’re supposed to bring ideas, create a vibrant environment teeming with movement and chances.
I guess what I want to say is that stores, and for that matter, shopping, be it actual or plain window-shopping, should be fun. Today’s shopping experience was far from fun. It was really kind of dreary.
For some reason, holistically keeps popping in my head. Now that is a word positively drenched in Atenean philosophy. If I shop, I need to shop not just for food and clothes, but for things that will make me holistically whole.
So please, let’s see some progress here. I love this city too much to leave it for the greener pastures of Cebu and Manila. To our local officials, please do your thing and work, like you’re supposed to. We hope to see you working, not hanging around in city events, hoping to get a bit of free airtime on tv. Please, Chinese Chambers of Commerce, stop being such a pushover. Don’t be afraid to go out and tussle in a little healthy competition. Start wrasslin’ your way to profits in this great democratic market that we have. Before I lose my mind window-shopping my weekends away.
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