BAD TRIP 18: SMification

It pains me to see grand old cities lose their character simply because Henry Sy put his one-size-fits-all stamp on them. It used to be that cities like Baguio and Iloilo had a charm all their own. Session Road and J. M. Basa St. were lined with charming old buildings and quaint little shops where one could find unique treasures that warmed the heart, mind… and stomach.

Not anymore.

I was in Iloilo the other day on J. M. Basa St. and was appalled by the sight of boarded up shops and seedy clubs in what used to be the liveliest strip of road in the entire city. Now it reeks of urban decay, shunned by people who now flocked to malls built outside the city.

Baguio is in a similar bind. Old haunts disappeared on Session Road, unable to compete with the monstrous SM mall up on the hill.

Now they're beginning to look like any other city on the planet. Aaaargh!!!

HEALTH TRIP 1: Knocked Out

The little gym I go to went belly up last week, a victim of economies of scale. Despite its lofty status as a monopoly – it being the only gym in this small Samar capital masquerading as a city – the numbers just didn’t pile up and the owner had the good sense to quit while he’s ahead.

But it’s bad news for me who has started to rely on sporadic trips to that gym to keep unwanted avoirdupois at bay. What to do? No choice but to hit the pavement at the boulevard along the beach and do an hour of brisk walking before going to work.

And it seems a lady gym mate had the same idea. This morning I found her on the boulevard, leading a pack of geriatrics, happily wiggling their fat asses to loud disco music.

And so life goes on….