Saturday, January 21, 2006
Davao by night
By Jojie Alcantara
THE fascinating thing about the city where I live is that it practically grows on you like your birthmark.
You get homesick when you're away. You yearn for its quaint provincial way of life set in a suburban setting. The sky is clear, the streets are swept, the air is sweet, and so is the water! It is a metropolis that is almost there, but not quite.
Well, I sure hope not. Davao is fine the way it is (at least, around 10 years ago if you count the growing traffic now). Its charm lies in the laidback lifestyle of its warm, friendly people. It's the kind that annoys Manileño employers who think we're so lazy and carefree for being this way.
And yet think about it. In Manila for instance, you have to wake up very early to maneuver morning traffic to get to your office on time. You have to bring your eveningwear for gimmicks after office hours. You have to bring lunch or grab a meal somewhere near. You have to plan your gimmicks the day before to calculate the amount of time you will need.
One time, I had to watch last full shows in Greenhills just to wait till traffic's over before I go home to Para¤aque by 11 p.m. How stressful is that for a probinsyana like me? Here's a typical Davao scenario. You wake up late, bath, get dressed and on time to your office in just a few minutes (unless you work in Tagum).
You go home for lunch, suddenly have stomach trouble, freshen up in the toilet and still be back to your office on time. After office hours, you want to hang out at Venue but not until you go home, sleep first, wake up at 9 p.m. and get kicking by 10 p.m. Weekend at an island beach? The nearest is 25 minutes away.
Okay, granted drinking alcohol's over by 2 a.m. and smoking inside establishments is a no-no. Add to it that we haven't heard a single crack, bang, boom of firecrackers since Christmas of 2000 (a tear falls as I write). Plus you're forbidden to wheel and deal with crack here (or you are D-E-D, ded!).
Yet, the city thrives in a certain economic comfort level that makes for an ideal place to live in. This is why we consistently make it to the list of top livable cities in the world. Ahem.
My typical Dabawenya gloating over, Davao has fascinating sights and sounds. Let me share the night photos taken by partner Rhonson Ng of Department of Tourism (DOT)-Southern Mindanao. As an award-winning young photographer, his photos were published in brochures, local and national publications, and may be included soon in the international in-flight Mabuhay Magazine.
On one particular starry night, he took DOT visitors Kevin Hamdorf of Australia and Randy Anderson of US, both contributors of Mabuhay Magazine, to the top of Marco Polo Hotel for breathtaking night shots of our beloved city. So let us view Davao from his lens and skillful eye.
(Articles in www.witerary.com; react to witty@info.com.ph)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (January 21, 2006 issue)
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