CARLOS RECOMMENDS!
PULSE YOGA is formally launching their Greenhills studio this last weekend of May. They are offering free Yoga Discovery classes all weekend long They reflect the vast range of yoga styles Pulse teachers have been exposed to. Come try it out and see which one best suits you.Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 2:00pm to
Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 5:00pm
Location:
23 Florida Street, Greenhills
Manila, Philippines
+6327217900
+6391784pulse
pulse-yoga.com
KAMUROSProductions
Presents
Presents
“An Evening of Interpretive
Dancing and Drumming”
Starring
Horhe
9:00 pm - midnight
31st May, Saturday
The Living Room
Unit 24, North Syquia Apt., 1991 MH del Pilar, Malate
RSVP:
5648635
0928 5915503
www.jazzrice.blogspot.com
Entrance is free but donations are more than welcome.
AND MORE DAMNED PROOF THAT THE PHILIPPINES IS JUDGED BY THE CONDITIONS OF DOWNTOWN MANILA...
Read this hideous review of Manila by a visitor from Spain only posted a few days ago. Can't blame her for finding the place "unspectacular" and for being disgusted by the toothless street people. Really, the vagrants really shouldn't be allowed to loiter in our front-of-house, so to speak. Not that I am saying that we should jail them or commit genocide to take them out of their misery, but having them sleep, bathe, and set up camp in public spaces is an activity that should not be condoned by anyone. Paging Mayor Lim! Madame Harper of The Intramuros Administration has been knocking on your door for a while now to do something about the vagrants in Intramuros. Shall you finally put money where your mouth is and do something about it? I mean, I know solving the squatter problem of the entire Metro Manila won't be easy until someone finally overturns the RIDICULOUS LINA LAW. (which gave squatters all the rights and privilege in the world to occupy ANYONE'S LAND.) But cleaning up Intramuros of vagrants would be a start.
Sheesh. The crap I am up against in helping change the image of this damned city. It's f***ing frustrating. Ugh. It's enough to make me sick. Really,I'mthisclosetogivingup. I really am. Why bother singing praises for a city that it's own residents and leaders don't give a sh** about? It's making me feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
Read here review here. Anyone out there who can help me post a translation?
Sheesh. The crap I am up against in helping change the image of this damned city. It's f***ing frustrating. Ugh. It's enough to make me sick. Really,I'mthisclosetogivingup. I really am. Why bother singing praises for a city that it's own residents and leaders don't give a sh** about? It's making me feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
Read here review here. Anyone out there who can help me post a translation?
Labels: carlos recommends
posted by carlosceldran @ 12:43 PM
41 Comments:
Um honey, thanks for the post but you posted the wrong posters.
I sent you an email with 2 attachments, one called yoga discovery schedule, and the other, yoga discovery description. Those are the ones I asked you to post.
Could you kindly correct?
Thanks thanks!
A funny translation from Miss Olivia's translation feature on her laptop.
The “Per it” of east: Manila
Writing in The Philippines by admin 23-05-2008
We arrived at Manila. Good, not to Manila Manila, but to Clark, who according to AirAsia is “there mismito of Manila” (he ***reflxes mng 2 hours of bus).
The bus leaves you to the outskirts. Of a taxi (with demonstrated scorn by the life, as it is normal in Asia) it took us inn to us and a pair from Japanese there to our. We arrived after stopping 3 times to ask, one because the motor did not work and another one because we put in no entry.
The inn is well reason why we paid and coverall seeing as it is the patio as far as the cleaning and comfort here. The room gave the street, reason why we had “the sound track of the fantastic nocturnal life of Malate” all the night. We slept fatal.
On the following day (today), we left “to make the tourist ". We decided to begin with Intramuros (old city walled within Manila, inheritance of the Spaniards) and of there to Quiapo (in search of a digital camera, after verifying sadly that the quality of our photos now does not give nor for an extension)
Sandra had the fantastic idea to be walking to Intramuros. Thus it is as a city is known no? Then yes… thus we knew whichever things the city.
Thus we knew the children who play with the sweepings, to the people who live underneath a tree, to which they live upon the tree, which they look for the food in the sweepings, to which they request to you and they alongside smile with a single tooth… and sure the golf course to you.
A long time ago we did not see as much misery (from Delhi). The desire took off to us to know the city much more, but we followed our route towards Intramuros.
To be sincere, first which we said when arriving it was: Is this? Not only there was nothing no spectacular that to see… Were whichever things that we would like not to have seen, like the prohibitions of atuendo which it imposes the Catholic Church here in the Philippines. We had left clear that the Islam does because has stingy affluent people… and also it is clear that when a religion must be able, she is the one that is, becomes equal from intransigente. In Spain they do not do it because no longer God goes nor… but here that people put “We create in God” in the cars, because that… two cups.
