of a place whose streets are named after colors:
blueridge, greenmeadows, pinkrow, whatever . .
Pretty colorful and yummy for a street name
inhabited by colorful characters . . .
For my keeper,
Rainbow is such a convenient place
because one need not go far for munchies
or call for food delivery
because cheap and glorious munchies
passes by RainbowAvenue regularly.
I once thought I heard
a scandalously loud mobile phone ringtone
(they abound in these parts)
only to discover it was actually
a breadshop on wheels (bike mobile)!
Another bread vendor
passes by around siesta hour
with freshly baked buns
that goes ‘pot-pot’ in their bikes.
Ice cream dudes goes by another ringtone.
Coolers, ice candies, and arf, even toys!
There's a cartful of plastic toy doodads
that sells my keeper’s favorite collection:
cockroaches, lizards, spiders,
you name it, the toy guy has it!
Another fave is the plastic balloon vendor
which my keeper loves to blow till it pops
and scare the houndsinheaven for fun. . .
is the ubiquitous ringtone.
they are identified by their caller IDs.
My keeper would say:
“call me when the potpot guys come around”
(read: she wants hot buns for merienda)
There are those who have less capital
who sells on foot and invest in lung capital
to shout their homemade banana snacks
done several ways: fried in lumpia wrappers,
dipped in flour, or simply barbecued with sugar!
some compete by creating jingles like
“balut, balut, baluuuuut!” (duck’s eggs)
A guy
selling plastic containers calls out:
“batya, nagbabatya!” (water pails)
My keeper enjoys this daily parade, though.
her ears are forever trying to decipher
what goodies are being peddled down rainbow.
When Keeper hears a vendor shouting,
she goes: "parricide?"
Nope, that's "sapatos shine" (shoe shine)
Another vendor calls out and she goes:
"someone's dying?!?"
Nope, that's "daing" (salted fish)
One time she called out:
"someone's at the door"
when she thought she heard
"tao po" (anybody there?)
Nope, it's the "taho" guy (soy drink).
Ok, you name it,
the RainbowAve vendors has it:
tv antennaes, cold cuts, paintings, spices,
mattresses, clothes and pillows . . .
repair of sewing machines and typewriters
pawnbrokers, buyers of old coins,
old newspapers and recyclables . . .
My keeper pities them
that instead of selling she just donates
used bottles, plastic containers,
clothes and bags . . .
in Rainbow, small businesses are going big
selling small units of a whole (“tingi”) . . .
Sari-sari stores (garage-type variety store)
Manufacturers joined the fray
One can easily buy SIM cards to load cellphones.
or dial-up cards for internet surfing.
Even a single roll of mosquito coils
(they sell 10 coils in a box)
This must be hard on inventory
but these entrepreneurs are making big bucks
selling stocks fast than to worry about inventory.
RainbowAve is also littered with beauty parlors,
hardware stores, internet cafes, kerosene stop,
and a short walk away are veggie stoes,
fish and meat stalls, dressmakers, tattoo shop
all at practically half-price
than when one goes to town!
The laundrywoman who comes once a week
to do laundry and ironing at Heaven
has recently became an entrepreneur
by selling hot, home-cooked meals.
her daily gross sales: two thousand bucks a day!
My keeper’s eyes popped out in shock!
Keeper who does management consultancy
aside from her many enterprises
has barely broke even with her ideas.
"Hmmm, I think I'm missing out on something"
she mutters to me during grooming time.
Oh-oh, if she starts training me for entertainment
I’m out of here!
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