Summary
Life’s pleasures are often associated with exuberant monetary costs. While true to a certain extent, we could still experience some of life’s simple pleasures even if we are not wealthy. Leisurely long walk is absolutely free, yet it contributes tremendously to our health and human well-being. As shared here, the total cost of PhP138 (US$2.75) is relatively cheap for the following enjoyable services and/or foodstuff items: 30 minutes of electric chair massage; caramelized fried banana with water; and freshly-chilled lemonade.
We often think of life’s true pleasure as something that is expensive. What usually comes to our mind include get-aways in far-away and exotic places, food splurge in classy dining establishments, and pricey entertainments like attending a musical opera or a live concert of a flamboyant rock star. Unfortunately, such high-priced get-aways, dine-outs and entertainments cannot be afforded by ordinary mortals. Only the rich can truly afford them, and therefore, they are the only ones who are entitled to such life’s pleasurable experiences.
Unfair? Yes, that is life’s truism in one sense. Nonetheless, we need not necessarily be in despair. There’s an alternative notion that ‘life’s pleasures can still be both free and cheap’. My realization that this adage has elements of truth actually started with a power outage! Or perhaps, the recognition has been there all along – but I have not been seriously paying attention to it.
I currently work as the Dean and a Professor of the Graduate School of the Palawan State University (PSU) in western Philippines. August 18, 2020, which was a Tuesday, was a particularly busy day. An unscheduled brownout occurred, however, as early as 1000 while I was in the midst of writing reports. Despite the heat and inconvenience, I still worked as there were deliverables to accomplish. By 1600, however, my laptop’s battery went flat dead. Thus, despite my reluctance, I had no other choice but to stop working. With clothes partially soaked in sweat, I asked myself: “How can the rest of the day be more useful and meaningful with only minimal associated monetary costs?” I was looking for non-work chores to undertake. Chores that need not be expensive.
Are best things in life really free?
My first option was simply to go home early, and call it as a not so good day. Instead of pursuing that, I decided to fulfill my daily health obsession first. My target is to attain a daily average of 10,000 footsteps by being physically active. (You may view this link for my blog about 10,000 daily footsteps: https://huescribbler.com/a-positive-health-consequence-of-covid-19/). Thus, I decided to walk first to the nearby Shoe Mart (SM) shopping mall (Figure 1). This shopping complex is about half a kilometer away from our PSU campus.
From 1600 to about 1830, I completed some 11,000 footsteps. I accomplished this by leisurely walking around the building’s variety stores, just window shopping. To provide variations, I walked up-and-down the stairs (to improve my cardio conditioning) of the mall’s three floors, and circled the vicinity of the parking lot expanse while having social phone calls.
The over two hours of laidback walk had somehow rejuvenated both my body and spirit. I felt a lot better; it also de-cluttered my mind of negative thoughts and assortment of worries. Although such physical activity had also made me a little tired, the overall feeling was wonderfully refreshing. That walking was absolutely free; it costed me nothing monetarily. Yet it contributed positively to my health, at least momentarily, to my overall well-being. The old adage that “the best things in life are free” was simply affirmed by the long walk.
Inexpensive service pleasure
Eventually, I settled at the uppermost (3rd Floor) level where I stopped walking
at around 1830. I also felt a little sleepy with mild, though manageable aches,
in my lower limbs. That’s when I spotted the Positive Living Station, a wellness establishment (Figure 3). The store provides coin-operated electric massage chairs. There are units that
fully recline at 180 degree
On-the-spot, I decided to pamper myself with a 30-minute massage. At PhP100 (US$2), it was quite cheap. (I used the currency exchange rate of US$1 = PhP50.) As the machine parts worked on my tired back and limbs, I eventually dozed off for several minutes (Figure 3). (The affable lady operator said that I actually snored!) I woke up past 1900 feeling both rejuvenated and well-rested. At the same time, I also felt hungry.
Cheap food and nutritious drink
Slowly, I descended to the ground floor, via the stairs, to partake a little food. My first instinct was to feast on hamburger and chips. With a little pep talk to myself, I opted to buy turon as a healthier option (Figure 4). It is a favorite street food in the Philippines that is very affordable. Also known as lumpiang saging, it is made of slices of Saba bananas, dusted with brown sugar, rolled in a spring roll wrapper, and then deep-fried.
The SM’s version of turon – which is often dubbed as the national snack (pambansang meryenda) – has slices of ripe jackfruit (locally called langka) (Figure 5) that enhances the banana flavor. SM sells a combo of turon together with 325 ml of water for only PhP25 (US$0.5) (Figure 6). I slowly ate it, and then gently drank my water to complete my cheap snack.
At about 1945, the power was restored in our block. I unhurriedly walked back to the office, enabling me to register some 1,000 extra footsteps in my pedometer. Upon arrival at the pantry, I opened the fridge and found my 500 ml concoction. It was calamansi juice, which is the Filipino version of lemonade, that I prepared earlier in the day. This tangy and refreshing drink is made of freshly-squeezed calamondin fruit, brown sugar and plain water. The total cost of this drink was only about PhP13 (US$0.25).
Re-thinking free and cheap pleasures
At the end of the day, I experienced the combined free and cheap life’s pleasures. The long walk was free, and certainly a healthy chore. The total cost of electric chair massage, turon with water, and calamansi juice was just a meager PhP138 (US$2.75).
Lessons learned: you don’t need to be a wealthy individual to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. We may take the perspective of simply enjoying what we have at the moment that include inexpensive foodstuff and cheap services. I therefore thank that power outage – and the SM shopping mall, of course – for giving me a stimulus to write this blog!
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