We happened (by chance) in front of the immigration office where they extend visas (we are 21 and perhaps we are more). We asked the turn civil employee what made lack, and the answer left pictures. We could not enter with short trousers the immigration office (the own civil employee offered itself to do it by a reasonable sum, clear).
That is to say: the norms of atuendo to enter the buildings of the state are the SAME ones that stops to enter a church. Chance? I do not create it.
We took a Jeepney (a mixture of Jeep of the army and bus) until Quiapo. The trip was colorful… but the landing in terrible Quiapo.
Dirt, chaos, misery and noise. We decided to put in our habitual refuge: a commercial center.
The center did not have waste. It seemed as if to all the chiringuiteros of the zone the premises and a suit had put them. But the ambient one was he himself. Miser to kill, as much in which he was sold like in the atmosphere (follón, music to all milk, sounds of videojuegos and karaokes). People lock in themselves in a cabin to sing Karaokes they solitos! (the one of the photo was a gentleman already mayorcete in the heat of concert)
We happened to the emergency plan: the cinema.
This time was Indiana Jones. In spite of to have released yesterday we were almost single in the room. The only one beats is that some use the cinema like us, like refuge, and sometimes they fall asleep and they snore all peli, but in short, it is better than to leave there outside.
When leaving the streets were flooded in the rain and the children played in suspended waters (equal composition 99% to the one of the sewers) as if it was the summer swimming pool. They frisked us to enter the commercial center (where she was prohibited to record with my camera and to touch the railings) and they returned to us to frisk in the entrance of the train. Very pretty.
The truth is that today we are going away to sleep with a 1-0 in favor of Manila. It has gained us of made goals and we are thinking that to the best thing we did not renew the visa (and we return to Thailand to see the north).
At the beginning of the day we did not know because we did not see tourists. Now we know it.
We are going to give an opportunity to its beaches…
These guys actually seemed like they were nitpicky and ma arte. Like there are no poor people and rains in any other part of the world?
Actually, just from the tone and her writing style, I can tell they would not be good guests to have for dinner. In any country.
Amazing how anyone ignorant of the history of the city can be so quick to judge it.
We don't need people like her here. Let her go back to where she would rather be.
Some people should stay home... I wonder why this lady is traveling?
I really pity her and I have more respect for all the toothless beggars of the world than for this "lady"...
'But why, oh why, do the wrong people travel, when the right people stay at home?" -Noel Coward-
As with your remarks about the vagrants... you know what I think about them. They are insensitive and ugly. I am a fan of yours but sometimes I wish I could compel you to organize weekly tours in the Payatas dumpsite. ;-)
Will you really sell your soul to please some foreign tourists? If they don't like it here they should go home... good riddance.
As for the Filipinos they might want to work for more social justice.
The poverty of our century is unlike that of any other. It is not, as poverty was before, the result of natural scarcity, but of a set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich. Consequently, the modern poor are not pitied...but written off as trash. The twentieth-century consumer economy has produced the first culture for which a beggar is a reminder of nothing.-John Berger-
This post has been removed by the author.
I'm a Spaniard living in Manila for a more than three years, I consider myself quite "tisoy" already. But definitely it took me some time to get used to:
- Bag and body inspections when you get to almost ALL public and many private places. I haven't experienced this in China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh or Pakistan to name the Asian countries I have already been.
- Dirt, mud, and what is worse people, many people, hundreds and thousand of people living in the dirt and mud. Yes there is also in many other countries more or less developed, but currently I am living here and I want to contributite to change it HERE. I'm losing my point now: These people have only seen this in India because in China, Thailand, Vietnam fortunately it is not like this.
Come on it is in the middle of the city, in the downtown. Maybe you could say, well at least we are not hypocritical. It doesn't make it any better. Imagine some visitors from abroad going to downtown Manila. Not a good image. Imagine some visitors going to Quezon Circle to visit government offices. Squaters around. Not a good image.
Do we have no shame anymore in this country I also consider mine of adoption? Think how many times you leave your house and see a beggar and your heart or your inners were moved by what you see.
I deeply love the Philippines but I see no much progress... though I still have hope.
Cheers!
Jose Manuel
Carlos, I didn't bother reading the entire review because me no hablo y comprende espanol. But judging from the picture she posted... ouch! she did us a little harm there.
But sir, please don't give up. If the very important people of Manila (residents and local officials) don't care about their city. Well, some of us Filipinos do.
As Howie Severino said, the condition of country is like belonging to a dysfunctional family. We have the option of leave it and migrate to another country or we can be engaged to this family, improve it so it becomes functional.
Hot diggety! People have been retaliating!
http://www.mundobicho.com/2008/05/la-perla-de-oriente-manila/#comment-284
Wag naman Carlos. Manila is very interesting. To be honest none of my crazy everyday experiences in Manila were ever replicated anywhere else I've been.
