Jenardson Cabilao

A Place for Everyone in Cubao Expo The Araneta Center in Cubao offers the ideal shopping variety; from the lavish stores of Gateway, to the affordable offerings of SM Cubao and Alimall, to the various low-priced items inside Farmer’s Market, there is always something for everyone in this area. ​ But even though many people can be seen in almost every available place inside, there is a corner that only few people go to, a niche that is both a vault to the past, yet is still part of the present. This corner is the Cubao Expo, a place that contains more than what you see outside. Previously known as the Marikina Shoe Expo, the Expo still validates this fact by the numerous shoe stores in the vicinity like American Golden Shoes. Along with specialty stores that the Expo is known for, are antique stores that sell old collectibles and trinkets, such as old magazines, cards, and records. Upon entering, one can notice that the place looks less of a commercial establishment and more like a street in one's neighborhood. With its narrow road and unassuming two-story stores, most of which are small enough to be crowded by its merchandise. But this mood of being close to home is what defines the Expo. It doesn't daunt anyone who visits it, something that may otherwise distract its showcase. When you visit the shops inside the Expo, watch your step! Most of the stores are filled with their wares, leaving very small room for someone to sidestep through. Truly, big things come in small packages. With stores like My Breathing Space that containing a treasure trove of rare and unusual trinkets and collectibles, including a wall dedicated to Coca-Cola memorabilia, and an upstairs room filled with Christmas-related items. Another notable store is Remnants, one of the known stores, showcasing vinyl records, books, magazines, among other memorabilia. ​ A niche that the Expo contains is that of contemporary local art and music, such as The Four Strings, a store selling ukuleles, related accessories, and CD's of local indie bands displaying them on shelves inside its store that also doubles as a lounge of sorts. Food should not be forgotten, as the place is where Bellini's is. It is a beautiful Italian restaurant known as the restaurant featured in the film One More Chance. It has become a venue for many famous people, and their chairs are even labeled to prove their point. The food is as exquisite as its atmosphere, and is a must-visit. Vinyl is also prominent in the Expo. Sealing the location's mood of antiquity, it fits well with the hipsters it attracts. If it's a thrift store, there's a good chance that it has records, but there are two stores specializing in records, turntables, and related equipment: Gold Digger Records and The Vinyl Dump just across the road. If you're lucky, you might get an album of your liking. It may be seen as a hipster hangout, but Cubao Expo is a place for everyone. As signified by its open entrance, once you enter it, it's a place you surely will come back for. A New Spin on Records It’s amazing that despite after almost a hundred years’ worth of advancement in music technology, there are still some who prefer to play music on vinyl records. Even though most people get their music digitally in CD’s or mp4’s, there are still a number who prefer listening to their music by running a needle over a spinning vinyl disk. Nowadays, one can see in music stores that along with the usual shelves of CD’s is a shelf filled with vinyl remasters of old albums, and releases of newer ones. Yes, you can get the latest album of your favourite band in a record. It has been an old cliché that later generations will see a record only to end up asking their parents what it is. In today’s era it’s almost ridiculous to think that people still buy records; aren’t they obsolete? But there are some who go out of their way to buy and play them. There are many reasons why there is still a market for records and why people still prefer them. Maybe it’s because it lets them relive the good old days when that was the only way to enjoy their favorite band. Some people want their music to sound better in quality, and choose records over CD’s for this reason. Sometimes, records contain strange sounds that have been obscurities. Maybe there are strange records that almost never see the light of day, but that is the charm of rummaging through second-hand stores. It’s like an adventure; you don’t know what to expect in a record, and your only clues are the cover and the track list, and sometimes they can be deceiving. There have been arguments that the sound quality of digital sound is inferior to analogue, but there is no reason why records should be seen as superior over CD’s. If you like the music, does it matter where it plays from? Music is music, and only if our ears start to bleed listening to it when it stops being music. That doesn’t mean records are obsolete, but its advantages are maybe overblown. People listen to music as a form of escape, to transport themselves into different worlds with every note, every lyric, and every rhythm. People differ in their ways of listening, but since its inception until now, the record is still relevant in this world of music.