Always, Manila

I keep coming back to Manila, contrary to most of you who love to go to the hippiest scene in the metro, I, with my old soul self, never gets tired of coming over to my happy tri-route of the old city of Manila – the Quiapo-Binondo-Divisoria route.

There is always something in this place that makes me happy and making it my creative playground – the hustle of people walking past me, the enterprising spirit of every street and the random engagement I do with strangers are such interesting experiences. 

I love my solitary adventures every time I come to Manila, and besides, Manila was my home for 6 years when I had my job working for a TV Network and my short stint at an airline company when I was younger. It was such an interesting life chapter, which makes Manila a familiar place I always love to come back to.

Quiapo

It must be Tatang Ricky Lee’s scriptwriting manual “Trip To Quiapo” that influenced my long walks to Quiapo. When he was my teacher for storytelling, he told us that if we want to write a meaningful story, we must pay a trip to Quiapo. What’s in Quiapo anyway? Must be the interesting stories that lies in all the corners of that place, from the penitent religious, to all sorts of people with different life stories to tell. 

I come to Quiapo to pray, but mostly, I come here for crafting. There’s this one street they call Villalobos street – a stretch of a street with crafting stores that sells various beads and components. I love this place for the random finds I get, especially the semi precious stones in factory price.  

Binondo 

Just some few blocks away from Quiapo is Manila’s Chinatown, Binondo. I must be burning a lot of calories already from all my walks, where I lost the sense of time as I enjoy every moment from it’s monumental arch, lucky charms hanging in the store windows tempting you to have a piece of good luck, and mainland Chinese and Chinese Filipinos walking around the street as if you are transported somewhere else. 

My favorite here has always been the egg tart of Lord Stows Bakery , while most people line up to buy a basket full of Eng Bee Tin’s Hopias in different flavors, I savor the flavorful egg tart, especially when it’s straight from the oven.

And after few walks, I finally arrive in Lucky Chinatown Mall, my gateway to my much-awaited walk around this enterprising place of Divisoria and Tutuban. 

Divisoria & Tutuban

I cannot anymore count how many times I have been walking around the different streets and malls in Divisoria – 168,999, Tutuban Mall, Divisoria Mall – and I never get tired.

There’s always this childish excitement I feel every time I visit this place. I remember early this year when I stayed in Manila for about 4 months, that I frequent these routes everyday for no apparent reason to buy anything, but just to stroll around. I have been way too familiar with the stalls and floors, but there are times that I discover new stores with great finds that I can bring back to Cebu. 

Manila, oh how I love your streets. You were my home when I was yet young and a dreamer, where my dreams became realities and where my heart was made tougher through time.

They say life here is designed differently, always fast, always wanting for more. but looking back, it was a life chapter I can never forget. Manila always feels home.