maligayang pasko

MALIGAYANG PASKO SA INYONG LAHAT!!!

Photo taken at the San Agustin Church, a pinoy version of the nativitiy scene. i alos liked the christmas tree made of indegenous materials. see the bao and the pamaypays :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

the enchanted gate

here's the gate of yesterday's photo... isnt it enchanting? the way the sunlight plays with the statues inside captivated me and for a while i thought i was going to see an aparition or a spirit of a dead friar.

that place looks so mysterious, as if time stood still and nothing has changed... from the dust that covers the tables and whatnots inside, i wonder what was the place for... is it a lounge of the priests or was it a place they say their prayers.

i have a confession to make, yesterday i said that i didnt want to break a law inside the church, but the truth i would have... except that there was an old lady praying in the front pew who keeps an eye on me. i was afraid if i dared go inside the "lola" would scold me with her umbrella :)

UPDATE: sorry for confusing you Zsolt, lola means grandmother in tagalog, our native tongue. an old lady is considered a lola :)

looking through

we're still inside the san agustin church, and right now you're looking through on one of its "forbidden" chambers. this chamber is on the right side facing the altar, it drawn me because of its beautiful gate and the way the sun shine reflect what's inside. i was very tempted to go inside but the warning on the gate strictly prohibits a "tourist" to go inside. i dont consider myself a tourist, i'm one of their locals, but when you go around the place taking photorgaphs... i guess they can say that you're tourist enough. the gate was slightly ajar and the church was empty but i didnt dare break a law inside the house of god... so i just contented myself peeking through centuries ago... years before the devastating war... i'm just so glad that the war didnt destroyed this church.

tomorrow i'll show the enchanting gate of this "forbidden" chamber.

pulpit

actually this is the bottom of a pulpit inside the san agustin church. i just love the details and doesnt it remind you of pineapple? the cute painting on the wall serves as bonus. to see the whole pulpit click here. have a nice sunday everyone.

beautiful door

As promised yesterday, here's the picture of san agustin church's door. I love the intricate details of this carved wooden door. Actually the one in the photo is just the side door, the main door looks the same except for the figures at the center.

san agustin church

It is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines (built between 1587-1606) and the only building left standing after the war that destroyed intramuros during the Battle of Manila in 1945. The building adjacent to the church is its museum full of antiques and relics from the past era. The church looks simple from the outside but the inside is spectacular, the ceiling and walls of the church are amazing.

Here's how it look inside.






Tomorrow, I'll show you the detailed carvings of its doors.

PS. Manila City has a new mayor, Alfredo Lim is declared as the winner yesterday after Ali Atienza, the incumbent mayor's son, concedes. Mayor Lim was the mayor of Manila when i was still in college. For more story about the election click here.