Filipinos
have this inimitable fascination with malls and it’s not just because we are
crazy about shopping. I kid you not, two of the largest malls in the entire
world can be found in Metro Manila- SM North EDSA (3rd) & SM Mall of Asia (10th.) No
wonder, SM tycoon Henry Sy
topped the list of Forbes’ 40 richest Filipinos. His chain of malls boosts his impressive
net worth of over $9.1 billion.
In
my attempt to uncover this facet of the typical Pinoy’s psyche, this was what I
wrote 12 years ago, long before these gigantic retail ‘haven’ dominated the
urban landscape of the country.
Fantasy Kingdom
By
Milan Rustia
(2bu!
correspondent reprint from the
Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 16, 2001)
http://news.google.com/newspapersnid=2479&dat=20010815&id=BVU1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=bSUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3389,34561856
MALLS enchant me no end like
Scottish castles and fairy tales. A mall has the power to put anyone who sets
foot in its inviting interiors under an assiduous spell. Once inside, a mall
lures one to willingly spend hard-earned money and effortlessly gives one an
insatiable impulse to return. Perhaps, its the air-conditioning that has this
effect on mall-goers. A mall's appeal reminds me of Sleeping Beauty's tale where
the king, the queen, and a throng of servants are put to sleep by an evil witch
for a hundred years or so. Similarly, mall habitues are turned into individuals
void of the skill that enables them to distinguish a want from a need.
It may be presumptuous to note
but for me, malls are the modern-day equivalent of Prince Charming. The prince
that bears such a generic name was God's gift to womankind, while malls at this
day and age are sunctuaries in the midst of urban chaos.
 |
| Prince Charming is God's gift to womankind |
Right after you've had your bag
inspected at the entrance, its as if you're being transported to another place
and time where everything is so downright orderly-a far cry from what it really
is outside. The mall is a place where its alright to become self-indulgent. It
will make you doubt if you're still in the Philippines, a country synonymous to
everything Third World. It will make you wonder if its the same crises-stricken
country undergoing an economic slump.
However, it’s not sorcery that
draws people to malls and entraps them into moats of unrestrained shopping and
people-watching. Human beings have this partiality over anything ideal
especially if it’s accessible. That's why going to malls has become a habit
common to the young and old and broke.
A mall represents a place that
allows for luxuries fit for a princess. Its a premature representation of what
its like to 'live happily ever after.' Malls not only serve as a refuge for
shoppers but as a park for those who want to chill out and a venue for other
forms of recreations as well. The soothing temperature and the ambiance help
create an illusion of a 'good life.' Today's malls are tempting domains replete
with different items and its full of happy people spared of the hazards and
hardships of everyday life. It can readily cater to any material compulsion
from jewelry, clothing, beauty bars to items as obscure as a drapery tassle or
a frying pan. Like a place in the medieval ages resplendent in its
extravagance, a mall is a place so easy to love.
But before you can get the hang
of Prince Charming's sweet kisses, something painful will hit you in the gut
the moment you step out of its portals. You'll be zapped back to a
not-so-magical world. Suddenly, you'll become a helpless mortal. You'll be
confronted with the worries that plague commoners who live in the real world:
heavy traffic, an annoying credit card limit notice and a penniless pocket.
Often, you'll get a curse in
exchange for the few hours spent living a fairy tale. The dose of pleasure will
be so addictive that unlike in most stories, there will be no moral lesson
learned. Charmed, people like me will keep on frequenting malls and there will
be no antidote strong enough to snap me out of this dry dizzying spell.
