My trips in the Philippines, or a lack thereof
June 28, 2008The routine of Manila living strips the experience of any gloss. I wonder at times why I just don’t go to the old Manila places like Carriedo or the interiors of Intramuros. I have to wake up, bathe, go to Makati, study, go home, for 5 days. That’s why I’m amazed at the effort of some people such as the lakwatsero(s) of lakwatsero.com.
They actually find the time to go around the Philippines and take pictures of places and write entries about it on their websites. I have been here for the past 2 decades and I still haven’t seen much of it.
The person putting up entries on the site has been going around the Philippines and has been taking beautiful pictures of it. The shot of Rizal monument in Luneta is amazing. Everyday as I get up and go to school I just have this feeling that the Philippines has no imposing landmarks like Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace, I think) or the Forbidden City or the Great Wall. Then I see photos of Manila, photos of the Rizal monument, of Carriedo, Intramuros, Binondo and other areas full of history. I also see our new buildings and recent ones, the Quezon monument and the Quezon City Circle or Elliptical Road has a forested center and a nearby park. The Greenbelt complex in Ayala Avenue is also a welcome blend of plants and sound design. After seeing those pictures I feel rejuvenated even for a moment. Yes, we do have impressive monuments and good new architecture. In fact we have a living monument that I grapple with everyday.China can have its Tiananmen Square, America its Statue of Liberty, France its Eiffel but no other country has our Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.
EDSA as it is lovingly called is something that can be viewed from many angles. For those who believe in Feng Shui EDSA is like a dragon who bestows fortune in certain places like SM North, Ortigas and Makati. For those in vehicles it is entering the lottery if you win there’s no traffic, if you lose you lose two hours of your life. I liken EDSA to a stick of dynamite. It just has to be lit and it will change the Philippines yet again. Change might not be for the better but it will cause change. EDSA is an avenue of destiny.
Previous Comments
I think Manila’s beauty comes from you having to find it, to discover it. However, I do regret that we don’t have imposing structures that instil national pride– at least not something so…deliberate. In any case, an Old Manila trip would be nice. *hint*hint* 
We have our natural sights anyways! Sige Binondo tayo! According to JP they have a walking food tour? Might be a start!
Posted by domesticatedman at July 2, 2008, 9:34 pmGame! mwah mwah.
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Hello Chris! Sadly, my site experienced a three-day downtime! Heheh! Thanks thanks! For the mention, for visiting my site and for the link. The Philippines has a lot of truly WONDERFUL sights to be proud of, and I am not sure if my lifetime is enough to cover every bit of it. I miss my old blog, I was in i.ph before
Posted by Lakwatsero at July 1, 2008, 10:49 am