Please dont give up! I'm a pure bred Sta Cruz boy. Manila is ghastly for most people but I know and see its charm. Though I live half way around the world, just thinking of my weekend walks in Avenida, going to the old scale model shop near kalye tambakan and imagining how'd Avenida would look if we convert all those empty buildings into yuppie apartments, leaves me with a big smile. Please dont give up!
Best translation ever! Ignoring the subject matter, the automatic translation was hilarious! I especially loved the "we slept fatal".
Manila is more than meets the eye. I honestly think that for foreigners to really appreciate manila, they should be accompanied by an informed and trustworthy local. Otherwise, they risk seeing only a fraction of the city and the bad side at that. I believe this is what happened to our unfortunate spanish friend.
That being said, it does not take away our responsibility (government and local people alike) to make this city a better city for everyone. Not just foreigners, but everyone. Making our city attractive for tourism and commerce as well as helping the poor should not be mutually exclusive, as in the end, a cleaner, more developed manila will benefit even the poorest of filpinos.
Don't give up carlos, there are more of us than you think ... and we are putting up a good fight.
I feel for you Carlos. I'm a student in Manila and sometimes I can't help but wish more people can appreciate its charm the way I do. I always dream of the day when I get to steal away to really explore Intramuros or the National Museum or even Escolta.
Perhaps the big problem is that as far as the city's "presentation" goes, we seem to lack an in-between point: it's either the "icky" third-world slums where our countrymen are struggling to survive or the plush, fancy malls where the bourgouis go to forget they're Pinoy. Slap anyone with the megaliths of our cultural heritage like Intramuros or the Chocolate hills and they'll accuse us of being contrived or hypocritical or in denial of our corrupt, not-so-rosy past.
It seems this is all tied to that so-called fact that we Pinoys have yet to fully establish our "national identity", that's why we just end up swinging back and forth between being wannabe white people and confused, apathetic locals. Perhaps we need more people who can mobilize the populace to commence our own great cultural movement.
Meanwhile, more power to your tours! I have GOT to attend one someday (and maybe take someone with me)!
Hi Everyone!
I'm one of the www.mundobicho.com authors (we are a couple).
We are surprised for these comments and we would like to answer them back.
We've replied in our blog, and here is the Comment in spanish and my translation in English (not that good, but better than the automatic of course :))
---
Madre Mia!
Escribimos sobre Manila, y escribimos lo que vimos. No se trataba de Filipinas en su totalidad ni pretendiamos hacer una sentencia contra los filipinos.
A quien se ha dedicado a poner frase tras frase sacadas de diferentes autores decirle que podria ir a buscar unas cuantas mas a la Lonely Planet. Estamos cansados de los viajeros que lo ven todo fantastico, maravilloso y romantico.
La fotos de los ninyos jugando en aguas sucias me parecio romantica desde el punto de vista del que tomaba la foto (como seguramente le parecera a cualquier turista que vea chavales en cueros jugando y riendo en medio del caos, como si no los tocase). Sin embargo, un analisis en mas a fondo me hace pensar: porque no estan en el colegio? Porque nadie se preocupa de que jueguen ahi? Porque no tienen un parque en el que jugar?
El romanticismo esta bien para el que observa y sabe que tiene billete de vuelta. Y todas esas ideas sobre que uno debe ir por el mundo encontrando la belleza en TODAS partes es otra patranya del mismo periodo (romantico).
En el mundo existe la belleza y existe la fealdad. Existe el encanto y la miseria. Las maravillas y abominaciones, y es honesto ver estas y denunciar aquellas.
Ahora estamos en Palawan, donde la pobreza quizas no sea tan extrema, pero donde la gente cuenta con lo minimo para subsistir…y sin embargo son felices (y se nota).
Eso es bonito. Lo demas…para la Lonely Planet.
---
Oh My Dear!
Madre Mia!
We just wrote about Manila and about what we saw. I wasn't about Filipinas as a hole, and we didn't want to make a case agaisnt filipinos.
For the one who posted phrases from several authors, he could go to Lonely Planet for more. We are sick and tired of those people for whom everything is fantastic, wonderfull and romantic.
The photo with the children playing in the muddy waters seemed to us "romantic" from the photographer point of view (and may be from the point of view of any tourist who would see semi-naked children playing and smiling in the middle of chaos, like it doesn't touch them)
Although, a deeper analysis make us wonder: why aren't they in the school? why nobody cares about them playing in such conditions? Why there is no park or garden in the city for the children to play?
Romanticism is ok for the one who observes and knows that he has a return ticket to his country. All these ideas about traveling around the world finding the beauty in EVERYTHING and EVERYWHERE is another romantic lie.
