Quiapo

In the Philippines, the Church is everywhere.

Catholic churches mark the central area of the built landscape of even the smallest towns. Their plaza are spaces in which mass is held, corn is popped, God is worshipped, motorcycles are parked, groceries are sold, picnics are held, tag and other games are played by rowdy children, naps are stolen, gossip is exchanged, homework is written, SMSs are typed, weary bodies are rested, courting is done, dogs are exercised.

Witness the plaza fronting Manila's Qiapo church, on a Sunday - a day of mass, a day of people enjoying the leisure time that, even on this day of rest, eludes many a Filipino.

Like the vendors who travel in from the provinces with their smoked and salted fish and fresh produce, stake out a bit of cement, and set up shop.

And the men and women who read palms and cards, predicting promotions at work, new loves, economic windfalls, bad marriages, pregnancies longed-for and otherwise, wins and losses, rises and falls.

(Professor Tommy is famous in America, at least according to his pitch.)

Or like the women lined up alongside and across from the church, seated behind tables heaped with gnarled roots and strange leaves and unidentifiable fruits and vegetables and barks and stones and dried seeds, herbal remedies for whatever ails.

Or the cigarette and sundries sellers, who move the sliding panel on their portable wooden displays back and forth (Tok-Tok!) to alert smokers to their presence. 

Or the balloon vendors,

the garlands-for-the-saints peddlers,

the men and women operating the Santo Nino stalls,

the watermelon cart men,

and the plastic bag kids, so many you wonder if any of them manage to make any money for their efforts.

And the jeepney drivers, idling outside the church's side door,

and all the people scraping together a living in the whirl of the plaza and its neighborhood on a Sunday, who nonetheless offer a hello and a smile to a stranger.

It can be overwhelming, even a little disorienting, this Sunday Qiapo chaos.

But never dull.

 

Comments

[Michelle B]

I just love this blog! Its entries always perk me up and make me feel part of a bigger world. Thank you so much for such rare content.

[frugalman]

Just a correction. I think the correct spelling should be Quiapo.

Great blog. love it!!

[Mila]

Ah the whirl of life near our churches, the formal center of our universe. Did you get to go down a few of the walkways near the church? The mundane, the perverse, the multitude of things and people's lives all along those corridors.

By the way, it's spelled "Quiapo", add a "u".
Great photo essay Robin!

[Jennifer]

Wow! What breathtaking pictures!

[Robyn]

Folks, this is what happens when you slap up a post right after meeting a deadline at the end of a very long day. Thanks for the heads up, 'u' has been added.

Mila, Dave gets the credit for photos ... I just stuck some words in there to make it seem like I added something to the post! ;-)

[Jennifer Jeffrey]

Your posts never fail to inspire and delight me... I absolutely love the life you two are living. I'm living it too - vicariously - thanks to the fact that you share it so beautifully!

WHEN are you coming to San Francisco next??!

[jj]

it's funny when you do posts about the phils.- it's more about human condition and enterprise rather than the food, more about the smiles rather than the taste... still, i'm highly appreciative for such a passionate entry...

btw, did you cross the boulevard to the other side where they sell cheap pirated dvds? oh, wait. those things come from malaysia, so it wouldn't be a dark surprise for you guys...

cheers!

[Robyn]

Jennifer - and your comments never fail to give us a boost. Thank you!

jj - I hope I'm not giving the impression that we don't eat well in the PHI, because we absolutely do! As far as we're concerned the PHI is SE Asia's unsung food lover's heaven!
But it's impossible to go to the PHI and not come away with deep impressions that extend well beyond the table (in my opinion).
We have a few pieces on PHI food coming out this year ... so perhaps that's why you read less of our PHI food experiences here. But we do have some food-focused posts coming up ... and if our articles are linkable we'll post here when they're out.
Thanks for reading!

[jj]

hi robyn,

hope my comments didn't offend you, i didn't mean to sound it in a negative light. in fact, i enjoy all your entries (phils or not) cuz they feature way beyond the usual food blog fare.

btw, congratulations on your new article on Filipino cuisine. kudos to both of you.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelstories/article/manilafood_0208/

[Robyn]

jj- Thanks, and not at all! We know alot of folks come here only for all-food posts. And that's OK too. :-)

[joann]

This was a great article! The pictures were beautiful. Did you get a chance to cross the street and wander around the mosque? It was such a surprise for me when I first found out that there was a mosque just a hop, skip, and jump away from one of Manila's most well known Catholic churches.

Around the mosque are stalls of beautiful fabrics and textiles. I took some home to adorn my walls and give away to friends.

I'm really enjoying all of the Philippines posts. It's causing some tears in my eyes and drool on my keyboard, but it's worth it!

[Steph]

It's a bit disappointing that the Philippines is always being overlooked in favor of other Southeast Asian countries.

I have to say,it is my favorite country and it remains kind of a secret paradise for my friend and I :)

Despite all the corruption and chaos,Filipinos are so happy and live life to the fullest.I learnt so many life lessons from my Pinoy friends.

[Steph]

It's a bit disappointing that the Philippines is always being overlooked in favor of other Southeast Asian countries.

I have to say,it is my favorite country and it remains kind of a secret paradise for my friend and I :)

Despite all the corruption and chaos,Filipinos are so happy and live life to the fullest.I learnt so many life lessons from my Pinoy friends.

[mario]

The Tourism Authority should really do more to boost our Tourism power in the International Arena. Top that with the support of all the Mayors and Governors in major districts - it'll go a long way. Here in Singapore, Cebu, Davao, & Palawan are the most popular spots for them. For the older locals - Baguio was a favourite honeymoon destination (WAS!).

Visiting Davao and Cebu in the past years made me proud of the Philippines. Manila's got a whole lotta cleaning to do (IN & OUT).

[mario]

The Tourism Authority should really do more to boost our Tourism power in the International Arena. Top that with the support of all the Mayors and Governors in major districts - it'll go a long way. Here in Singapore, Cebu, Davao, & Palawan are the most popular spots for them. For the older locals - Baguio was a favourite honeymoon destination (WAS!).

Visiting Davao and Cebu in the past years made me proud of the Philippines. Manila's got a whole lotta cleaning to do (IN & OUT).