Feature

I love the nightlife in Zamboanga
By WILLIE CHIONG
as told to JOHN L. SHINN III

Photo by JOHN L. SHINN III / LA ZAMBOANGA TIMES

A Manila-based band plays before an enthusiastic young crowd at the Ground Zero disco.

Zamboanga City --- Weekday nights here can be a little boring

with very little to do. Some nights, I hang out with friends until about 2 a.m.---then I call it a night. However, it is on Friday and Saturday nights that one can find some real action.
     I usually go to the Ground Zero Disco at the Garden Orchid
Hotel near the Zamboanga International Airport. For me, this is
the place to be on weekends. Hundreds of teenagers, Muslims
and Christians alike, jam the basement of the three-star hotel to
dance to the beat of the latest Top 40 disco music.
    The crowd is mostly young and so the are DJ crew led by Danny
Chiong. Even the manager, Ding Dong Yeo, is in his early 30s; the
disco owner, Benjamin Go Jr., is in his 20s.
    The entrance fee is P100 per person. The remaining half of the
ticket stub, which the door guard gives back to you, is good for a
bottle of cold beer (P25). Attire requirements are definitely liberal:
T-shirts are allowed as well as denims and sneakers. But strictly
no slippers or shorts.
    For those who have never visited Ground Zero, be advised that
the place gets a little crowded after 11 p.m.---although it is supposed
to accomodate a few hundred people. So if you have a party of four
or more and plan to spend the night where the city's Generation-Xers
hang out, it is advisable to call and make reservations ahead of time.
    Ice-cold beer is priced moderately at P25 per bottle (imported ones
cost a little more), while appetizers cost anywhere from P40 to P150.
My favorite drink is Gordon's Gin, which comes in a 375-milliliter bottle
and is priced at P60. For appetizers I highly recommend their sizzling
salpicao (P77).
   By midnight, the crowd becomes a little wild and restless as the music
gets louder and intense and bodies on the dance floor start sweating.
My favorite spot is at the end of the bar facing the dance floor. I prefer to
stand because I get a better view of everyone on the floor that way.
Oftentimes, I get mesmerized just watching the crowd dance. This is also
the spot where the speakers sound best---as far as I'm concerned.
    Ground Zero is the place to be in Zamboanga City on Fridays and
Saturdays. This is where one can forget the pressures of school, loosen
up and dance all night.
    This is the place to meet old friends and make new ones which, if you're lucky enough, could include future Zamboanguena ramp models and beauty queens. This is also where one can watch the kids of the not-so-rich-and- famous having some of the best times of their lives.
    At Ground Zero one will not hear talks of war, politics or religion. The
only thing that matters in there is that everyone is having a good time.
    If you've been to Ground Zero, you know what I mean.