In this world there is beauty and ther is uglyness. There is the charm and the misery. There is wonders and abominations, and is honest to see the former and denounce later.
Now we are in Palawan, where poverty is no so extreme, but where people lives with the minimum. And people is happy and you can see it.
THIS is beautiful. And the rest, for the Lonely Planet.
ENGLISH BONUS: Body and bag inspections are performed in a very relaxed way. It's not about security, but about pretending that there is some security (perception). But more important, it's about letting the poor people in Manila know: if you try a revolution against my golf area, we have cops enough!
I am the lady.
If we say that Manila is amazing, beautiful and exciting, it's significant to change the world?
Is sterile to discuss about this kind of things.
We didn't like Manila, but not for the people (we never have mentioned that) but for the corrupt politics that stole your money and do nothing for your city and neither for your people.
So I will give no more replays, cause i am sorry that the translation you have made is not good and we will never understand each other in that point.
We are enjoying our time in the rest of Philippines, we really like this country and filipinos are really kind.
I agree with you Jose Manuel y tienes razon. I've been to Madrid and loved the city. I mean seeing Madrid and seeing Quiapo in the Philippines wow! what can I say? Quiapo es basura, pero para los Filipino, lo es ustedes basura jejejejeje.
Anyways, a lot of Pinoy can't imagine beauty (unless they get out)if they've been around garabage too long, yup you'll see beauty in garbage as hope died.
I am Filipino, born in Manila, proud of being born in Manila. It is dirty like the lady said about Quiapo, filthy, chaotic, miserable and noisy.
But I totally agree with Carlos, we need to clean the city, we have a choice to do that. We need to restore old adobe style houses. Our buildings on average are ugly.
I believe Anthony Bourdain when he said that the food of the common (average)people in a country is the measurement of that country. So we could also say that the average home of an average citizen of a city or country is the measurement of the quality fo life in that city or country. Honestly, Manila failed big time.
Carlos I support you,as I have promised myself to buy a piece of Manila in 5 years and build a building comparable to Madrid's or better. All Manileños should, amen.
i have one word for all - desensitized. i think more and more filipino are accepting squatting that when other people (i.e. foreigners) point out these eye-sores, we scratch out heads and say "oo nga ano?!"
we are so used to these squatters and to all the things that is wrong in manila that we are desensitized.
something has to be done with these eye-sores. repeal the lina law, now na!
we pinoys should really change out attitude - no, it's not truly acceptable.
Carlos,
Here's a better translation of the blog entry you mentioned in your May 29th post. That online translation you posted gave me a headache after just a couple of sentences. Anyway, here's my take on her review which I think gives a better idea of what she tried to convey: (note that I have placed a few asterisks with corresponding footnotes)
"We arrived in Manila, well, not exactly in Manila, but at Clark, which according to AirAsia is right there next to Manila (read a 2 hour bus ride).
"The bus drops us off in the city's outskirts. From there, a taxi (showing its disregard for life, as is the case in Asia) takes us to our guest house. We arrived after making 3 stops which we questioned, one of which was why the motor wasn't running and another time because we were illegally going in the wrong direction.
"For what we paid, the guest house was OK, but above all the grounds were clean and relaxing. The room overlooked the street and in that evening we were able to experience "Malate's night life" along with the requisite loud band. We had a dreadful sleep.
"The following day (today), we went out and did the tourist thing. We decided to start off with a visit to Intramuros (the old walled city in Manila, a legacy left be the Spaniards) and from there we continued to Quiapo (in search for a digital camera, unfortunately our present camera's photos are not suitable for enlargements).
"It was Sandra who came up with the great idea of walking to Intramuros. That's how one best gets to know a city, right? Well yes, that's how we got to know many things about the city.
"That's how we met kids playing with garbage, people living under a tree, people living on top of the tree, people scrounging for food in the garbage, the same ones who beg and smile at you with their single tooth. Of course, this is all right next to a golf course.
"It's been quite a while since we've seen such poverty* (since Delhi). We lost any remaining desire to get to know more of the city, but we continued on towards Intramuros.
"To be honest, the first thing we asked each other when we got there was, "This is it?" Not only was there nothing great to see, but there were a few things that we wished we hadn't seen, like the dress code imposed by the Catholic Church here in the Philippines. Now it's well known that Islam imposes a dress code on its followers, because it has such a firm hold on them. It's also well known that when a religion (whatever it might be) has all that power, it becomes uncompromising. In Spain, no one does this*, but here everyone puts "We believe in God," on there cars....dos tazas.*
"Just by chance, we happened to pass by the immigration office where visa extensions are granted (we're allowed to stay 21 days and were thinking of staying longer). We asked the gov't clerk on duty what we needed to present, and the response shocked us. First of all,l we couldn't even enter the immigration office dressed in shorts, (although the same clerk offered to let us in for a modest sum, though.)
