population anxieties, or an elegy to a city
I nearly died riding the MRT a while ago. _greysocks and I met up at Makati (and I don't even want to talk about why I was in Makati a while ago), strolled Glorietta and Greenbelt, and ended the day at National, where we both bought cute, plain boxes. I was afraid it'd get crushed in the train, but bought them anyway.
I had to let 2 trains pass me by before I was 'pushed' inside the train. It was pure hell. It wasn't just torture, it was a circle straight out of Dante's inferno. I think I actually died standing inside. Around 3-4 stops later, the girl sitting in front of me stood up and I got to sit down, but it was actually worse. All I could see were legs, and it only added to my discomfort--I was feeling rather nauseous and my claustrophobia was worsening by the minute. I wanted to die when the thought of not being able to exit came to mind, but I was pretty good at disciplining myself and not swooning in front of the other passengers. Actually, no one would notice because there was really no space to fall, and everyone was practically leaning against each other already. They'd just probably think I was asleep or something.
Needless to say, in that short, probably 20-minute ride, I died. I died and was resurrected when I clambered my way out of the train.
Metro Manila is really becoming unliveable. No, make that Metro Manila has become unliveable. Sometime while I was growing up, the city's population has ballooned crazily, and I was oblivious to it, having lived near my high school--a mere 5 minute walk. College was a city away, but it wasn't that far a commute--20 minutes on a good, relatively traffic-free day. Commuting from Quezon City to Makati already shows one a pretty accurate picture of how Metro Manila is simply beyond its carrying capacity. Pollution, the homeless, garbage, traffic, and too much literal "rubbing of shoulders" in the strets where there is no more space for one to breathe or even think (for one should always be on guard, with hold-uppers, snatchers, and other kinds of thieves who have made the streets their workplace) are evidences of a city long dead.
What has happened to Metro Manila? I think everyone has their own opinion on this. People from the provinces who come here and look for work; the ongoing population management problem, and so much more. Maybe it's our fault, too. Those who have lived in Metro Manila all their lives, not caring what happens to it. Before we start blaming the mayors and government officials, maybe we should ask ourselves if we even cared, or if we aren't part of the problem, too. Maybe, just maybe, we've been too content hiding behind car windows; not caring, as long as we're in the safety of private cars and soothing music, with some spare change to hand over to that kid who sells sampaguita late at night.
I had to let 2 trains pass me by before I was 'pushed' inside the train. It was pure hell. It wasn't just torture, it was a circle straight out of Dante's inferno. I think I actually died standing inside. Around 3-4 stops later, the girl sitting in front of me stood up and I got to sit down, but it was actually worse. All I could see were legs, and it only added to my discomfort--I was feeling rather nauseous and my claustrophobia was worsening by the minute. I wanted to die when the thought of not being able to exit came to mind, but I was pretty good at disciplining myself and not swooning in front of the other passengers. Actually, no one would notice because there was really no space to fall, and everyone was practically leaning against each other already. They'd just probably think I was asleep or something.
Needless to say, in that short, probably 20-minute ride, I died. I died and was resurrected when I clambered my way out of the train.
Metro Manila is really becoming unliveable. No, make that Metro Manila has become unliveable. Sometime while I was growing up, the city's population has ballooned crazily, and I was oblivious to it, having lived near my high school--a mere 5 minute walk. College was a city away, but it wasn't that far a commute--20 minutes on a good, relatively traffic-free day. Commuting from Quezon City to Makati already shows one a pretty accurate picture of how Metro Manila is simply beyond its carrying capacity. Pollution, the homeless, garbage, traffic, and too much literal "rubbing of shoulders" in the strets where there is no more space for one to breathe or even think (for one should always be on guard, with hold-uppers, snatchers, and other kinds of thieves who have made the streets their workplace) are evidences of a city long dead.
What has happened to Metro Manila? I think everyone has their own opinion on this. People from the provinces who come here and look for work; the ongoing population management problem, and so much more. Maybe it's our fault, too. Those who have lived in Metro Manila all their lives, not caring what happens to it. Before we start blaming the mayors and government officials, maybe we should ask ourselves if we even cared, or if we aren't part of the problem, too. Maybe, just maybe, we've been too content hiding behind car windows; not caring, as long as we're in the safety of private cars and soothing music, with some spare change to hand over to that kid who sells sampaguita late at night.