Zamboanga City vs. Manila: Where Guitars Get Rusty Faster?
scratching mosquito bites while tuning my ukulele on Paseo del Mar's seawall, i ignored the humidity clinging to my skin like cheap cologne. met rico here - leathery fisherman turned kroner guitarist - who spat out "homesick manileños always romanticize the capital." we got chatting over bottles of warm beer while pigeons fought for crumbs. here's our raw exchange stripped of tourism brochures:
*me: how's busking different here vs manila?
rico: gesturing at the open plaza see this space? zamboanga's streets don't harass performers unless you block advokasis (those iconic tricycles). manila? cops shake you down just for breathing near ayala avenue. last week i made ₱800 playing chavacano love songs - enough for fresh curacha crab dinner. [points to Statista data showing Zamboanga's cost of living 38% lower than metro manila]
me: heard jobs suck outside tourism?
rico: laughs darkly true if you want corporate glitz. but my sister stitches vintas sails and makes bank. fishing factories hire daily. fussy condo-dwellers scroll job openings - here we trade favors like currency. leaning closer drunk advice? avoid casa barrio district solo after midnight. police presence thins out.
when clouds cleared, we witnessed the meteorological schizophrenia - ten minutes of brutal sun followed by sudden showers making sidewalks steam. "better than manila's lung-choking smog," rico shrugged, wiping condensation off his guitar case.
overheard gossip at alavar's seafood den? some expat crowdfunded a coffeeshop near fort pilar claiming "it's the new palawan" - locals just want cheaper yrucreams ice cream.
me: renting without selling 효과 kidney?
rico: pad partner kaagad! ₱5k gets a room near sta cruz market with shared squat toilet. manila charges that for a shoebox beside traffic jams. last warning though - check subreddit for landlord horror stories. one tried charging extra because "ghosts chilled in the bathroom."
grab tickets to dipolog when the provincial ennui hits? it's short jeepney ride pretending to be an expedition. honestly - buzzing manila-skinned folks crumble here without mall escalators.בריםBut give me zamboaga's denuded harmony over pretentious capital hype any sweaty afternoon. check routes via cebu pacific when typhoon season chews your plans.
You might also be interested in:
- https://topiclo.com/post/so-paulo-where-the-heat-meets-the-hustle-and-the-humidity
- https://topiclo.com/post/sendai-vibes-can-a-vintageclothespicker-survive-here
- https://topiclo.com/post/baardheere-vs-mogadishu-which-one-actually-feels-like-home-2
- https://topiclo.com/post/commute-times-in-jacksonville-how-long-will-you-spend-in-traffic
- https://topiclo.com/post/sintras-secret-where-the-weather-plays-hide-and-seek