Divisoria Day

As I write this, I feel like all the grime, stench and pollution emitted by Divisoria is still stuck on me. Let me make it clear, though, that I have taken a bath — far longer than I usually do — just to rid myself of what I accumulated in the heart of bargain center Manila from 7 am to 3 pm.  Actually, we (my mother, sister and I) were just in the “shopping mode” from 7:30 am to 12:00 noon. We had to break for lunch in the people-popping foodcourt of the Divisoria Mall, and were on our way home around 1 pm.  Alas, because the vehicle was parked along notorious Recto Avenue it took us a good two-and-a-half hours to crawl our way out of there and drive home.

As I stood at the elevator landing of the mall, I felt so lost and overwhelmed because of the crowd that streamed endlessly to kick off the Christmas shopping spirit. They were like an ant colony making their way to collect food to cart for storage till Christmas Day. Man, woman and child, young and old alike braved the heat of the sun and the myriad odors and sensations that define Divisoria. And I thought, anyone who runs smack into the kind of crowd we did today (it’s a holiday right after payday) will feel one of two things: be as overwhelmed as I was, or (and I think more feel this way) go crazy with excitement and go on frenzy rummaging, bargaining and splurging even the most meager of their pay or bonuses for clothes, shoes, toys, wares and what-have-you that vendors are hawking left, right and center.

I gave up after squeezing, bumping, twisting my body every which way just to move along between stalls, the width spanning three people abreast, but which was mostly clogged because of buyers and delivery boys shouting “Watch your heads!” as they careened with heavy loads on their shoulders. I could hardly appreciate the merchandise when it was agonizing just to make my way from one stall to another, while side-stepping owners packing huge boxes of their goods right smack in the middle of the narrow hallways.

Where I could wait for my companions in an area that was least populated (sigh, there was hardly that), I would stand there, go around some, and again be bamboozled by all the sounds around me. Three different kinds of music were blaring north, south and east of me, plus vendors and sales ladies barking their sales pitches not to mention the din created by buyers, promenaders and the curious who did not seem to mind all that was going on.

My carry-all bag was not even half-filled but I neither had the patience nor energy to shop. I was raring to get out but finding the right entrance was an adventure in itself. And I could not win with my sister and mother, who were champions at stopping to check out whatever merchandise was in sight while negotiating their way to the door.

Before finally making our way to the car, I had to endure another 30 minute wait for them to pick up gift wrappers, etc. While outside praying for the shade to hold till we could leave, it was an entirely different assault on the senses. Vendors were as busy out there as they were inside the mall, selling plastic bags, or colored bags bearing Winnie the Pooh, Dora or Mickey designs that came in small, medium, large and extra large sizes. Several young men were milling around waiting for the next set of cargo that needed unloading. And boy, do they work fast!

The usual mode of transportation there is the pedicab, but drivers who toil pedaling under the elements ferrying passengers and cargo, have wisened up and innovated by attaching motor pumps to their bicycles. It’s a cacophony of sounds there — people talking, vendors shouting, guards blowing their whistles, police speaking through a bullhorn — but the amazing thing is no one is complaining. Sure there would be some hecklers or a couple of guys arguing, but it’s as if in all that chaos, everything was in order.

As we crawled our way out of the main street that would finally lead us home, it was an altogether different experience watching through the window of our vehicle. I saw all manner of goods, produce and wares being hawked on pushcarts. It was lucky if the wheel turned 360 degrees each time we inched forward. And because we were mostly at a standstill for more that 5 minutes at a stretch, we managed to add to our purchases, this time while in the comfort of our ride, what I’d call actual “window shopping”…

I think the pictures will speak better for themselves, but I have to muster the energy to download, edit and upload them again before presenting them here. So that will be for another time, and maybe you can come back and check out the visuals of all that I’d been a witness to today.

Yes, I still managed to enjoy myself in spite all the inconveniences. But no, I have no wish to go crazy again by heading back there, especially during the rest of the holiday season.

Divisoria has a life of its own. It lives and breathes commerce. The hawkers, vendors and buying public give it life. And I? I was merely a spectator for a day…

 

Pushcart Hero

Here in the Philippines, pushcarts are equated with poverty.  Scavengers use pushcarts to collect recyclable trash or junk.  Others use it as their mobile stall when selling an assortment of goods and produce.  And there are many, especially in urban areas,  who use pushcarts as their homes, parked in city streets when night falls to serve as their bedroom, kitchen and dining room all rolled into one.

