Where are the people?? The city of Klaipeda looks much too big given the people wandering the streets. It feels like the inhabitants are part of a government project to repopulate the city after it has been beset by the black plague or something equally terrible. Nevertheless, I found a good cafe - Max's Cafe - where I can write and access the internet. I also happened on Friedricho Smukle - a very good and affordable restaurant in a very lively alley. My basic necessities were satisfied and I was comfortable. My routine would be to sit in a cafe in the morning and write, check email, or read; walk out for a bit, grab lunch, then return to the cafe; walk out some more then have dinner. Although my routine kept me somewhat busy, still, I could not get that question out of of my mind: where are the people??
So, on my last day in Klaipeda, for my peace of mind, I decided to uncover this mystery. I noticed that quite a few people and cars were coming in to town from the same direction - south of the city - and, so, I headed in that direction on foot. I walked on a tree covered side walk, past small malls, shops in plazas, modern office buildings here and there, but mostly dilapidated apartment buildings with clothes hanging out to dry on balconies. Yet the further I pushed on the more people there were! After about 30 minutes of walking I stopped in front a sign hidden behind trees. Let me rephrase: I stopped cold, like a brick-wall was suddenly dropped down. In front of me was the largest sign I've every seen. The word 'AKROPOLIS' glowed bright red like it was being yelled at my face. It stood in a crowded parking lot, upheld by one massive pillar. Cars poured in the lot and people walked towards a large square-like building. Something about the structure of that building felt eerily familiar. There were large words written on the front and sides. My eyes zoned in one of these words: ZARA. The only ZARA I know is a clothes store and, for the most part, I've only seen it in a... No!
Yes. I even entered the building just to be sure: it is a mall - The Akropolis Mall. Oh, the horror. Zeus and his wife Danae must be turning red in fury. I walked through the sliding doors and was suddenly transported back to the Middle East. The I'm-so-freaky-looking-I'm-cool people usually found walking the malls back home were (thankfully) not in this picture. No, the people I saw there are hands down more normal and much better looking. But the environment was the same - around me were some of the same brand names I've seen in malls around the world - and the people were doing the same thing: eating, drinking, shopping or just walking around.
The sight of a mall should have been normal. But having lived for so long in the Arabian Gulf region my mind immediately links malls with the materialistic behaviour of the people from over there. It never occurred to me that a country that is more humble, wealth-wise, can have malls. Quite naive of me, but there it is: I've found the the missing people of Klaipeda. They're shopping in the Akropolis mall.
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