infiniteperspective.net

In one of my columns, I wrote about how nothing compares to country living. I cited fresh air and the laid-back atmosphere as veritable pluses to rural life. Two months later, I’m beginning to realize that my hometown isn’t as rosy as I want it to be.

For starters, I was expecting the same kind of atmosphere I grew up in—and I mean real fresh, clean, good old country air. I love to motorcycle around the city, you see. The rush of air that greets me has a rejuvenating effect on my senses, calming and at the same time clearing my mind. Now, riding a motorcycle seems more of a bane than a boon for my health and my senses. Now, it has become a stressful breathing experience. Can you believe we actually have rush hours here? I mean there is actually bumper-to-bumper traffic at seven o’clock in the morning and five o’clock in the afternoon in almost all areas of the city. The only advantage in riding a motorbike is that you can swerve your way around the three and four – wheeled contraptions queuing one after the other, like dull metallic objects in a bizarre procession. But the disadvantage far outweigh the thrill of swerving around vehicles: Breathing toxic carbon dioxide emissions from these automobiles is simply too much for my poor convalescing lungs. You might ask why I subject myself to such torture. Well, life has to go on and I won’t allow myself to get cooped inside the house. For instance, I like going to the beach to relax and take in the scenery. But before I even get there, I’ve already ingested tons of toxins on the way! If the traffic is anything to go by, Dumaguete is getting way too urbanized for our own good. Whether you have cancer or not, breathing uncontaminated (if at all possible) air is vital for our own health and well-being.

Then there’s that simple matter we call customer service. What has that got to do with anything, you may ask. You see, when your nerves are frayed because you’re sick, the least you need is arrogance from a store, office or hospital staff. Customer service here has a long way to go. In one of the stores here in the city, for example, I politely requested that the organic soil I bought be packed separately from the Christmas decors but the salesperson adamantly refused, jamming everything in one bag. I kept on reiterating my request but he simply did not put it in another bag. My voice had grown ostensibly higher now, but there was still no response. Since I could feel my blood pressure skyrocketing, I decided to drop it. That’s simply rotten, don’t you think? I guess it would have served that person right had I made a big deal out of it and called his superior but when you’re tired, you really don’t want to sweat the small stuff. Then there’s the time at the drugstore where I was shocked to hear the pharmacy assistant (that’s the politically correct term, I suppose) lecturing/grumbling to a senior citizen who expressed his shock at how the price of a medicine he had bought just a week ago had gone up. A simple explanation would have sufficed but no, this one had to threaten the old man (in very rough Visayan terms): “Keep on doing that and I won’t serve your order!” And I thought the customer is king. You can just imagine how taxing it must have been to be treated like that when you’re buying medicines for a sick loved one. Lucky for her, the customer did not holler out: “Call your manager!” I certainly do miss the kind of customer service I get in Tokyo, Bangkok or even in Manila where basic courtesy is practiced and ultimate customer satisfaction always the main goal.

And what about the laid-back peaceful atmosphere? Well, we hear rape, vigilante shootings and robberies here and there. Years ago, I could go home way past midnight and the only thing that scared me was a wakwak sucking me lifeless. Now, there is that fear of all-too real danger from the bad elements in society.

Don’t read me wrong, though. Dumaguete will always be home to me. That’s why I’ve come back. I know it’s useless to pine for the city of my childhood to re-emerge. But certainly, there must be a way to go urban without sacrificing our physical and emotional well-being. Respecting the environment and respecting each other ought to be the cornerstones of our quest for a more progressive and healthy society.

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