"In other words, the dress code to enter government buildings is the same as the dress code to enter a church. Coincidence? I don't think so.
"We took a jeepney (a combination army jeep and bus) to Quiapo. The ride was picturesque, but our arrival there was terrible.
"Filth, chaos, poverty, noise, we decided to retreat to our normal place of refuge: a shopping mall.
"The mall was clean. It seemed that every street vendor* from the neighborhood had opened a shop and put on a suit. The mall's ambiance was the same. Everything was "baduy" to the max*, not only in what was being sold but in the ambiance (messy, music blaring, noise from videogames and karaoke). People shut themselves up in a booth to sing karaoke all by themselves! (The one in the photo is some older man in the middle of a complete concert)
"We moved on to our emergency plan: the cinema.
"This time Indiana Jones was being showing. In spite of just having premiered yesterday, we were practically the only ones in the cinema. The only drawback was that some people go to the cinema for the same reasons as we do, as a place of refuge. At times they were sleeping and snoring throught the film. But, in short, it's betther that going outside.
"When we got out, the streed were inundated by the rain and children were playing in the stagnant water (99% of it was like sewage) as if it were a summer swimming pool. We were frisked upon entering the shopping mall (where video taking & touching the handrails are prohibited) and we got frisked again at the entrance to the train. Very nice (said sarcastically)
"The truth is we're off to sleep now, and Manila has beaten us 1-0 in a landslide victory. We're thinking of probably not renewing our visa and returning to Thailand to visit the north ther.
"At the beginning of the day we couldn't figure out why there were no tourists around. Well, now we know.
"We're going to give the country another chance with its beaches."
_______________________________________________________________
*Poverty ~ this is usually found in dictionaries as pobreza or miseria. Actually, miseria (the word used by Srta. Olivia) is stronger than pobreza. To my ears, pobreza means poverty, while miseria connotes extreme (or abject) poverty.
*En España ya no hacen porque ya no va ni Dios ~ literally: In Spain, they don't do this anymore because not even God goes (there). the "ni Dios" in Spanish we would actually translate into English as "not a soul."
*...dos tazas ~ this is part of a Spanish saying, “¿No quieres caldo? Pues toma dos tazas.” (literally, Don’t like broth? Well, have two cup-fulls!) It's when a situation in life comes along and gives you an extra helping of something you really don’t want or could do without. For example, you're on a flight back to Manila that's already 6 hours delayed, you then arrive and there's a power failure at the airport and all the bags have to be off-loaded by hand, resulting in your luggage arriving in the baggage claim area 2 hours after landing. So your delay is more like a total of 8 hours.....¡dos tazas! (i.e. a double portion of malas!)
*street vendor ~ A chiringuito is literally a refreshment stall, actually it connotes more of a make-shift stall, so by extension a chinringuitero is naturally the one who runs it. In some contexts (especially in Spain), it could be used for a scam artist (i.e. chiringuito financiero), because of the inherent make-shift nature, sort of like what we say in English, "fly-by-night operation.
*baduy to the max ~ my translation of Cutre a matar. Cutre is the definitive word, it can mean cheesy, cheap, low-quality, kitschy, etc., you get the idea. Matar means to kill, so maybe "killingly baduy (!?!?)"
Other notes:
As I mentioned before, Spain (contrary to what Filipinos might think) is very secular (if not, then divorce and abortion wouldn't be legal there, unlike Las Filipinas). Srta. Olivia is appalled that the government uses the same dress code as the Church when it comes to entering buildings. Also, she's kind of amused that there are so many religious references (outside of a church) like the sign "We believe in God" on a lot of cars. Again, you really wouldn't see this type of public religious display in Spain (fiestas excepted), although from my travels you would see a lot more in Mexico...you can't get away from that image of La Virgen de Guadalupe! A Spaniard (unless he were a fascist) would be shocked to see a bishop/cardinal, much less a priest, leading a prayer in the Senate prior to its opening session, which is what I believe is done in the Philippines, right?
FYI, I consider myself a secular Catholic, I don't want the Church interfering in the government and I don't want the government interfering with the Church, unless either of them is doing something blatangly egregious (i.e. a church practicing polygamy with underaged girls against their will.)
BTW, I was on your Deluxe Intramuros tour this past February and enjoyed it immensely. In fact, I returned on my own a few days later and it was only after this 2nd visit that I can also say ¿Es esto? Somehow it seems that things are missing there, I don't know whether this might be due to war damage or possibly pilferage. I definitely thought that the Rizal Museum needed more artifacts and texts on display, especially for the NATIONAL hero. What's your take on this? ¿Qué opinas?
OK, this was my attempt at translation, it's certainly harder than one might believe. BTW, if you wish to quote me in public please just refer to me by my initials: JPS
Saludos cordiales
Don't let one bad comment faze you honey.
