People who live in Albuquerque are called Burqueños. The question is, where are they? I walk the three miles to work and I pass perhaps a soul or two. The sidewalks are dirty and free. Restaurants are quiet. Parks are empty. Ok, so we've seen hordes of people downtown around midnight Saturday night, but where is everyone during the daylight hours?
The answer came today: The mall! Holy shit, the mall was packed. I encountered more traffic in its aisles than I ever have on streets or highways in this town. A slew of teenagers, families, middle agers, couples and wide-eyed babies. Checking out the latest underwear in Victoria's Secret. Browsing jewelry. Eating fudge and fast food. But mostly people were just strolling these pristine indoor corridors where the air smells like candy and the sun is nowhere to be seen.