There is something admirable about people who survive a pushcart existence.  They are survivors who refuse to be pulled down because of their circumstances.  They strive to improve their life, in spite their extraordinary situations.

In Cavite City, a young man saw the pushcart as an invaluable tool.  Efren Peñaflorida knows poverty too well. As a victim of bullies while a teenager,  he was able to change the course of his life through the help of a bible study group. Instead of a vengeful heart, he was able to tap his generous spirit and channeled his energy by reaching out to children through education.

Thus was born his project “Kariton Klasrum” (Pushcast Classes) that teaches out-of-school children through a pushcart equipped with pencils, paper, books and other learning materials while in the most unlikely of places — dumpsites, old jeepneys or cemeteries.

Not only do volunteers of the Dynamic Teen Company, which conduct the Kariton Klasrum project, promote basic literacy, they also inculcate values formation.  Children are likewise taught about personal hygiene and benefit from a feeding program. Everything undertaken by the DTC is through the generosity of friends and sponsors who believe in their cause.

It is largely successful because of the commitment and dedication shown by Efren to give back in the same way he benefited from the generosity of others that enabled him to complete his education.

Now, for all his efforts, Efren has been named CNN Hero of the Year for 2009.  That is truly heroic and very deserving. His being chosen is not only a recognition of what he is doing but the admirable dedication he has exhibited to change lives, even in small and simple ways.

I love his speech after receiving the award, especially the part about serving. “Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve.”

Efren is truly a hero. One worth emulating especially by those want to help others but for selfish reasons.  Serving is about selflessness. It is about never losing your focus on the original intention why you wanted to help others in the first place.  Because God will always see you as a worthy instrument if He sees your intentions are pure.

We do not need to do grand things to make a difference in another person’s life. We only need to be sincere in wanting to help and God will surely bless us a hundred-fold, and even provide us with the means to continue what we are doing.

Pride is the surest way to kill good intentions. When we begin to look at ME instead of OTHERS. When what are initially good and noble intentions become instruments to destroy others.

As Efren said, we only have to look inside ourselves to find heroes. “You are the change that you dream, and I am the change I dream and collectively, we are the change that this world needs to be.” Heroism does not need or wait for recognition. But by the very nature of the act, it will never escape the attention of others.

 

In between

The sun had already risen when I stepped out. I felt the fresh morning dew. Birds were busy singing. The kamuning tree, with fresh sweet-scented blooms, blocked the bright glare of the sun whose rays shone through its leaves and branches and kissed my cheeks.

I stretched the rest of slumber away. Took in gulps of fresh air. Stood quietly as the rest of the world bustled around me. Overhead, the sky was clear with sheets of white clouds slowly drifting by. It was going to be a wonderful day. God had already given me a taste of it…

Then the first phone call broke my reverie…

While we, as humans, struggle not to give in to everyday pressures, the demands put on us by our environment, society and even the very people closest to us, often break us.  And when we succumb to pressure, panic sets in and rather than see things clearly, it becomes all the more muddled and complicated.

In the midst of frustration, I was thinking: We are taught to help those in need. But when we are unable to do so — for one reason or another — should we be made to feel guilty? Does the failure lessen our compassionate spirit, our humanity? On the other hand, what about those people who feel they always deserve assistance for every little thing, who demand that they be helped and take you to task for not being able to respond to what often become whims?

Are we really being of help to others if we always cater to what they ask for without giving them the responsibility of also helping themselves? Yes, I understand about giving till it hurts, but the downside to this is that people who become abusive and take advantage of others’ generosity. Would it be so bad to sometimes say NO to teach someone the value of doing their share for their needs instead of simply depending on others for survival?

For most of the day, my feelings have been alternating between frustration and exasperation. At some point, I wanted to scream STOP! or ENOUGH! But then it was easier to close my eyes and mutter: Jesus, I trust in you.

I seem to be getting more than my share of being surrounded by people who are insensitive, demanding, and sometimes downright unreasonable. And I so need to hold myself together so as not to be sucked into an abyss that will render me useless.

Before I sat to write my thoughts down, I again stood outside the house, this time under the evening sky lit by a multitude of twinkling stars. I savored the night air, the quiet shadows, the end of another day.