Some people are just MALAS and probably ignorant, not their fault. Too bad for them.
Deep breath, sweep it away.
You don't need my encouragement for what you do. You do it well.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm your biggest fan.
Carlos, why get frustrated from a bad report in a personal Blog that no one reads? It's their shallow perceptions and experiences. I travelled around the world and I have never been to a place I did not like. To me, each country is unique and I learn and pick up pieces valuable I go on living in this world. Wherever these two go, they will have nothing good to say. That is a reflection of their state of unhappiness.There will always be something to annoy them., noise, heat, crowd, food, pollen, queue,weather, dogs, cats, and even chirping birds.
Whatever happened to your mantra:" I can not change the way Manila looks, but change the way you look at Manila?"
Just for the records: We've been in many countries and many cities...and we liked 99% of them.
Most of you are not able to understand spanish, but those of you who are able, should read our post about other countries.
Why is so difficult for everybody to accept that Manila is an awful place?
Today we met 4 tourist from other countries (Canada, Switzerland) and they think the same about Manila.
It is great that somebody tries to change the way people see Manila, but nowadays most of foreigners see Manila as an ugly place.
Just deal with it.
PS: We met people from Manila in el Nido and they said "I won't go back to Manila never in my life!"
Ok everyone, don't get me wrong. I am not seeking to have these two Spaniards hanged here or burned at the stake ok.
I say so in the article, I can't blame them for thinking the way they do. I just wished they had a little more sensitivity considering their Spanish heritage. Being part Spanish myself, I understand the sensitivities of the local population regarding our role in Manila's history. I guess they don't think the same way I do. And again, it's not their fault.
After all, I have always believed that Manila is a reflection of themselves. If one can't find beauty here. They just can't find it anywhere. It isn't their fault they had the bad luck to visit Manila on a bad day. And the misfortune to choose an airline that trekked them halfway across Luzon as their opening act.
I still believe Manila has hope and is more than the five to six kilometers that these two have walked. It is more than what these two people (and the people that they met) think.
Leave them alone. They learned a lesson here I'm sure and it's time to end the subject.
hear! hear!..I think what they are saying hurts because it is so close to the bone..It is an open challenge for Manila to clean up its act. We shouldn't shoot the messengers. Time to get the authorities and Filipinos to do something about their Capital City.
Some people should just never leave their country.
Look at this girl who hates bangkok.
http://angelanpg.wordpress.com/2008/05/21/bangkok-day-four-19052008/
If tourists knows the history of the country that they are visiting.
They won't be suprise on anything they will see after stepping off the plane. Americans don't expect a lot when visiting the Philippines. Because they already know they are visiting a third world country.
The Spaniard wrote Pearl of the Orient but forgot to know the meaning of it. Manila is not about pearls it is about urban jungle like any other Cities in Asia.
As my lola used to say, pag pangit ang mukha, pangit din and ugali. At mga taong ganyan ay talagang malas.
They are just narrow minded and ignorant tourists. Not their fault.
Yes Sebastian, we are dealing with it, that's why there are people like Carlos.
First off, I am a US Peace Corps Volunteer here in the Philippines. I am wrapping up my two years service here this week.
Second, I have had a tour with Mr. Celdran back in March 2006...(he gave us trainees a tour of Intramuros...fun and educational)
Now, I must be honest...I used to HATE Manila...mainly because I had to stay in the Malate-Ermita tourist belt due to Peace Corps requirements. But once I got out and explored the city, the more I began to fall in love. I journeyed by foot all over Manila...Quiapo, San Miguel, Sta Cruz....With an open mind and a good sense of adventure a person can learn A LOT about Manila.
Also, I began reading anything dealing with Filipino and Manila history.
Of course there are bad things about Manila (example: the strange attitude towards demolishing historical sites just to put up cement malls)...but these obstacles should not deter people from appreciating the City.
(The more I read about Ermita and Malate, the more I began to appreciate their history...)
I will always love the Philippines. And I will always love Manila.
Whenever I am at Pension Natividad, I try to talk with tourists about Manila. Some of them would rather jump right away to the beaches (it is sad that many foreigners seem to care only for the western 'image' of the Philippines and not it's fascinating history).
I always try to plug in a visit to the many historical sites in and around Manila...for nothing else other than getting out and exploring something different.
BOTTOM LINE: The traveller should be open to all things. He or she should try to learn a little bit of the history.
Why do we fault Sebastián and Sandra for writing about what they saw in Manila? It was a realistic observation of a third-world capital city written from the point of view of first-world Europeans. Meaning, they arrived expecting the level of comfort they are used to, much like the Canadian and Swiss tourists who agreed with their opinion of the city. I can understand how tourists want to maximize their time and money, with the least effort spent. I'm glad they are now enjoying Palawan; at least they weren't quick to equate Manila with the rest of the country, right?
