Tuesday, June 30, 2009

wow balls


wow balls at Mall of Asia (MOA) a chance for kids (yes, its only for kids *sigh*) to play in the water inside a big balloon... a small filled up inflatable pool was set up at moa's bayside and is attracting kids and adults... you can bring your kids and let them try it for 15min and you only have to pay 50pesos... sure looks fun

Monday, June 29, 2009

carriedo at night


carriedo at night... still bustling with activities and lots of vendors.  check out the carriedo scene at daytime, i think the only difference is that they have umbrellas to ward of the scorching sun and occasional rain.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

where are thou?


in support to our fellow CDP - Amir of Tehranlive.org - who has been missing since June 17 and is suspected that he was one of many iranians who were arrested during the protests, he has been blogging non stop about the situation in tehran and has captured photos of the demostration which international magazines have published his photos. we want our blogger back.. this is also in recognition of the spirit of iranians who want change and wishing for a better world. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Saturday, June 27, 2009

misterios


"No object is mysterious. The mystery is in your eye."

Friday, June 26, 2009

i heart


"i wonder how many times we have to say goodbye before we finally let go"

Thursday, June 25, 2009

catching what?

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

iris


manila is celebrating its 438th foundation day today and is declared a special non-working day in manila

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

text


who doesnt know how to send a text or SMS these days? even 5 year old kids know how to text, specially here in the Philippines where texting has become a new form of communication (did you know that philippines is dubbed as the texting capital of the world? LOL) that is how addicted people are into texting that even you leave in the same house, you even text your brother who is in a different room to ask something... so what happened to good old way of communication? texting is helpful in many ways but i think sometime s the use of sms or text has hindered soem in ways of communicating with each other. other problems with texting is that people, especially kids are getting poor in spelling.

well, anyways, as shown in the photo, the old man preferred using his cellphone and text someone instead of calling or using the phone booth beside him. could be one of the reason is that Prepaid Phone Card is cheaper and the cost of texting is only 1 peso, but if you think about it, you can use Phone Cards in calling someone specially the message you need to seen is urgent or important. and it is also a good thing that Calling Cards are now cheap and international rates has dramatically decreased, so calling or texting someone abroad is also affordable now a days.

so what do you prefer? calling or texting?

Monday, June 22, 2009

human statue

these kids really like this human statue at luneta, i cant remember when did i start seeing human statue at the metro but i know that this kind of entertainment have a long history in Europe.  i really do admire the patience and control of living statues and how they can keep their cool

Sunday, June 21, 2009

happy father's day

about two sundays ago, i did a half day tour of manila with diwa of http://walkwithyoung.com
one of the places i showed her is Rizal Park or the Luneta, we passed by the rizal park chess plaza and saw this old man competing with a kid and both players looked serious...
by the looks of it, the kid was winning :)  overheard the proud father of the kid that the little girl (i think he said she's about 11 years old) compete for her school, and her father brings her at the chess plaza to find worthy opponents for her which serves as good training for her, and that they travelled far just to go to the place and wake up early.  what father's will do for the love of their kids huh.

happy father's day to my tatay, and to all the loving father's out there.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

busa

Friday, June 19, 2009

happy birthday pepe!



Dr. Jose Protacio Mercado Rizal y Alonzo Realonda
June 19, 1861 - December 30, 1896

Remembering the national hero's birthday today. (Photo taken inside the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago)

Thursday, June 18, 2009

old house at binondo

a sample of 19th century house at san nicolas area in binondo, where the neighborhood is lined with old houses that withstood the bombing of manila during the world war II... but sad to say it seems that these houses can no longer stood the test of time, due to neglect and/or "progress', meaning torning down the old houses to build buildings. it's just sad to see these beautiful architectures full of history being torn down and left to decay.


a closer look at the photo... it's siesta time i guess ;)

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

lavezares

Lavezares Street corner Barcelona Street in Binondo. A typical morning street scene in residential areas in Manila, where folks - young or old - gather in the streets and stand by (istambay) with a group of friends and neighbors discussing anything and everything under the sun :)

related post: San Nicolas Distict by Sidney, and Manila's Old World Charm

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

jaboneros

a street named jaboneros at binondo, this street belong to the old san nicolas area i think.  and the street was called such because it used to be a street for soap makers. what is enchanting about this district is the way they "tiled" the street name and the district is also full of old houses, just too bad that when i visited the area there were two vacant lots where really nice antique houses used to stand.  more of the old street and old house in the succeding posts.

Monday, June 15, 2009

estero fastfood at binondo


Estero Fast Food, Binondo, Manila -- Located along murky canals of Manila's acclaimed Chinatown is a row of eateries known for its authentic yet cheap (and sometimes exotic) Chinese food.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

our lady of guadalupe shrine in fort santiago

as mentioned in yesterday's post, that tunnel is the way that will lead to the hidden chapel inside fort santiago - the our lady of guadalupe shrine, a very small and quaint chapel.

Reducto de San Francisco Javier.  This tunnel and ravelin were added in 1773 during renovations in Fort Santiago.  This area protected part of the riverside area and the seashore.  Cannons were placed on platform on top.  Gunpowder and ammunition were stored in chambers below.  This fortification was restored in the 1980s and has been converted into a shrine for the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Enshrined herein is the replica of the image by Juan Diego wherein the tru image of the Blessed Mother was miraculously imprinted before Bishop Zumaraa of Mexico in 1531 and occasioned the instant conversion of natives to Christianity.  A replica was brought to the Philippines in 1565 by Friar Urdaneta in the Legaspi expedition and also occasioned the same instant conversion our Blessed Mother under the title Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared by Pope Pius XI on the 16th of July 1935 as the Heavenly Patroness of the Philippine Islands.  


Saturday, June 13, 2009

the way

this is the way to the hidden chapel inside fort santiago - the way to the shrine of our lady of guadalupe 

Friday, June 12, 2009

the notebook


"I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough. " ~ The Notebook

happy 111th independence day


happy 111th independence day my dear country - Philippines!

The Philippine Declaration of Independence occurred on June 12, 1898 in the Philippines, where Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo (later to become the Philippines' first Republican President) proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the Philippine Islands from the colonial rule of Spain after the latter was defeated at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.  (source: wikipedia)

Note: Photo taken inside the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago, saw the guard goofing around with his colleague and asked him to do the same pose again, after a few request, the guard willign obliged and posed again hence the "shoot out: stance :)

Thursday, June 11, 2009

each day


"Under what clime or what skies, has tyranny claimed a nobler victim?"

~ Congressman Henry Cooper of Wisconsin, at the House of Representatives on a debate whether to grant autonomy to the Philippines, and right after reciting Rizal's valedictory poem, "Mi ultimo adios" in English: before members of U.S. Congress (1902)

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

walk on by

"I want you to come walk this world with me..."

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

hooves and wheels

Monday, June 08, 2009

gone

"Gone - flitted away, taken the stars from the night and the sun
from the day! Gone, and a cloud in my heart." ~Alfred Tennyson
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