Travelogue - Roxas Blvd. Mabini, Luneta

B inabaybay ko ngayon ang Roxas Blvd. I was not too quick to get a picture of Luneta but here is a glance of Luneta park together with my male model in puruntong pants. Notice the trees and the environs. Malinis at well maintained.

I am close to the U. S. Embassy to my (R) and the Savory Chicken/ Maxim's Restaurant to the (L). This is still noontime and note the traffic at Roxas Blvd - hindi humuhupa.

We went through Mabini St. Nadaanan ko ang Padre Faura where PGH is. Other buildings here are PAL and Foreign Affairs bldg. Lalong sumikip ang mga daan for dito tinayo ang Robinson's at hindi magkamayaw ang mga taong labas-pasok sa department store. Padre Faura was very busy then during my time but it just looks so different now. I missed the old Ateneo Chapel which sits right beside the Dentistry building of UP.


This is Mabini proper. Walang nabago - makasalanan pa rin. Puno talaga tayo ng irony. Sa kalagitnaan ng Mabini ay nakatayo ang isa sa mga magagandang lumang simbahan. Siguro pagkatapos magkasala, tatakbo sa simbahan para humingi ng patawad at awa. I remember this area too for this was one of our favorite hangouts - Hobbit House, My Father's Moustache, Pension Filipina (this was a bar mind you).

Too bad I can not get off & eat at the Aristocrat. This restaurant served the best & cheapest pork bar-b-que with javanese rice then. Masarap din ang halo-halo nila dito. The traffic just is so bad; besides, napakatindi ng init nakakainis lumabas ng sasakyan. Because of these mundane excuses, I have to pass up some more gastronomic delights.



I took a picture of this jeep in front of me. Ganyan kalapit ang mga sasakyan sa gitna ng traffic; parang ga-buhok lamang ang layo ng mga ito sa bawat isa. And they have the nerve to ask me HOW IS THEIR DRIVING?

Let me end my travelogue for this night at this intersection. Manila could not get much nicer than this. The famed Manila Bay view close to the Army-Navy Club. I did not check how clean Manila Bay is. I'd rather have that mental image of the 1970's Manila Bay.


Hinahanap hanap kita Manila

Ang ingay mong kay sarap sa tenga

Mga jeepney mong nagliliparan

Mga babae mong naggagandahan

Take me back in your arms Manila

And promise me you'll never let go

Pink Elephant

How familiar are we to those inscriptions on many Manila/Quezon City walls saying - BAWAL UMIHI DITO? These signs were meant to be deterrent to the male population who has to go - and would have to go NOW. Ang kinalabasan - naka-aangseg daytoy nga kanto ta kanayon met nga umisbo da idtoy.

The MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) came up with such an idea to install these "urinals" to provide a sense of privacy to these males. Note from the picture - awan met itti urinal da ngem adda itti takip na. These pictures were taken in an area close to Dimasalang where traffic is heavily congested.
I am not so sure what these urinals were supposed to achieve. Naangseg pay latta idiay bakod - ngem dagiti immisbo idiay ket naakepan da met. Which of these reasons is the lesser evil?

Maybe it is the absence of accessible public utility rooms in populated places that sparked this idea. Hindi naman lahat ng tao ay pwedeng pumasok sa Burger King para maki-restroom. O di kaya hindi naman pwedeng pumunta sa Trinoma para maki-CR (their term in Manila) dahil maniningil ang mga establishments na ito ng sampung piso magamit lamang ang kanilang palikuran. Sabi ni Erich , di bale one to sawa naman daw ang toilet paper.
Maybe gustong ipakita ng MMDA sa madla na meron konting dignidad or sense of propriety ang mga taong ito at imbis umihi na lamang against the wall ay umihi ang mga ito against a pink wall. Ganoon pa rin. From a cruder practise (the wall) to a government sponsored cruder practise (the pink elephant wall).

Manila Travelogue

I finally recovered from my jetlag and slowly packed the leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. This particular Thanksgiving celebration took a backseat as far as excitement and kwentos are concerned since everyone was more interested with my stories about Manila than anything else.

I went through Quiapo and I am now on my way to Plaza Lawton. To the left is a picture taken of the other side of Quiapo towards Binondo. If I am not mistaken, one of the buildings standing is Feati University - Papa's Alma Mater. I was impressed with the QUiapo river. Malinis sa tingin ko at wala masyadong basura. Pero hindi ibig sabihin niyan na pwede uli maligo yong mga bata roon.
As the car goes through the bridge I had a good view of the Metropolitan Theatre. Kalunos-lunos ang lagay nito. This is one building that could have been rehabbed or restored. I had the chance of watching a play in this theatre from way back then. There were restoration plans then - I guess these never pushed through.
Umabot na kami sa Lawton and namangha ako sa Post Office Building at ito ay na-maintain ng pamahalaan. I was once a reviewer of the Performance Appraisal System of this government entity. Dito na siguro ako nakakita at naka-meet ng napakaraming kartero.
It was almost noontime per the Big Ben of Manila - yong malaking relo sa City Hall.
Remember yong sa ilalim na daan ay pupunta sa Taft Ave at yong sa ibabaw na daan ay papunta sa Pier? I remember those days na matindi ang traffic dito since andiyan pa yong mga bus na papunta sa Laguna, yong mga jeep at yong mga Metro Aide na walang ginagawa kundi nakatayo lamang.
We are now at the heart of Manila noontime. I remember where I ate that day - Hizon's at Mabini. Masarap at malinamnam. More of that next entry.

