- April 15, 2012, Sunday.
- My German friend and former classmate Teresa Sickert sent me a message via Facebook a week ago, while I was in Vietnam, if I would be available one of these days to give her a tour in Quiapo. I told Teresa that I'd be available today, and arranged for us to meet at 11am at the Carriedo LRT Station.
- We met today at the back exit of the LRT Station, and promptly started our Quiapo tour. I found out soon enough that Teresa would feature me in a German radio travel show, since she works for a German radio station in Berlin. Teresa asked me to speak in Filipino and translate the stuff I said to English right after the Filipino version. (Teresa would also feature other Filipino friends from the other places she had gone to, and will go to in the Philippines.)
- My recording-while-walking session was briefly interrupted after Teresa met her German best friend, who was accompanied by her German boyfriend, in the middle of Quiapo. Teresa didn't know that her friend would be in the Philippines, so the brief encounter was priceless.
- I toured her around just as how I would tour the other people I have toured in Quiapo, just this time with a tape recorder following me. Teresa wanted to find out the kinds of people who went to Quiapo, some introduction about the place in general and the marketplace, and what a person could get for 500php and 50php.
- After the short interview, and successfully braving the moderate crowd, we found ourselves in Muslim Town, and ate some halal food at Mofara's. We also went around Muslim town and the souvenir stalls under the bridge ("Ilalim ng Tulay,") and visited the heritage houses at A. Bautista Street (Bahay Nakpil and Boix House.)
- Since Teresa treated me to lunch, I took her to the San Sebastian Church, a 5 to 10 minute walk from "mainland" Quiapo, and the even farther Ocampo Pagoda.
- We went back to Carriedo and window-shopped, before strolling through Sta. Cruz, Escolta, and finally, Chinatown. Because the sun "had too much to give," I asked Teresa if it would be OK to stop by The Tea Life to rest, have some air-conditioning, and some ice-cold green tea milk tea.
- Teresa and I had a nice cultural conversation at The Tea Life. Teresa's stories in Germany made me want to visit Europe more, and experience something non-Asian for a change. Teresa also assured me that this would not be her last time in Asia, since there is still more to discover in Asia.
- We both walked to Recto, where I dropped Teresa off at the jeepney terminal, where she rode a jeep to the Recto LRT. It was nice seeing Teresa again since early 2010, when she was still an exchange student to Ateneo. Hopefully, I'll be able to encounter her again next time, and I really really do pray that that next time will be in Germany. HAHA. (It's always free to wish.)
Whoa... Didn't you feel unsafe wandering around with a camera in Quiapo? Just wondering. I mean, I know that Quiapo, despite looking rather dirty in some (or many places), is a historically rich place, but it's rather unsafe over there, right? How do you manage taking foreign friends there, looking after everyone's valuables and taking nice pics? Haha. Wala lang. :) Anyway, looks like you had fun! Also, may bagong milk tea shop pala sa Binondo...?
ReplyDelete1. Siya nagsabi na I take her there. Haha. Nagkataon lang na I knew the place by heart, so I was able to say something sensible. :D:D:D:D
ReplyDelete2. I take out my camera depending on the circumstances. I don't always put out my camera, especially sa more crowded areas. :D:D:D:D
3. It is quite unsafe in Quiapo, that's why you should go there with someone who knows the place, para if ever you're going to explore the place, you won't look "lost." If you did, then you'd be a target. Of course we can never be too sure, kaya ingat pa rin sa mga gamit.