Early every Sunday morning when we were out on the streets to distribute the hard copies of this paper, I was always wondering about the displays at Session Road. The Sunday affair is always being cursed by cabbies for causing horrendous traffic. Yet the city never wavered in continuing the weekly activity. It is a livelihood chance for local producers, traders, artists, etc. It is also an additional come-on for tourists.
The event entails total closure of Session Road to vehicular traffic, allowing it to become like a park, good for a lazy walk or stroll for leisure or therapy. Plant lovers would have gone crazy with what they had on display last Sunday. Since it was my first time to visit even if it had been going on for many months, they might have had better displays in the past.
Mostly ornamental in nature, the plants were gorgeous even with my utilitarian eyes, devoid of any sense of artistry. They could make a bare space attractive where to put a comfy chair in their middle, on a relaxed and cool Sunday afternoon, a cup of coffee on hand, pondering the past or what could have been and what the future holds in store for loved ones.
Such scene is therapeutic at its best which is not just for pleasure but can also mean not having to visit a doctor or a psychiatrist in the future. A lot of savings there in terms of cash and the complications caused by having to deal with physical or mental disorders. It might be what one needs to have a catharsis, hopefully resulting in totally getting out from a dark or shocking past, or the trauma of having had to deal with difficulties for an extended period.
Luckily, most of the promenaders when I was there were just like you and me, having ordinary problems and sources of happiness. They were out for a good time, or just to while the time away.
For the utilitarian like me, there were plants for crop production and seedlings of fruit trees like pomelo, lemon, etc. I could have bought one or two but I did not have a car that day. It was meant for walking.
There were also composts and other organic fertilizers.
Organic produce occupied the most store spaces. They were often arranged in a lovely way with the greens, the red, yellow, purple and other hues placed in their proper places, certainly to please or entice customers.
Not to be outdone were the artists and entertainers. They came in droves. One young lady was playing violin by her lonesome, a short distance away was a singer with an electric guitar and further down the road was a rondalla band whose members were blind sporting the typical dark sunglasses.
There were also the visual artists doing their painting on the pavement of the street or on their own materials serving as canvasses on the sides of the street.
They all had their respective sound systems and donation boxes for the generous and good at heart. And for those who are desirous of accumulating some good karma.
Am sure the biggest winners were the commercial outfits, most of them portable restaurants who just spread their chairs, tables and tarpaulin shades on parts of the street. Operating al fresco, these were really cool. You can readily wave your hand to any acquaintance who might happen to pass by.
An uncommon spot was of a local university. Surely, if it has few enrollees, advertising can be a great help.**