Jetlag

The trip back home from Manila was, as expected, very tiring. Here I am on a Friday 1:30 AM wide awake. I better make good use of my time so I am continuing my writing on my short visit to the Philippines.
Before I left the U.S. I promised myself that all I would carry back with me going home will be a maximum of ONE check in luggage - THAT'S ALL.
On my last day in Manila, as I was packing my stuff, I begin to realize that aside from my hand carry bag I have TWO humongous maletas ( borrowed from Erich & Cecil) packed with tupigs, Boy Bawangs, queso de bola, Philippine Tatler Magazines, books, Salazar Bakery original hopia, ube jam from Good Shepherd in Baguio, ensaymada melts, pieces of clothes and 3 lbs of canned cooked longganiza Alaminos.
Imbagak pay-yen idta balay mi nga adda longganiza nga awit ko. Dinner was ready then upon my arrival.
LAX was my port of entry. I did all of the right things. I declared all of my food and non-food stuffs. Alas and behold - the Customs people seized my longganisa. Bawal kano ta baboy - no manok nano ket mabalin. No amount of charm or exchange of news on Pacquiao worked. The longganisa would have to be enjoyed by another Filipino.
Jim was very disappointed. Erich added one small can of the Ulam King brand of lechon paksiw in one of my bags. Nakalusot ito. But what is it compared to the garlicky longganisa which can be crispy when fried tostado? Dont' forget the suka for sawsawan and the fried rice with chopped green onions.

More on Manila and Quezon City

I am on my last day here in the Philippines. So far I have posted less than five blog entries. I will complain about the speed of their broadband wireless - that will be my primary excuse. The real reason though is I have been spending so much time just gallivanting and eating (I had the best turon yesterday from an ambulant vendor) by the time I get back home time to re-charge my camera. Here are some more pics though.
In my two weeks of stay here I have visited the Sto. Domingo Church twice on a Monday. No, not to reminisce Mar Roxas-Korina Sanchez wedding, but just to hear mass and listen to the hollow drone of the priest. I had this wish then of being married at Sto. Domingo Church. Ang haba ng pwedeng pag-march-han on the way to the altar. Enough time to show off your gown and to mag-muni-muni kung talagang payag ako to commit for better or for worst (joke only tatay).
Both Manila and Quezon City never got rid of the squatters problem. Pagpasok pa lang sa Congressional Ave sa may bridge are makeshift homes or dampa. According to Jojo, my ever faithful alalay, these people used to live under the bridge. Nang tumaas ang tubig due to Ondoy, kailangang i-likas ang mga ito. The problem was, these people literally sat/squatted on the closest high ground which was over the bridge.
The sad part is the whole situation is being capitalized on by both the squatting people and the politician wannabe(s). Remember 2010 is election time. Nagkalat na naman ang mga nanghihingi ng boto and these hapless(?) people both get to manipulate and be manipulated. By the way, what's up with Edu Manzano for Vice-President?

This is another part of Quezon City - San Francisco Del Monte. Umapaw din ang tubig rito. As usual, may mga shanties din sa ilalim ng tulay. The people left temporarily at ang mga ito ay nag-sibalikan din. I used to pass by this bridge on the way to and from school at Siena College during my grade school days. Dati-rati, medyo malinis-linis pa ang tubig na dumadaloy sa ilalim ng tulay at walng taong tumitira rito. Ngayon, only a portion of the river can even be called a river. The whole area is packed with basura.

Depressing to the max ika nga. Pero, typical Pinoy. Hahanap ng katawa-tawa para medyo matakpan ang lungkot. I saw this taxi cab on the street. Take a look at its number - 555. Parang marka ng sardinas na 555. Tama nga- ang taxi na ito ay sing-tibay ng latang sardinas. Akmang-akma ang numero niya to describe its cosmetic semblance with the 555 sardines.

The Haunts of Manila

Ang Pinoy ay matibay at matatag. I visited Quiapo just to see how this place is after the attack of Ondoy. Surprisingly, the theme was very Christmas. Central Market has its parols all over the place. This Market was the place to shop for the cotton panties and other underwear when we were younger.

It was business as usual for everybody - parang walang nangyari. The vendors are busy hawking their Christmas decorations. Close to Central Market was Beny's Beauty Salon. This was the in place then to get a hair trim - hindi pa uso ang salitang make-over noon.

