This City Has No Silence
I don’t think this city knows its own identity. It’s as if it’s trying to figure itself out using wrong techniques. I recognize the impulsive need to develop. Our current mayor is so focused on making the city “better” that he simultaneously launched road projects that resulted to consecutive traffic jams. These traffic jams have been here and there consistently, everyday, for more than a year. I also believe the city management neglected our far richer cultural aspects. Now, the ethnic colors and crafts are mainly used for tourism and not much else. One only need look up to the 2nd floor of some buildings to remind ourselves of the lovely mix of Filipino and Spanish architectural design. But in some places, right next to these historical designs are buildings with absolutely foreign and unsavory, minimalistic outlines. In a way this confusion of self reflects my own.
Another thing this city also lacks is silence. There is always some form of noise. Starting from our house to any location of this city. We love noise in this country. Right when I wake up, there’s already noise of someone crying, some motorcycle passing at high speed at 5:30 AM. The store, some kid wailing, the drivers shouting with hope, inviting the early commuters, rock music before 9:00 AM. My theory is that we are generally poor and, to escape our poverty, we keep a steady stream of loud music as a means of distraction.
What’s one to do? In the city, the logical thing is to find the silence. It’s usually in the form of a café. However, in our country, particularly in our city, there’s no hope.
Take for example this café I went to just the other day.
A great recommendation from a friend of mine. She said it was quaint, a hole-in-the-wall shop. It only had four tables and the most delicious looking menu of sweets and pastries in the entire city. Top tier, when it comes to food. I myself don’t have a developed sweet tooth. I settled for their sandwich which was scrumptious.
Intending to finish some studying tasks, I went to the shop with some notes and a book. But it was too small that you would hear every detail the university girlies were chatting about. It also had the loudest “chill” music. To top it all off, the owner decided then and there to give his sons guitar lessons. But the aesthetics, from the picture promotes calm and quietness. All I got was chaos. They say restaurants would play music so its customers would get distracted from the food. I didn’t see the need since their food was delicious.
I went home shortly after, realizing that the only truly quiet place in the city is my room. Apart from that, there are the places where you’d have to pay for silence. That’s the study rooms of roughly 2 US Dollars per hour. Sigh*
Once, our Japanese Cinema and Literature teacher told us the story of when she spent some time in Japan to study. The cafés were solemn and quiet that the food, she said, actually tasted better. Because there was no distraction, all she focused on was the action of tasting. Therefore, it revealed the expertise of the cook. What I would give to live in the Japanese countryside, or somewhere near the alps in Italy, or in a fisherman’s town, or deep in a village deep in the jungle where all the noise is natural. I think my mind would truly be at ease.
Note to self. This isn’t a good piece. I’m just rambling. I need to go queer on my subjects soon!
Thank you for reading.