I, too, don't blame them if they took Manila at face value and, unfortunately, were appalled. Well duh, Manila isn't exactly easy on the eyes. Wouldn't you also be repelled by the muddy slums of, say, New Delhi if you got the chance to see them up close?
However, if that's ALL you see, then you've got a problem.
One thing's for sure: Manila will always hold value for the scholar, or those who have the time, patience or determination to look past the filth (like the American Peace Corps dude - mabuhay ka!). Mindsets can change, if you're willing to change them.
The rest can always go to Boracay and get a massage on the beach.
Funny a lot of American hip hop artists mentioned Manila in their rap and including Britney Spears but some of them never really saw Manila. They mentioned things like the women of Manila, Panamanian dictator exile in Manila with huge mansion,Thrilla in Manila, the beaches of Philippines and etc etc.
Perhaps one thing we learn from those tourist was to improve our way of living. Like cleaning our Rivers and Streets from garbages.
We Filipinos are law abiding citizen or immigrant in other countries like America or England but when we live in the Philippines; We forgot to respect our own country.
Remember that commercial by Corazon Aquin during her administration? "People were throwing garbage in the Pasig River" Bumalik rin ang basura sa loob ng Bahay kasi barado ang kanal.
Americans made their country great from the Desegregration in the 1950's and 60's, The South Boston busing, the civil war, LA riot these are racial tension not economical situation and aren't we glad that we don't have this in our country.
The only thing we should do is get a Broom and sweep all those candy wrappers off our street and clean our rivers from trash.
We are clean people and take showers everyday than any other nationality. We should clean our environment too
gracias...
Funny a lot of American hip hop artists mentioned Manila in their rap and including Britney Spears but some of them never really saw Manila. They mentioned things like the women of Manila, Panamanian dictator exile in Manila with huge mansion,Thrilla in Manila, the beaches of Philippines and etc etc.
Perhaps one thing we learn from those tourist was to improve our way of living. Like cleaning our Rivers and Streets from garbages.
We Filipinos are law abiding citizen or immigrant in other countries like America or England but when we live in the Philippines; We forgot to respect our own country.
Remember that commercial by Corazon Aquin during her administration? "People were throwing garbage in the Pasig River" Bumalik rin ang basura sa loob ng Bahay kasi barado ang kanal.
Americans made their country great from the Desegregration in the 1950's and 60's, The South Boston busing, the civil war, LA riot these are racial tension not economical situation and aren't we glad that we don't have this in our country.
The only thing we should do is get a Broom and sweep all those candy wrappers off our street and clean our rivers from trash.
We are clean people and take showers everyday than any other nationality. We should clean our environment too
gracias...
Akilez, I agree. But which Broom would you use to clean up Smoky Mountain? I'd say that Broom would be a good waste management system. We need money to improve the city's street drainage system, to avoid water clogging up intersections. And I think there is money. But the question is how that money is managed and what are the priorities of those who manage that money.
Akilez, if your heel is ok, I think you should start a Clean Up Manila Movement and wage war on dirty streets. Carlos can then help promote the movement.
Hi,
I would like to help with the translation:
Here it goes:
The Pearl of the Orient: Manila
We arrived at Manila. well, not Manila rather at Clark, which according to AirAsia is "here same in Manila" (2 hours by bus).
The bus will leave you in the outskirts of the city. From there, a taxi (in disdained sight, which is normal in Asia) brought us along with other japanese tourists to our hostal. We arrived after stopping 3 times asking, first is because the motor did not function and another we were brought to a prohibited address.
The hostal is good for what we paid. Like what we are looking for cleanliness and comfort. The room overlooks a street, and we experienced, the "soundtrack of the fantastic night life of Malate" all night. We slept terribly.
The next day, we went out to do the touring. We decided to start with Intramuros, (old walled-city inside Manila, inherited from the Spaniards) and from there to Quiapo (in search for a digital camera, after checking sadly to the quality of our photos which does not expand).
Sandra had the fantastic idea of walking to Intramuros. Which is the best way to know the place right? So, yes we learned some things about the city.
We learned about the people who plays with garbage, those who live under the bridge, those who live under the trees, and those who search for food in the garbage, and those who ask and smile at you with one tooth, and yes, at the other side of the golf course.
It's been a long time that we haven't seen such a misery (since Delhi). It lost our drive to learn more about the city, but we still continued our route in Intramuros.
To be sincere, the first we said when we arrived was, Is this it? There's nothing spectacular to see. There were some things that we would have not liked to see, like the prohibitions of the Catholic church here in the Philippines. It remained clear to us that Islam does it also because the people are well controlled, and it's true that when religion has power, its clear that whatever will be will be, it becomes the same with unyielding. In Spain, they don't do it because it does not happen anymore, but here the people put "We believe in God" in cars, and that 2 cups.
