Solitary Walk: The National Art Gallery

08 March 2013

Pictures taken on: 06 March 2013

I promised myself another solitary photowalk after my deliberations, but then there aren't a lot of areas in Metro Manila where I can't take pictures with a DSLR alone without getting mugged or stealthily robbed (or at least feeling like it). So I thought of cancelling the solitary thing and just taking someone with me. 

Then the Anthropology professor assigned us to go to the National Museum's exhibit on Baybayin, which is the Philippine's ancient script.

So I decided to go on with the solitary walk in the Museum of the Filipino people. But I've already been there.

Once I got to the museum, I saw the building right next to it, which is the National Art Gallery. I realized I've never been there.

So before doing my extra credit Anthro homework, I went to the National Art Gallery first.

I'm super compressing this post because the museum is so big and there's just so much to see. I spent a few hours inside and I was very hungry once I got out.

Ah, Neocolonialism. You so pretty.

Since the building used to house the country's Senate, it was super fancy inside. It made me think of other public buildings in the country, where fanciness isn't exactly a priority. What if it was?

Photowalk: the Quezon City Memorial Center

14 November 2012

The schedule for all things thesis was handed out yesterday and I feel the anxiety creep over me slightly. I admit that I'm a little behind and the schedule was overwhelming.

So I planned a small solitary photowalk for myself today. I originally planned it to be in UP because I have a morning class, but I'm a little sick of UP at the moment so I decided to go to the Quezon City Memorial Circle.

It almost didn't push through because it was so hot. There were tons of clouds in the sky, but none of them seemed to want to block the sun.

Since it's not a weekend and it was 10 o'clock in the morning, not many people were around. The park was very quiet compared to the weekend family rush and afternoon tambay hours for younger people.

Some high school kids were practicing sabayang pagbigkas.

I visited the flower garden. The last time I was here, it was still new. I had hoped that improvements have been made.

The plants are still intact, but I was a little disappointed because some areas were overgrown and lacked maintenance.

They had a small pond inside, which was clear the last time I visited. Now the surface is covered by algae. I'm not sure if the green muck is healthy for ponds. I don't know if there are still fish here.

It's a bit dirty too.

The plants are thriving though, and I guess that's the important thing.

Ah vandals. Kayo talaga.

I left the flower garden and took a look at the newly paved lane aligned with Quezon Avenue.

Then I looked at to my left and was surprised to find a legit pond, which was not there the last time I visited.

There are huge tarps bearing the photos of Filipina photographer MM Yu and French photographer Lea Eouzan for the month-long exhibit KM1.

I think I spent more than half an hour beside the pond.

I am glad that there is something like this that people from all walks of life can enjoy. The park is not perfect, and it cannot serve the whole city, but anyone can see the effort. Besides, Quezon City is facing an unimaginable number of problems today, a huge one is the growing population of informal settlers. It is better if the government prioritize those problems first before overhauling its parks and recreation.

 But I do hope that there will be more places like these in Metro Manila, where people can come in and enjoy themselves without having to pay anything, where they can go with their family and friends and lovers and just be with other people from other walks of life---people whom they share a city with.

I am also glad that even though the park is already established, there are still things to look forward to in the future.

See you later, QC Museum!

History, Posh, and Poverty

Manila Bay

11 August 2012

Pedro Gil is a one-way street in Manila that goes from Roxas Boulevard, Taft Avenue, and reaches until Paco. The street is quite historical, and holds access to landmark buildings as well as Manila Bay itself.

My sister studies medicine in UP Manila (the best med school in the country, if you ask me *chos*) and she stays in a condominium along Pedro Gil. It makes me jealous that her school is five cartwheels away from her home (translate: across the street). The convenience... OH THE CONVENIENCE!!!

I walked along Pedro Gil this morning, because I rarely get to do so alone. Fortunately, the floods were not as bad here. Roxas only gets inundiated if the winds are strong enough.

I had to take pictures with stealth because Pedro Gil is just like most streets in Ermita: a mixture of history, posh, and poverty.

I started walking towards the bay. I told my sister I was just going to buy breakfast. Meh. Impulse.

Hello, St. Paul. 

Rob Ermita is a favorite haunt of foreigners coming into the city. Unfortunately, it creates an unfair competition with the small businesses in the area. Fortunately, the small shops, restaurants, bars, parlors, and brothels of Malate and the rest of Ermita are still going strong.

Hyatt Hotel

Hello Roxas Blvd!

Diamond Hotel. I babysat there once.

It was very tempting to jaywalk. But I didn't want to die.

It took longer than I thought. But at last... Baywalk!

It looks ok from afar (see picture at the start), but the Manila Bay is very polluted. 

People come anyway.

People even fish here. Some enterprising manongs rent out reels.

Parts of the pavement were damaged by the typhoons and rains. Hopefully, nobody steals these bricks.

On the way back, I saw some kids playing near the unappreciated monuments.

Hello R. Magsaysay Building! You so pretty.

It was 8AM by the time I started to go back. My sister was pretty mad at me, because I told her I was just getting breakfast. I took more than an hour.

So I bought her breakfast and went back.