It would’ve been perfect, but for the in between…

But I choose to live in the present, and let tomorrow take care of itself, having learned from yesterday.

 

 

Heavens ablaze!

It was late when I finally trudged home from work. We usually have a ride but tonight we commuted. Save for the din of the highway, I appreciated the quiet surroundings, the shadows in my midst, the muted street lamps, the solitude. It made me more aware of what was around me, even if I’ve walked this street thousands of times before.

The last few days have been blistering hot. The searing kind of heat that permeates the skin. But after the “Great Flood” people seem to be more tolerant of the heat. Better hot than wet…

Not only is the weather fine, the skies are clear, too! I did not even have to hold my head up high to see a multitude of stars… Now this is a sight I’ve missed. Twinkling in the city.

Yes, the heavens were ablaze and even the smallest star seemed to twinkle so bright. I have not done my circular sweep in a long, long time. And with the household all quiet, I munched on a pear outside in the garden to have my fill of this nighttime spectacle.

It was tempting to drag a bench to the middle of the garden and lay down underneath it all. There were too many of them to count, but it was all the more special to have seen and been seen…

Yesterday was a “bad” hair day. Too much pressure and you tend to burst. Today was a time to recover. I hope things will fall into place tomorrow, and am looking forward to a respite.

Seeing the stars spread out in the night sky, some shining brightly, others twinkling quietly in the background was a wonderful way to end the day. It was a comforting scene, that made me feel a comforting presence.

Good thing God does not have “bad hair days”. If He did everytime we displeased Him, we would all be goners. Instead, He makes us see, hear or feel that bad days notwithstanding, it is still a beautiful world. And we have to be grateful for the chance to live and breathe it.

When times are bad and our spirits are low, trust in the Lord to show us the way… He will guide, comfort, and console. He is everywhere and we are not alone.

 

Sooo Pinoy!

Sunday Eat-Out Day! Time to take a break from kitchen duties… and try out the new resto nearby. The Ayala Techno Hub’s list of tenants is growing and getting more interesting.

Recently opened is the Kanin Club (Rice Club). How much more local can it get??? Rice is the staple food of Filipinos. Those who don’t have much to spend for meals usually order more servings of rice to go with just one dish. And that is the key to a filling meal on a tight budget.

panel display

It was nearly 2 o’clock when we got to the Hub, but the place was still filled and we had to wait for the next vacant table. The waiters did allow us to order ahead so that by the time we were seated, they would be serving the food already. Good idea. I settled for their Vegetarian Delight and decided it would be nice to try their Sinangag na Sinigang, although I would be leaving the pork to the rest of the family. We also settled for Shredded Beef Flakes, Lemon Chicken and their Overloaded Fried Rice.

The tables at the front of the Club were kinda crowded because there was only one that seated two persons, while everything else was set up for 4 to 6 diners. We were finally ushered to the inner room and it was amazing what they did to the interiors of the restaurant.  Even without noticing the lay-out and decor, it was so catchy because they were playing native songs… I caught “Sa Kabukiran” when I entered 🙂 .

Camera batt was running low but that was the yummo fare...

True to their word, by the time we sat down the food was ready to be served and all we had to do was eye the fare and dig in! The verdict? Yes, the food tasted as good as they looked. The vegetarian dish was truly a delight with banana blossoms and three kinds of mushrooms with tofu sauteed in vegetarian oyster sauce. And as my cheat day, I tried the rice in Sinangag na Sinigang along with the veggies that they served tempura style.

countryside dining in the city...

Sinigang is a Pinoy viand cooked in sour broth with either pork or fish (bangus) and a variety of veggies like kangkong, radish or gabi. The more sour the dish, the better it tastes and this one had me shivering after initially tasting the rice that must have been cooked with the sinigang broth.

The twist to this dish is they still fried the rice dry, added a few more veggies, then sliced the pork thinly to lay it on top of the rice along with the tempura veggies. Bravo!

door leading to inner dining area

I really appreciate the very Pinoy ambience to this place, with a lot of paintings by local artists of scenery reminiscent of the countryside. They used capiz windows as accents, had sliding doors made of wood and glass, and their decorative panels carried small artworks of Filipino scenes.

Best of all, their prices are affordable and the servings quite adequate.

For now, if you’re thinking of dining out and are near the Ayala Techno Hub area, give Kanin Club a try and feel good to be Pinoy…