" Surrealism "

a bit distorted don't you think?




That's because it's a reflection.
It looks good when the water isn't murky.
I wish it stays that way.
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" This and That "

Some bizaare things you'll find around the local market...
From left to right:
Naptalina at Alkampor - Naphthalene and Camphor
Tawas (buo at durog) - Alum (whole or crushed)
Insenso at Kamanyang - Incense and Frankincense
Lason sa daga - Poison for rats
and a whole lot of weird stuffs. ^0^


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" Before it rains..."

The clouds played a dramatic role in this photo.
It's hopeful and the colors are just vivid.
A slight hint of orange but mostly blues.
Then minutes after, It started to rain,
The sky suddenly went bleak.
That's what we've been having these days.

more skywatch galore!

melody: Going Home- Chris Daughtry

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" Mc Donalds "

Fast food craze is one of pinoy's lifestyle.
We call them "Mc-do" for short and
a memorable slogan : "Love ko'to!" - I love it!
Competitions have been steep these past few years, that enticing the public for a bite to eat
with a whopping price of 25.- less than a dollar for a piece of burger, a float, some fries or a sundae.
what more could you ask for ? ^0^

melody: lack of color- death cab for a cutie

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" Junk foods "

Anything that's crunchy and crispy, i'm sure you'd find them here.
This is a typical *Sari-Sari* store along Roxas blvd, but a newer version.
This one's attached to a bike, so it's sort of a moving sari-sari. ^-^

*info: A sari-sari store is a convenience store found in the Philippines.
The word sari- sari is Tagalog meaning "variety".



Which makes me ask, can't get enough of Junk foods?

Here are some of our local favorites though.



melody: Cookie Jar - Jack Johnson

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" A story in Black and White "

The name Casablanca sounds quintessential and a bona fide classic.
It reminds you of the movie where Humphrey Bogart swept Ingrid Bergman's feet
while in tune to the melody As time goes by.
Or perhaps somewhere off the exotic Morocco,
Or maybe its literal spanish translation- the White house.



Obviously, this has been around for awhile.
The structure located along the walled city of Intramuros looks promising
but a disappointment that it now looks like this...
vandalized and long forgotten.




On another sad and disturbing note:

If you were watching the news and following the headlines,
then you would've been aware what has happened to our country for the last 24 hours.

22 Hongkong nationals and 3 Filipinos were held hostage that lasted for more
than 10 hours plus.
A tragedy that got worse that shocked the country and the rest of the world.
The hostage taker requested that he be reinstated from his job,
but things got out of hand, he got restless when his brother was taken custody by the police force,
minutes after, gunshots were fired from nowhere, there was turmoil and chaos and then, it finally ended.
Innocent lives were taken.

There were lots of lapses between the negotiating team and the suspect,
I think the police force were tentative, unready for the battle and was too lenient.
Watching the drama on the telly, only one word comes into my mind.
Shame.
Just one suspect versus the whole negotiating + tactical + swat + the police force.
But what had they done?
How did they controlled and handled the whole situation?
And where was the President after all this?
There was no sign of him, nor the vice president.
and this is what he calls "Change".
Where's Peace and Order?
There was no crowd control and panic was everywhere.
What the suspect did was an unforgivable and selfish thing.
He was not in his right mind.

Lastly, My prayers are with those who died and those that
are still in critical condition right now.
They deserve better than this.

melody: binoculars- deep

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" Wait! where are you headed ? "

While education plays an important role in our lives,
It is a luxury for some as illiteracy is still a huge problem in our country.



It's lunch time when I took this picture,
I think both of them were headed home.
but took a detour when something caught their attention,
I'm not sure what they're staring at,
what's scary though was that, they're both standing in the middle of the road.

melody: we dance on- n-dubz feat. bodyrox

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" the light that shines "

" You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of.
You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. "

- Albert Camus

a calm and soothing friday to all! ^0^

my skywatch entry

melody: Sunburn- Owl city

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" Pls. flush after use "

a broken toilet it seems, in the middle of nowhere.
I wonder who left it there.

melody: life in technicolor -coldplay

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" All over again "

Along my walks to Chinatown.


