Let's go!

A sign on this little cart of watermelons says "Just 10 bucks. Let's go!" (Sampung piso lang, tara na!) It's so hot in Manila right now, those watermelons look extra yummy (Pardon the blurry parts. I was inside a moving vehicle and we were in a part of Manila where it's wise not to open your windows and flash your camera for everyone to see).

Sail away

Presenting, Balanghai, by Leo Gerardo Leonardo, another one from the BGC art installation series (There are apparently 7 of them, not 5 as I'd originally said. Whoops! Five down, 2 more to go!). The Balanghai is a kinetic sculpture that moves with the wind and was inspired by balanghay, the name of the boat that carried the first Malays to the island. The sails represent the three major islands in the Philippines: Luzon (where Manila is), Visayas and Mindanao.

Gone fishing

I have no idea how anyone can just suddenly be inspired to buy fishing rods while driving in the middle of the urban jungle that is Manila, but hey, to each his own.

Circle of Life

"The Trees," by Reynato Paz Contreras. Meant to depict the circle of life, the sculpture is of three interlocking trees whose branches reach towards the sky, creating a dome. It's one of the installations in Bonifacio Global City. I've featured the other art installations here. There are five in the series. Four down, one more to go!

Suffer the little children

Here's another art installation in Bonifacio Global City. I posted an installation featuring fishermen a while back and apparently, that, along with this one, is part of Bonifacio Art Foundation's public arts program. The foundation provides public arts programs for residents of Bonifacio Global City, a former military property. The art installation featuring fishermen is called "Pasasalamat," (literally, Thanksgiving) and it's made by Ferdie Cacnio from welded brass, as a tribute to our Filipino fishermen.

This one is called "Kasaysayan Bawat Oras" (History Every Hour) by Juan Sajid de Leon. This 16-meter brass and cement sculpture is actually a sundial, and the seven paper-like dolls represent the 7,107 islands of the Philippines.

(On a side note: I'm really glad I started In Manila. I discover things about my city that I don't think I would have if I hadn't started this blog. I didn't even know about the arts program until today! I'll definitely be on the lookout for the rest of the foundation's art installations. There's around 5 more around Bonifacio Global City, I think.)

Pedicab

The pedicab is another common mode of transportation here in the Philippines, although it's more common in narrower streets and back alleys. You can find this one (and the Church door behind it) in our Chinatown, in Binondo. Either this pedicab driver here had too many customers that day or he had none. I guess we'll never know.

Fire engine... purple?

I've heard of fire engine red, but fire engine purple? I don't think I have. This is the fire truck of the Binondo Paco Volunteer Fire Search and Rescue Brigade, a group of volunteer Filipino Chinese firefighters stationed in Binondo, where Manila's Chinatown is located.

A little tribute to our fisherfolk

Here's a little tidbit I found out: Fishing is a Php 50billion industry in the Philippines (that's roughly $1 billion) and makes up about 4% of our country's Gross National Product. Wow. If you ask any Filipino, the tastiest seafood comes from the Visayas region, especially in Roxas or Iloilo City (Visayas is an hour or so by plane from Manila). Fish, shrimp, crabs, you name it, they've got it.

Chopsuey

I live in a neighborhood where the streets are named after vegetables. Over the years I've learned to live with a rather quirky address.

Once, when I was having food delivered:

Me: I live along Cabbage street...

Person on the other end of the line: Abbey street?

Me: No, Cabbage street.

Person: Cabig street?

Me: No, Cabbage Street. As in C-A-B-B-A-G-E.

Person: Can you repeat that?

Me: (Sigh) Cabbage as in repolyo?*

Person: Ah! Cabbage!

The streets in neighboring subdivisions are named after insects, flowers or trees. Somehow "Butterfly Street" just doesn't have the same ring as "Cucumber Street" or "Mushroom Street."

*Repolyo is the Filipino word for cabbage