Kung hei fat choi

We went to Binondo last Monday in accordance to the Chinese lunar new year. Woah, I told you  last time that I went here before and the volume of people who attended last Monday doubled from 2010.

I was with the same folks along with Mama and Pao for 3 consecutive days. That's what this long weekend means to me-- tingling feet and hyperactiveness. Let me enumerate the places we've been to.

1. Sta. Cruz Parish church

It's a huge church across the Escolta street. In front of it is a fountain, which turns to be a resting haven for people who's gone in celebrating the festivity.

The fountain

2.  Ongpin

What to expect? a large crowd coming back and forth. I'm already geared up. Dragon dances with fire crackers shakening the pavement. Sellers pitching about the lucky charms along the way, which I bought one. Big arks telling about their beliefs. Tikoy (gummy cake) with different colors lined up on a table. Circled fruits, oranges from Sagada which awed me. really? it's a long travel. Searching for the Taoist temples along with apartments, business establishments and restaurants. Mash feet with people because of parades and photographers gorging their cameras to capture beautiful moments.

 The crowd

Dragon dance

Family fortune? might be.

incence's well

The wanderer

Tradition: make 3 bows then blow a wish

Dragon's fire

Side car driver with his 25th Chihuahua 

 Me with a 3 year old Fil-Chi girl

I still feel like I'm a tourist in my own country. Visiting Chinatown send me into a portal of rich and vital culture. Chinese people already brought their preserved culture and traditions in this hamlet.

It was a superb experience. I'm proud to be Pinay after knowing how we embrace other's culture and at the same time maintaining ours.  

3. Binondo church

This enormous, made of stones with stained glasses portraits of stations of the cross served us our resting vicinity, though there's an ongoing mass. Afterwards, we went out to look for a restaurant.

4. Maki's place

It's a small Chinese restaurant with a cool ambience and recommendable for dining in too. The food's price is cheap yet "sulit" (they'll meet your taste expectation).

 Yang chow rice

Sweet and sour fish fillet

Chicken with mushroom sauce 

Go on and a pay visit to our motherland's beautiful places. It will deepen your love for your country.

Lovely night along the Lawton bridge

Photos by  Dave and Michael



Let the children READ

Awhile ago, my bestfriend, Meanne treated me for a lunch as her post bday celebration with me. While waiting for her, I’m glad with rich realizations and visions that National bookstore gave me. (Hail to the owner of that store named Socorro Ramos or commonly known as Nanay Coring.) I saw different children’s books with its lowest price of 65pesos. I needed a dose of inspiration before creating a children’s literature. I want to buy as many books as possible (read some of it, make a review, write a summary then give it to random Filipino children). Come to think of it? How many children are no read and write? It’s not a shocking news anyway that Philippines belongs to a 3^rd world country. On the otherhand, how many middle class parents decided to buy them toys instead of short storybooks (Accept me for being a geek- but correction a beautiful geek, ok?) I’m talking to parents of 7-11 year old children- who by that age can read any reading materials depending on their level. I believe that letting the children explore their wildest imagination is one of the best gifts that parents can give them. I suddenly recall a storytelling competition from the kids of Lampara Books Philippines  during the 31st Manila International Bookfair that made me fall in love with that organization- meet them here.

I shared to my bestfriend about the children's books and its cause. Like for every one book that'll be sold, 1p will be given to the National bookstore foundation. That discussion led  us on the numerous things that we want to do- yes, our active mind is aware of social change. But social change is an intricate and complex thing- I believe in the power of doing it in a small group, then finding few people who’d be more aware of such cause. Whatever it is.
I want to give books. I want to share the power of reading books.

Then, she shared to me a bookay-Ukay (a little vintage styled bookstore where you can dig in the cheapest or 2^nd hand books.) nearby UP Diliman. I’m excited to go there. I promised myself not to indulge myself with material things this season (because I’m wishing that others might give me some..hehe), except for buying books and printing out my short stories. That’ll be the best thing I can do for myself now, I’ve done my part with my family, friends, ministries and others but of course I have to do something good for myself too.

I have to use my core gift properly. Believe me, it produces magic! :)

Pass it on, because the language of heaven can be best heard by giving what you have all the way. ;)

There maybe one, two or 3 kids- who's ready to join Dora in exploring the world.

PINOY

How would you know that you’re growing enough as a whole human being? Is it by the amount of opinion that you blurted out to the public and people would be hearing your voice? Letting them know that you’ve grown up intellectually and you can get easily annoyed by the wrongdoings of society? Or is by the number of books you’ve created telling sarcastically how stupid a person is-never growing, always evil especially in the government? Though, I’m aware that some of these greedy politicians were like hungry lions, gulping down the money of THE PEOPLE. Actually, I’m doing this just to sharpen my ability to judge the current situation of our society too. I read my friend’s blog about 1986’s People’s Power Edsa Revolution and I found it very intelligent and realistic. It’s true that we live in a society of greedy people leading our society. Of course, as a citizen of this country, the only thing that I could offer to the society is to join a community wherein I could grow with my values and learn not to cheat other people. With these elected people, the question there is do they have a good counsel about being humane and Godly? Because I definitely believe that no Godly person could do the cheating in his beloved country. We’re in need of a servant-leader who would protect our country from selfishness, graft and corruption, International affairs and economic issues, spiritual indignation, moral decay of society.

As I pray for the current President of the Philippines, President Noynoy Aquino may he resiliently enlighten and motivate the Filipino people to be a better citizen of our country. May his livelihood programs, family planning programs, business programs together with his subordinate will be successful. As, I reflect on my personality too, I know I’m not always doing what a good citizen must be doing at times too. There are flaws and conflict within me too. Rest assured all those governing people are sometimes insufficient too. That’s why I suggest, if they’d undergo more delegations, training, personality enhancement too.

THIS COUNTRY NEEDS SEVERAL INTELLIGENT, ELIGIBLE AND EFFICIENT MENTORS AND ADVISERS.

The more counsel a leader gets, the more better decisions will be made for the benefit of HIS PEOPLE.

No more drama, more on pro-actively actions. But I still believe in my countrymen. I believe in the good people of God. As the song goes, "It’s better to light just one little candle what a bright world this would be. "