I evidently caught 3 different versions of a street sign named "Ongpin".



is this a little too much? ^0^



melody: That's not my name- the tingtings

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" Garbage "

who cleans up our trash ?



a company called Leonel Management does this everyday.
the city's exclusive garbage contractor.
Notice those two men on top as they're preparing to hit the road.
Mostly, you see them roaming around the area during nighttime and the wee hours.
I have to commend these people,despite its pongy and putrid smell.
This isn't an easy job, but somebody has to do it.

melody: beautiful small machines - counting back to one

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" Above and Below "

Here's metro manila in broad spectrum:



The clouds have formed these blue shady hints as the sun begins to sets,
but contrast to what you see...
below are low levels of contiguous houses where the squatters live.
with no other place to stay or to relocate.
It is yet a predicament that needs to be resolved.

melody: The Great DJ- The ting tings

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" Otap "

Otap is an oval shape puff pastry that's toasted, looks crumpled, a bit flaky with sprinkled sugar on top.
It's a native product of Cebu but is also popular in other provinces such as in Negros and East region.
On the outside, they all look the same but it's the taste that makes the difference.
Among those i've tried, I have to say Shamrock's version of this melt in your
mouth Otap is the best.
Its crispness is right and it's not too sweet and greasy.

*Shamrock* is a popular product of Cebu and one of the finest, home of this great delicacy.
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" Ramadan "

Today is the 1st day that Muslims will observe "Ramadan", considered to be sacred, it's the month of fasting as they abstain themselves from drinking and doing other unhealthy activities, thereby purifying and cleansing themselves.



So I thought I'd show you the other side of Manila, where the Muslims have been praying and have started reading the Qur'an.
Because almost 80% of the population are Catholic believers, there are only a few Mosques here.
One in Quiapo and the other in Baclaran area, where ironically, both famous Catholic churches are situated.



This one here is in Quiapo.
It's still under renovation when I took these fotos, I think it was last november.
I've been wanting to post it but couldn't find the right timing for it.
I'm sure the mosque would look more appealing by now.



As a non-muslim, this is the closest I could get, i wish i could see its interior,
I can only admire the onion dome shape roof, that's very significant in this moorish inspired architecture although not as extravagant like the others.
I do like this doorway, it's an interesting pattern.



From where i was standing, this is what it looks like.


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" El Amanecer "

What was once called the Lourdes Church and Convent, built in 1892, as the 1st home of the franciscan in Capuchin friars, now stands as El Amanecer, located along the walled city of Intramuros.



Inside the compound, there's a restaurant called the Ilustrado, one of the local restos here in manila.



a detailed look at its design while still preserving these walls.


an old wooden bench displayed outside, not sure if it's meant for sitting.


and a shop that sells quite a handful of original antiques and attractive trinkets.

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" Rock-a-bye "

and he was sitting nonchalantly amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life.


melody: Billionaire- travis mc coy

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" fresh "

aren't they just inspiring to look at?! ^0^
and what a variety to choose from.



seen outside Quiapo church.
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" Miriam "

a 12x18, oil on canvas done by contemporary artist-
Mike Austria, entitled Miriam.

He's an actor here in the Philippine and has played quite a few roles.

His works have been often called transcendental,serene and delicate.
To know more about his works, visit this site.
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" Bleu n' Green "

a clear bleu sky of Metro Manila seen from the train station.



an empty land awaits new infrastructures but
in the meantime, there's tons of distracting billboards.
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" Guyabano "

Guyabano in Filipino, Soursop in English, Graviola in Brazil, and Guanabana in Spanish.
A fruit that comes from the Graviola tree that is a miraculous natural cancer cell killer.


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" the lady "

An elderly was standing infront of this building,
a newly erected structure beside the sta. cruz church.
But what was she looking at?



Perhaps she was admiring this... a figure of Mother Mary carrying Jesus.



or perhaps whe was reading this plaque...



whatever, she seem pleased as she left with a smile and went straight to the church.
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" Sta. Cruz District "

Just a quick look along Sta. cruz district, this monumental bldg. that has
been here for years right infront of Sta. Cruz church.
Flashy ads here and there, as motorists and locals go to and fro.
The one in the yellow uniform ( see:left) is a traffic officer that
helps regulate congested vehicles,
most of the time, they're efficient, other times, they're not.
If you decide to cross the street from this angle, you're either headed to Escolta, which is another old district or to Chinatown.
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" I've got the Monday Blues "

= along Chinatown, seen outside a chinese resto, early in the morning.
I don't know why she's pouting but she's certainly gazing at my direction.
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" Color me Red "

Whoever said Red is passé ?!
This old building along Edsa was purposely painted in this color
to catch one's attention that coincidentally matches with the billboard.
It's rather visible esp. to the daily commuters, yet a sore to one's eye.
To make matters worse, this billboard features a fame action star in a
contraceptive ad and a bldg. that's not a 5-star hotel but an affordable one.


Click here to view thumbnails for all participants
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