We passed by chance in front of the office of the immigration where they extend visas (we have 21 days and could be more). We asked the administrator on-duty, which was missing and responded to us that entering the premises is prohibited if one is wearing shorts in the office.
In other words: the norms of proper attire when entering government offices is the same when entering the church. Is it by chance? I don't think so.
We took a jeepney (a mix of army jeep and bus) until Quiapo. The travel was picturescque but the landing in Quiapo was terrible.
Dirt, chaos, misery and noise. We decided to move ourselves to our usual refuge: the mall.
The mall did not have trash. It seemed like people in this zone were placed in a specified area and decorum. But the environment is the same. there were a lot of things on sale, one can hear videogame sounds and karaokes. The people are enclosed in a small room to sing Karaokes alone. (As shown on the picture, a man in concert.)
We turned to our emergeny plan: the movies
This time it was Indiana Jones. In spite of having just shown yesterday, the movie house did not have much people. The only use of the theater is to serve as a refuge like us, which most of the time people sleep and snore during the entire movie. But in the end, it's better that going out.
Upon going out of the theater, the streets were flooded by rain and the kids were playing in the stagnant water (99% sewer) as if they were swimming in the pool. We searched to enter a mall (thought it's prhibited to record with my camera and touch the small flags) and so we searched again for the train entrance. Very good.
The truth is now we are going to sleep with a score of 1-0 in favor with Manila. It won us a goal and we are thinking of maybe not renewing the visa (and return to Thailand to view the north).
On the first place, we didn't know why we didn't see much tourists. Now I know.Let's check the the beaches.
Sir you might be interested on this web site
http://www.kripalu.org/
Los bichos
To all of you!
Why are you so angry for one comment about a city? We never talked about people, we never said bad words of filipinos, because we don't have one.
We just said that Manila is a hard city, is not easy for a foreigner to see a lot of people having a really bad time. Of course is not for the people, is not their fault, we never said that. And absolutely we'd prefer that people have a job and a house to live in. What's the mistake in this way of thinking?
We are not talking now about 300 hundred years of spanish domination, what's going on? we are not responsible for that. In fact Spain was under muslim rules for 700 hundred years, but this is history is not the present.
If you don't know, Spain had the worst terrorist attack with 200 dead in the last years with a bomb train. Are all the muslims responsible for that? of course not.
Most of you even had made a comment about if we are unhappy,if we don't like animals, neither people, why are we travelling etc. This is a personal attack, don't you think? and you say that, after one comment in our private blog which is for our family and friends. We are really happy without doubt and we are very lucky. We have saved money during years for this travel, because we also must work to live so please don't be so relax to make comments about our plastic card.
The fact is that we made a comment of a city, which is not the end of the world cause we are only 2 more tourist in your city, but you made comments about us, ummmmmm
Ok, I think that's over, and of course we really enjoy Philippines and the most of all we love Filipinos, the most wonderful people we have meet on this travel.
We are thinking of coming back to Philippines, but maybe in 3 or 4 years when nobody want to kill us.
Good bye to all of you!
I say show me your mayor,and I'll say what kind of city you are.Let's try next time to find the best person to run Manila.If we find him,let's make sure he wins.Any idea who?...Carlos,fancy a political career?:)
Indiobravo
Remember those two tourists from Spain? They're quite jolly. Here's a snippet from an entry they have on China:
"NO SON GUAPOS. En esto Sandra ha querido poner mayúsculas. Las chinas…ummm…una de cada 100 es salvable. De los chinos no hemos visto ni a uno. Sandra dice que si el último hombre en la tierra fuese chino…por ella se extingue la especie. Fani pensaba que si un chino te viola solo te queda el suicidio. Así están las cosas."
THEY ARE NOT NICE. In this Sandra has wanted to put capital letters. The Chinese … ummm … one of every 100 is salvagable. Of the Chinese we have not seen not one. Sandra says that if the last man in the ground was Chinese … for her the species becomes extinct. Fani was thinking that if a Chinese violates you only you have the suicide left. This is way the things are.
so they haven't SEEN one Chinese who's nice...wow...
GUAPO does not means NICE, but HANDSOME...and not, according to our standars we haven't see any handsome chinese male in our trip...
May be that makes us more evil?
oh Sebastian, of course you're not evil. but there are some who're smiling about Sandra's comment, because the Chinese comprise a fifth of the world's population, a billion or so. i don't think they'll be extinct soon, and especially that china as an economic power will have unforeseen surprises.
Yes, of course...
But chinese people are aware of the problem...they use western models in their advertisement...Everytime they want to show a handome man they use a western guy.
Not the same for women. We´ve seen lot of chinese women in ads...
It´s not our fault...that´s what we´ve seen! :)
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