Wonders in the Big City

“Big malls, local pubs, hidden stores of cheap souvenir items — things you might have seen on the television.”—Jose Ralph Enoy

I was a stranger temporarily exercising his liberty to travel without the book of how to survive in big cities and ways not to kill yourself in the process. Although ironically, I only have myself (and enough confidence to make it through) and the city overwhelmed me so much that I failed to notice the taxi driver waiting for me to drop all the excess baggage I have (he looked pissed, really, he was!)

I was new to this. I was young, innocent and being too complacent did nothing to help me either because there’s just something about big cities that you don’t want left strayed in this journey.

Those times when you asked yourself you are not lost but for a two straight hour of riding jeepneys with different route destinations, it’s impossible. However, there was a good reason for this. I got lost in the outskirts of town but I have met different people with different circumstances that could fill the tiny gaps of every mysteries laying siege to this big city— the way how cars meet at the end of traffic lights, how people seized the rush hour to collect every peso for a living or find their way home and binge watch TV shows.

Even the simplest people can tell you stories that are beyond what meets the eye. People who made it through the day with enough time and gifts to sustain a family’s daily needs or the very same people driven by idealist perspective of what the world might have for them.

This reminds us why big cities are known to have visitors from all walks of life — to witness what made big cities, big. This is not about the block-by-block skyscrapers nor will it be for the rich people with fancy cars envied by less. It is not even about seeing big movie stars printed on billboards or them signing for an autograph.

This is about you — you alone — discovering the secrets hidden in the big city.