#074: Walk in the Park

Davao City

2011

A WALK IN THE PARK. The idiom connotes relax, calm and ease in executing, for this matter, navigating a path, that to some extent pleasurable. But for first timers and on a given sunday's sunny day, this doesn't hold true anymore - parking would be difficult, dense crowd could sometimes step into your flip flops, finding a seat in a nearby cathedral would be impossible and the cummulative noise outside were like bees' irritating buzz. But these all the more make it exciting and feastive to frequent parkgoers.

Davao City's Rizal Park is where the best buy of ukay-ukays could be purchased from long lines of stalls on all sorts of clothing items possible. sumptuous and affordable street foods that we have grown to love also lined up on either sides of the alleyway. An amatuer singing contest is held, where even a granny could freely render her kundimans that filled every corners of the place (there's no scaping except covering one's ears), this is also where you can find the regular figures in a regular park elsewhere - families having quality time together, lovers cuddling in the corners, quick fix handy men working side-by-side, humble photographers eyeing for prospective clients, and the list goes on and on...

I just find it hard to believe that in this day and age where airconditioned malls mushroomed around the metro, people still go to the noisy, chaotic and dusty old park. Maybe because of its familiar ambiance that to many is somewhat closer to home.

note: I have written this along ago but still relevant for the slideshow of photos depicting the different walks of life,  captured during the Davao Blogger walk last June 20, 2011 in celebration of the 150th birthday of the Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.