VENICE, Italy--Many, many moons ago I used to compare places or countries visited, and found myself depressed, even angry, about the Philippines always tailing behind.
I don’t anymore. Each place or country should be allowed its own time for flowering and coming into its own. But the search for models should not stop; neither the discerning about which could apply to our local terrains.
At times, it’s a matter of perspective. Even within a people, some have dissimilarities in perspective. Whether or not it still holds true today,
Boholanos and Ilocanos are observed to scale from being tightwads to frugal, while Ilongos are considered to range from showy to generous with their money.
Over here, Italians perceive each other differently. Italians of the north think that those of the south are lazy. On the other hand, the latter regard those of the north as missing out on life by not knowing how to enjoy.
While tour directors aim to present only the good and pleasant side of each country of interest, one truth should be shared with the travelers. We should keep watch of our things, hold our bags tightly and never lose sight of our guide. Her umbrella was to be our compass.
While disturbing, that caution does not stop us from appreciating the pleasant discoveries in each country.
Quality will always be the ideal, the preferred. But, Europe being Europe, quality is expensive. Thus, original makers’ headquarters jealously guard their designs and products, and there’s a perpetual ban on photo/video taking within the sales center itself.
Sales personnel zealously hover over customers viewing the glass cases, giving well-rehearsed marketing spiels, including info on freight charges, shipping time, and certificates of authenticity.
This is true of the Swarovski exhibition center in Innsbruck, Austria. Of the Murano Glass shop in Venice, Italy. Of the Kathe Wohlfahrt in Rothenburg, the only store in Germany which sells Christmas items the whole year round.
And, of course, the Crown Jewels in Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, known as the Tower of London, on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.
That is why fakers surround the creators and designers, and imitate the originals as well as their own technology and skills allow. Then they sell these fake items at cut-throat prices, a mere fraction of the originals’.
Understandably, a recent law was passed slapping a fine of 1,000 Euros on any buyer of fake Italian bags, coats or jackets. That’s because the fake makers have expertly learned to copy the look, feel and smell of leather.
Still, ironically, the fake items are displayed not in some closeted area or secret rooms but quite visibly--in stalls laid out in the sidewalks less than a kilometer away, for instance, from the mask shop selling the originals.
And bags of “genuine Italian leather” are conspicuously laid out in our own version of the “aceras,” neatly marshaled on huge blankets, ready to be just packed and hauled away when the police come patrolling by.
(lelani.echaves@gmail.com)