We also talked about the ongoing trend among capitalists now… the idea of “micro cities”. I have somehow but not quite discussed this on my previous entry. In my previous week’s entry, I compared a mall into a city. But this “micro city” thing-y is a bit similar to my discussion last week.
Anyway, this micro city that we discussed involves the separation of the well off people from those who are less fortunate ones. Okay, so the idea is like this. The capitalists or so they say create a “micro city” by putting the essential things that a normal city has like school, malls, market place, church, buildings (offices) and residential areas into a secluded place that only affluent people can afford. This idea was borne to cater the affluent people, in this case, they do not have to go out of their “haven” and see/experience the rowdy situation of the “reality” in our country.
Honestly, I would like to live in a place such as that. I mean, who wouldn’t? You would not experience the heavy traffic and the crowded are that surrounds you whenever you are in Manila. You wouldn’t have to go to another place to buy the necessities that you need, all you have to do is to walk a few blocks from your home and voila! You can instantly get whatever it is that you need! But then, the downside on this is that you’ll be too insensitive to the need of the other people. You will be too enclosed to your own “fantasy world” to the point that you would not care about things that is going on around you. Etc.
Living in that kind of place might be very ideal. I think, when the time comes wherein I have to go on my own, I’ll choose a place where everything is accessible. But, I would still be in-touch with reality and work somewhere where I’ll be able to meet the “everyday-Filipinos” in our country. =)
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Sunday, August 5, 2007
Malls
Malls
We started to talk about “Malls” this week. And for this, we were supposed to read an essay entitled “Sa Loob at Labas ng Mall kong Sawi” by Rolando Tolentino. It was a long essay. Usually, I don’t mind reading long essays, articles, or long chapters of a book but then this one really got me occupied for quite some time. The reading assignment was, obviously, written in Filipino. And I’m not really good in understanding essays that contain “pure Filipino” words.
While reading the assigned essay for artapre, I remembered how I struggled into understanding the endless reading assignments that I had last summer for my “Sikolohiyang Pilipino” class. Those readings were also written in Filipino language so I had to read those over and over again before I finally understood the “essence” of those readings.
Anyway, I read the essay by Rolando Tolentino and apparently I had a hard time understanding its content therefore I had to read it for quite a number of times.
He basically discussed about “Kulturang Popyular” and he focused on Malls. He talked about what people usually do in malls and how these malls affect us and our economic standing, the evolution of malls (from plaza à mall), the difference between the malls of the upper class to the malls for the masses and the importance of its spaces, etc.
For me, a mall is analogous to a city because it is a place where we can do practically everything that we usually do in our everyday lives. We can do our laundry in the laundry shops, buy supplies from hardware stores, eat at restaurant booths, buy food in the grocery, purchase clothes form the various array of boutique, watch movies or play bowling for entertainment, heck… you can even work inside malls because there are call centers inside it! Probably, the only difference of a mall to a city is that malls do not have an area where people can actually build their own houses.
I don’t usually go to malls. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy shopping! It’s just that… I hate crowded areas and a mall is definitely a jam-packed place. That’s why I avoid going to malls that are fond of giving “promo contests” and “on sale items” because people will definitely hound those areas. Because of this, anyone can tell that I’m rather picky when it comes to malls. I usually go to malls where there aren’t a lot of people. I also like malls where there are a lot of open spaces and those that are in-touch with nature.
My favorite places in malls are the clothing shops (of course!) and furniture shops. I especially like those furniture shops that showcase unique style and designs. Whenever I’m inside those shops, I always imagine that I am an interior designer who is actually assigned to decorate and furnish houses. =)
calm_potion ♥
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