you cant!

personalized mugs

ceramic mugs sold along carriedo's sidewalk, you can have it personalized made on the spot by the young entrepreneur below

cool he's making a happy birthday mug... no he didnt know its my birthday today and i didnt ordered it... just so happen he's working on it when i took this photo yesterday :)

pakwan

summer is really here and as i have said before fruits aboutn when it is summertime, and its not only mangoes and turnips that is being sold per slice on the street, we also have pineapples and watermelons too

quaipo vendors part 2

quiapo vendors

taho sa gabi

i just wanted to show you this beautiful arch of the Manila Cathedral aglow, i've posted the door here before. so nice to see the manila cathedral well lit up this christmas in time for the simbang gabi.

anyways here's a taho vendor in front of the manila cathedral, yum yum yum

ang pao

Ang Pao is a red envelope or red packet that contains a monetary gift which is given during holidays or special occasions. This kid peddles ang pao outside the 168 mall for 10 pesos/pack, each pack contains 10pcs of angpao. It is sad to say and note that mostly it is children who peddles ang pao, plastic bags, sampaguita garland, etc. and sometimes even cigarettes!

PS. i dint know why instead o fthe usual V sign most people pose with, the kid crumpled his hands like that, when asked why he just smiled :)

mamang sorbetero

fresh veggies

Fresh veggies available at Hidalgo Street.

pito pito

Pito Pito is a blend of seven leaves of seven traditional herbal medicinal plants usually concocted through boiling for 30 minutes and is believed to help cure headaches, fever, colds, migraine, etc. It is also believed to have cleansing power and mostly the common prescription of an albularyo or a quack doctor.

Pito Pito usually consist of leaves of alagao, bayabas, banaba, pandan, mangga, anis, and cilantro.

If you want to buy Pito Pito, all you need to do is go to Quiapo. All sorts of medicinal plants are available at Quiapo, among other things like amulets, charms, love potions, even a pamparegla (which i believe is really a concoction that can abort early pregnancy!)

Truly Quiapo is such a colorful place, a paradox of anything and everything in between!

quiapo candle vendors

the candle vendors at quiapo, manila

related post: make a wish

roses for you

"The rose is a flower of love. The world has acclaimed it for centuries. Pink roses are for love hopeful and expectant. White roses are for love dead or forsaken, but the red roses, ah the red roses are for love triumphant."

A laid back vendor amidst the beautiful flowers at Plaza Miranda.

tinapa

Tinapa or smoked fish, a filipino native delicacy and a favorite breakfast too.

This tinapa haven is just in front of the Quiapo church at Plaza Miranda, different kinds of tinapa to choose from and for only 20 pesos per tumpok.

A man buying some tinapa, notice the hand folding what seems to be a page of an old book? Usually tinapa fish are wrapped in a piece of paper (some uses old newspaper) before sealing it in a plastic bag.

So have you ever tried tinapa before? And would you know why there is such a filipino expression "Anak ng tinapa!"?

vendors along baywalk

Pinoys are entrepreneurs by nature, give him a small capital and he'll make a business out of that... sometimes luck and hardwork pays off but at other times it's just a means to live and put food in the table.

First photo: A mango vendor, he'll do the peeling for you and slice the mangoes, complete with bagoong or salt whichever you prefer (aren't we lucky to have mangoes all year round?. At his back is the vendor of sorbetes (dirty ice cream), very different in taste with commercial ice creams but delicious too. If you want to get rid of cough, go out and buy sorbetes. :)

A modern ice cream vendor.

This one sells, chicharon, peanuts, kropek. Yummy!