the ice cream man

i took an "ice cream break" from chasing a photo for my entry in flickr 888. started a conversation with Manong Sorbetero (i asked for his name but i completely forgot it now....me and my senior moments) as he was preparing my ice cream.

it didn't take long before i got him to tell an incident he was still furious about. he said he got victimized by a practical joke of a certain tv program. they pretended they were arresting him of illegally selling ice cream inside quezon city memorial park. old as he is, he forgot about his permit and panicked right away.

he got furious when he was told it was only a practical joke.
he said he wasn't able to breath well and laid down on one corner for a few minutes.

"@#^$&*(*&^%@^* ng mga yan", he cursed them.
"kung ako namatay hindi naman ako babayaran ng mga yan." (if i died, i am sure they wont even pay me).

"ni hindi man lang ako binigyan ng tubig...mga walanghiya!" (they didn't even bother to give me a glass of water. shameless!)


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reborn

i have not been checking this blog for almost a year now.
i was in china so i wasn't able to even view this blog (blogspot is blocked in china).

now that i've been staying "longer" in manila, a flickr friend reminded me of this blog and asked me to "resurrect" it.
the past days i've been trying to log in to this blog but i cannot remember the account name and password i used for this.

senior moments, hehehe.

i asked blogspot to helpme retrieve my account name so i can change my password too.
so here it is....i was able to log in today and was so happy to put down a few words.

i welcome me back to photo blogging....hopefully my senior moments will not get in the way forgetting my password again.

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no time for being a kid

he gathers plastic cups and bottles in the streets of manila to help his family....barefooted. Junjun, 10 years old, is the 3rd among six siblings.

i followed him for a while and found a chance to talk to him
"saan ka nakatira?" (where do you live}, i asked.
"kung saan-saan lang po kami nakatira" (we live anywhere sir)

"magkano kinikita mo sa pagkuha ng plastic? (how much do you earn from getting plastic bottles?), i inquired.
"minsan po P60, minsan po P80...depende po" (at times 60 pesos, at times 80 pesos. it really depends sir - *about 2 dollars*.)

i invited him to have a burger with me and we talked about other things. after finishing up his burger, he bade me goodbye.

"sige po. thank you po sa sopdrinks at hamburger" (ok sir, thank you for the softdrink and hamburger)
"ok, ingat ha." (ok be careful). i smiled at him. with a heavy heart i looked at him as he went his way.

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old lady in quiapo

she was so happy when she saw the printed copy of the photo i took of her, a couple of weeks ago. happy that she called all the people she knew in the area and showed them her pictures. happy that she called me "apo" (grandson) many times...in between the endless Thank Yous she said to me. Happy that she gave me a hug and kissed me in the forehead to my surprise and everybody in the area's delight.

...four photos.
...endless Thank Yous.
...a lifelong joy.

i promise to keep on shooting.

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this grandmother is a newspaper and cigarette vendor
in Quiapo, Manila, Philippines

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the world in different lights

taken at SM Mall of Asia - the biggest mall in the Philippines
and 7th in the world. (Wikipedia)

(click the image if you want to view it large)

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a jeepney photo op

Taken on my way to Bagong Silang, Caloocan City. An area with a very high crime rate (some of my friends told me it’s now the new Tondo – a place famous for its notoriety).

You’ve got to have enough courage or stupidity to bring out a camera as big as mine and take photo of a guy this size and at arms length away.

Have lots of it – stupidity, I mean. So I brought out mine and shoot anyway.

“Kinukunan mo ba ko pre?” (are you taking a picture of me?), he said without smiling.

“Oo pre, hobby lang” (yes, my hobby)

“Bakit ‘di mo sinabi?" (why didn't you say so?), he said it with an angry look.
i looked at him and was thinking hard what to say.

"Next time sasabihin mo para maka-pose ako.” (Next time you should tell me so I can pose for you), he then gave a very friendly smile. I smiled back and was really relieved.

Everybody in the jeepney was smiling as I took a couple more shots.


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a jeepney photo op (the continuation)

"o pose na. isa pang kuha" (ok pose now. i'll take another shot) i told him as i start to fix my cam.

"yan ganyan, sasabihin mo" (that's it. you should tell me), he replied, smiling at me.

he gave this smile....i smiled back in surprise.
after taking a photo, i showed him the shot through my cam.

"t _ _na, ang guwapo ko ah" (@#*&$, i'm so handsome), he burst.
"tingnan niyo kuha ko...parang artista!" (look at my photo, i look like a movie actor), he said to the rest of the people in the jeepney. i then showed it to them.

they were all praises of him. agreeing, almost in unity, that he is really handsome.

well, with his built and his look....and inside a jeepney, who wouldn't.

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the guy's name is Arthur


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