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 ;)

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

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.

related post: old streets of chinatown

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.

leaning posts

tambacan

happy easter

may your guardian angels be with you always... have a happy easter :D

holy water

i often wonder why there are angels or urn in front of the churches and people dip their fingers into it, with or without water and being a catholic and seeing this practice since i was a kid, i followed this practice, making the sign of the cross after dipping into the water. it is only last holy week did i learn the symbolism of the holy water and according to my research:

"The Use of Water in the Church: The ritual use of this precious substance is ancient and rooted in the Old Testament. When the Israelites entered the Temple, they had to undergo purifcation by immersion in a mikvah (modern Jews still make use of mikva'ot on Yom Kippur, on wedding days, for purification after menstruation or coming into contact with a dead body or semen, etc.). These ritual purifications by water prefigured Christian Baptism, which we recall when we bless ourselves (cross ourselves) using holy water upon entering our churches. Devoutly blessing one's self with Holy Water remits venial sins.

When you enter a church, you might find a holy water font (or "stoup") attached to the wall at one or both sides of each door, or you might find a free-standing font. Simply dip the tips of the fingers of your right hand into the water and cross yourself while mentally contemplating the words, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Don't rush through this; make it meaningful, remembering the meaning of your Baptism and mentally expressing your gratitude to God. Many Catholics repeat this process upon leaving the church, too."

good friday

Good Friday is the Friday within Holy Week, and is traditionally a time of fasting and penance, commemorating the anniversary of Christ's crucifixion and death. For Christians, Good Friday commemorates not just a historical event, but the sacrificial death of Christ, which with the resurrection, comprises the heart of the Christian faith.

Have a blessed Holy Week everyone, and yes i am back posting, sorry if i wasn't able to post photos as i have been busy, hopefully i'll get to post daily again.

shanghai fried siopap

shanghai fried siopao... in binondo

president tea house

president tea house at binondo

a star

a star wheel, a detail of a calesa's wheel... calesa used to be the king of the street of the old manila


it seems i have a penchant for calesas as well, looking at my archive i saw a handful of posts i've done in the past with calesa |:) you can check all of them here.

santo cristo shrine

Santo Cristo Shrine at San Nicolas Street in Binondo. If you would notice it's like a mixture of Catholic and Chinese belief with sampaguitas and garland at the crucifix and also chinese incense stick and fruits are being offered here.

It is said the an image of the crucified Christ said to be found by a deaf-mute Chinese at the site of an old well in the barrio of Longos in Binondo. That crucifix whihc is better known as Santo Cristo de Longos is enclosed in a glass cover and can be found at the side entrance (Ongpin Street) of the Binondo Church.

interesting read: miracle of santo cristo de longos

on three

faith

Binondo church at night, or much better to say the fountain at the plaza in front of the binondo church :) check out my old post of this photo at daytime here

lumpiang sariwa

a fresh lumpia (spring rolls) waiting to be rolled. there are lots of lumpia varities but my favorite is lumpiang shanghai. Lumpia or spring roll was brought by the Chinese immigrants from the Fujian province of China to the Philippines. the Chinese usually serve this special lumpia on chinese new year celebration which is usually spring festival, hence the name spring roll.

yellow door

yellow is not really my favorite color, but i love taking pictures of something yellow because they really do stand out from the background and looks good in photos. (you can check out my other yellow post here)

anyway this photo was taken at binondo (aka chinatown), a store sellign authentic chinese food and snacks.

orange

“The majority of (painters), because they aren't colorists, do not see yellow, orange or sulphur in the South (of France) and they call a painter mad if he sees with eyes other than theirs” -
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

bicho bicho

"Pengeng singko pambili ng puto
Sa mga tindera ng bitso-bitso"
~ Toyang by Eraserheads

Part of the Big Binondo Food WOK is trying out various food and eateries that can be found in Chinatown, and one of our stops is a store selling fried siopao and bicho bicho along Benavidez St. which is also known in the area for its food.

By the way, this bicho bicho really taste good. its taste like donut but better, you just fry it i think and then cut it into bite size sprinkle it with sugar and you're good to go! But some people prefer eating bicho bicho with lugaw or congee, and others also like to dip it in chocolate like churros.