Some, lazier, countries (here’s looking at you, Oz – c’mon admit it: “barbie” because “barbeque”‘s too long to say?) think the word “shop” refers only to a structure with a door, counter, register – all that kind of thing. For a Colombian, though, this concept can be interpreted much, much more generously. Don’t understand what I’m garbling about? Well, look below, Gentle Reader…
1. The Shopping Trolley.
Let’s get right down to brass tacks here, guys. No time to mess around. Above is a vision of pure ingenuity. In a brilliant example of what my Aus Lit Lecturer called “remotivation of symbols” (BA: finally! your time to shine…), this crafty lady (her face is hidden to ensure anonymity) has taken an object intended for buying things, and is now using it for selling things. What comes after postmodernism, again? Todo Rico, I reckon.
2. The Pram.
Same sort of idea, but probably from even further out of left field, this pram has been completely remodelled to perfectly suit the purposes of selling the world Todos Ricos. Smart.
3. The Bicycle.
Take a simple bicycle, and then make it Totes Amazeballs (not a hipster, brah). That’s the philosophy behind this genre of Colombian “shops.” Here you can get your fill of pastries, but look out for the ones grilling up arepas (if you’re into that kind of thing), or chicharones and plantain (delicious unnecessarily cancelled out by WHY?!? in my humble opinion, but anyway).
4. The Willy (stop it!).
So, when I got the idea for this post, my fellow Paul (what a name) told me I should find one of those guys that sells things from the boot of their car. Being the absolutely brilliant individual I undoubtedly am, I knew what he meant immediately: I’d seen those beat-up sedans selling underwear or fruit – sometimes, possibly, both – all around. However, when I was out taking these expertly-shot photos, I came across this little beauty, and couldn’t resist. I don’t even know what this guy’s selling, but he and his willy (grow up, kids!) were all about it. And, it’s a willy (a bit of maturity, thanks, guys). It deserves a full frontal as well…
5. The Stool.
With my Australian eyes, I look at a stool, and think, “nice thing to sit on while at the bar.” This resourceful Colombian looked at the same stool, and thought “that’s a shop.” Sometimes, the right point of view is all you need.
I could’ve added more, but that would go against the whole concept of a “Top 5,” now wouldn’t it? What other ones do you think I’ve got in mind?
sonia on
aren’t there any vendors who sell from a blanket which they roll out on the footpath with their wares displayed?
Paul Giles on
There certainly are, mother of mine, and selling pretty much anything – shoelaces, dvd’s, scarves, beanies, to creepy toy ladies riding on bikes.
Jerry on
While I find this blog to generally be interesting and useful, this post is both disgusting and embarrassing. Poverty porn at its worst, mocking poor people trying to eke out a living. Looks like Paul didn’t even talk to the subjects of his derision, instead just taking photos of them from a distance.
Paul Giles on
Having grown up surrounded by cheap objects my dad picked up at local rural auctions and then re-purposed for our little tribe of kids, I am completely mortified and, to tell the truth, a little sick to the stomach, that something that was written by me can be construed in this way, and I apologise sincerely and profusely for this occurrence. All I can say in my defense is that it was not written in the spirit of “poverty porn” (my world grew a little darker when I came across this phrase) – not for a second. I am genuinely impressed by the way these objects have been used in new and surprising ways to make the lives of the people that so cheerfully and generously share their city with me easier to live, and this is what was behind my reasoning to make this post. Now that this other interpretation has rightly been brought to my attention, we’ve altered the text to resist this reading, as, once we looked over it, we saw how it could be made. I don’t want to run away from the points made in your comment, as everyone who lives here in Colombia can’t but realise that the gap between the rich and poor, and the truly dire poverty of so many people here is a very real, and completely un-funny problem – and so I would like to register my despair that this post could be seen to be making light of such a disastrous situation. I hope though, that my sincere wish to highlight the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the people living around me does shine through a little in this post. Again, apologies and real regret that offense has been taken here – and I thank you heartily that you’ve let your thoughts about what I’ve written known. I would hate to think people read my work and feel I’m a smarmy git – I’ll admit I have some uncomfortably strong hipster tendencies straight away – just looking for opportunities to laugh at those with harder lives than mine; not make any comment about it; and never read this blog again. Any comments here are welcome, but particularly those such as yours, Jerry, which can be used to redress mistakes we’ve made.