Walking Down the Pirates' Cove

I, for one, support piracy.

Call it file-sharing, dibidi sa SM (sa Muslim) or what-have-you, but the fact remains that these babies are cheap, sulit copycats. For a student like me, and even for those already earning their keep, going through the selections in Quiapo, Edsa Central, Makati Cinema Square and Ruins is as fulfilling as joining the foray into the wagwagan a.k.a. ukay-ukay and finding treasures for two bucks.

Now why? Why do we do this? Why do we shamelessly rip off music and pass it on to friends (and customers) for a tenth of the original price? It's simple economics. It's plain supply and demand. Waking up today at 2 past noon, I decided to head off to one of my favorite haunts (guess which among Quiapo, Edsa Central, Makati Cinema Square and Ruins, except if you're a cop, in which case I don't want you conducting raids). I had P500 to spare and ended up with three 9-in1's, three new TV series (with at least the first season complete), two singles (Amelie and Pulp Fiction. Damn, why I can't find Kiss Kiss Bang Bang?), and three albums (Jason Mraz, Eraserheads originals and Up Dharma Down, to compensate for their perpetual lack of Cynthia Alexander. Did anyone ever pirate her albums?). All for P500. Cheap thrill. Yet, these babies will serve to enhance the scarce and diluted aesthetics in my life (I'm in law school. Art around here is practically nil.)

I flagged down a bus after almost two hours of fruitful shopping. I love you, Amelie, but I don't have P950.