Further down the road is the road to Quiapo. According to Erich, during the height of Ondoy, bahang-baha raw ang underpass - across the FEU. I remember Cinerama to the right and the series of the usual Quiapo stores na madalas ko daanan then.
The pictures are a little bit dark since these were taken inside the tinted car. Narigat itti sumardeng tapno agpalitrato. The traffice was horrendous and the smog - forget it.

We passed by the famed Quiapo Church. According to anecdotes, miracles are granted when prayed for in this church. The irony of it all, just outside the church are the ambulant peddlers. All of the "magic herbs" are just outside the church - from pampalaglag, pamparegla, pampagaling ng sakit na ano man, are all offered here. The dividng line between miracles and magics become blurred.
Right beside the Quiapo Church is the Plaza Miranda. This was the site of many political rallies and the famed Plaza Miranda bombing. The Plaza is now a rendezvous where everybody from all walks of life just spend their time. Another irony, only in the Philippines - the very close relationship of the Church and the State - ang simbahan at ang entablado ng Plaza Miranda.

More Favorite Things....

La Loma in Quezon City is not just known for the cemetery but for its La Loma Lechon. The jeepneys plying the route of Dimasalang going to Quiapo or Central Market usually pass by La Loma and this picture is a site to behold. Ginagarak nga pasyaren daytoy nga lugar ta kayat ko makakita itti lechon nga kalutluto. The skin was gleaming and shiny with parts of it cracked and obviously very crispy. The monoxide emitted by the jeeps together with the dust and the rest of the foreign bodies and things did not deter the buyers of the lechon. I will have my fill of this hog in due time.

Next filling station was a small resto at SM (what's a trip to the Phil. without a visit(s) to SM Shoemart - we've got it all) called Razon's. They pride themselves with the magic touch of a Kapangpangan on food.

The pancit luglug served did not fail me - or maybe I was just really hungry for the pancit. The taste brought me back to the childhood birthday parties that I usually attend. The hostess always made sure that malutong ang chicharon for topping and the shrimps were not overly cooked. Last, the ever loyal halo-halo. This halo-halo specifically failed me on expectations rating. It indeed had the leche flan but it did not have any ube. Besides, walang pinipig and the other "sahogs" were not very colorful as I want my halo-halo mix to be. I know where to go for the real halo-halo next time.

These are a few of my favorite things.....

Erich and I went to the drove up to the kanto to re-visit a favorite haunt of ours - the Palma's Bakery. This particular bakery was known for its pandesal. They also have another specialty - the BarBQue on a stick.

We both sat in front of the mag-ba-bar-B-que to savor the smell and whet our appetite. I tried to make timpla the marinade at home to re-create the smell and taste of the Pinoy Bar-B-Que. Sabali latta itti raman ken angot na no naluto idtoy kanto. Maybe it is the electric fan that helps circulate the smell? maybe it is the ambiance created by the Pinoy atmosphere? never the less, this bar-b-que is one of my favorite things.

For Starters...

Breakfast has never been so good. Fried rice has never tasted the same. Definitely, longganisa from Alaminos remains to be number 1 for me.
This longganisa has its distinct garlicky taste. The kind that I had this morning was less fatty & more "malaman". It was fried to a crisp ken maisawsaw itti suka. Naimas nga talaga.
The fat that was drained from the longganisa is used for the fried rice. Naimas nga talaga-talaga.
I do not know how many is left of Mama's longganisa but a dozen was fried this morning and Mokong ate two, Erich ate one ( not by choice actually, but by necessity) and the rest was mine to savor. Bon appetit.

Manila..Manila

Imade the very tiring trip to Manila last Tuesday to be with my family for Mama's 80th celebration. It was a protracted surprise - too arduous to explain but i will try later on.
At any rate I took the early AM flight from St. Louis to LAX. Believe or not naka-first class ako (salamat Ramil). Iba talaga kung malambot ang upuan & masarap ang pagkain. I was on standby first class from LAX to Narita. Pero if luck is on your side talaga naman. I did have a first class seat for the long haul.
Tutuo yong sinasabi na maluwag ang mga seats & these are all reclinable all the way para makatulog. My back was very comfortable most part of the way & I didn't have any difficulty with my knees positioned.
Masarap ang pagkain, masarap ang malamig na Bloody Mary & the champaigne was bubbly. Papa would have been so glad to sit in first class if only for these spirits.
The ride from Tokyo to MLA was mediocre. Nang magbukas ang pintuan upon arrival, the damp air was mixed with the "burak" smell together with the diesel filtered through my nose.
Customs and Immigration were no issues. I sailed through with no difficulty - no Merry Christmas greetings. While I waited down the waiting area - napakaraming mga tao waiting for their loved ones - I observed with enthusiasm the Pinoy practises we have been used to. Amin nga ka-kab-balay ket addda idiay airport nga sumabet. Mano ngata nga sigarilyo ken M&M candies itti mai-padawat kanya da?
The Jolibee billboard was beckoning with its picture of halo-halo right smack in my face. I was making my mental agenda on the following menu that I am ready to dig in.
Saan ak pay nga makaturog but I am beginning to feel tired.
Welcome home...