sidemirrorshooting

I took my cameras out for a trip a few weeks ago to Binondo for my first pseudo-shoot. The weather agreed with me as the sun beat down my neck on my dark green top, baggy jeans, and chucks.

I started from La Torre, to Masangkay, then to Benavides.

This is Benavides street, suprisingly there’s not a trace of cars going past. Here is a long line of randomness, from the liberty hall, travel agencies, restaurants, barbershop, the United Daily News, banks, and the a mishmash of other little wonders.

Around the corner is Salazar and then Ongpin that’s when the Chinese music began to play. I took a trip down memory lane on this street I was very familiar with, right in this little area full of one-car, double-parked two-way street goodness. (in my layman’s advice : never ever bring a car here if you can help it). You get to cross two bridges over here. Both have this small river that leads to I don’t really know where, but it looks like a swamp to me, on the left is Estero. A old, old row of eateries where some serves snake. I’m not really sure if they still do. All I remember is eating Beef and Ampalaya and screwing the Ampalaya altogether.

Two of the bridges have arcs. This is the Ongpin North Bridge, I never bothered the other one as it has this really gaudy sign of the Mayor saying his thanks for being voted. lol@signage.

I went as far as T. Alonzo before I was feeling a bit tired and I was still planning to get to the Plaza, so I headed back.

Ongpin and it’s crazy signs of English, Chinese and Some Tagalog.. The old buildings stayed as old buildings, some restaurants were closed down. Business here is just as cutthroat, and just as hard.

It’s hard to shoot at a place bustling with so much energy, you never know if you’re gonna die because of some unsuspected kalesa that ran over you, Haha. Binondo has always been this busy. Street vendors of fruits, cigarettes and trinkets, stores of appliances, furnitures, jewelry, mahjong tiles, school supplies, upholstery, and the dried herbal medicine that gives such a powerful, rich, and earthy smell would be greeting you on every street. Old people in printed blouses and slacks, cars of different shapes and sizes, bicycles and side cards and the horse carriages brings this little town to life. So there will be no Belle prancing around singing little town, it’s a quiet village, but there will be lions and dragons prancing around the Chinese New Year come February 7th. :)

I proceeded back towards the Plaza, where the intricate Binondo Church stands. The sun was fickle. It would hide in the clouds when I need it and come out shining with all it’s UV glory when I’m walking. Haha.

I went in and a wedding was taking place, the ceremony was in Mandarin, so I took a picture while I was wiping my nosebleed haha.

I always take the tradition to light candles just for respect. Because I remembered the love of my life, who was one of the reason I became even more dedicated to the craft. Here’s to you, babe.

I got out and crossed the street to see the mega-structure of the church. And of course, utilizing the 28mm gave me that pretty wide screen effect of the plaza.

Some pics of the plaza de binondo with the vivitar uw&s + the proplus II

This is where Binondo got commercialized. Around the Plaza stands KFC, Teriyaki Boy, Mc Donalds and Starbucks. Where English and Mandarin are written side by side like my example below.

Then after a quick fix at Starbucks, I knew I had to head home. Went back to Salazar and Ongpin, these ornate street signs used to be the navigational information for Chinatown, but they were replaced by the regular ones. A few still stands today. Like in Carvajal.

After Salazar is a turn to Benavides and I am nearing home.

catch me if you can…

This is Benavides taken with the Vivitar Uw&s + the Fuji Proplus II

When I got to La Torre, some children were playing. And while I took pictures of them, they told me

Ate, papicture naman diyan

which translates to

Sister, take our picture!

I obliged. :) It was probably the best part of my walk.

And it ends my shoot for the day. I don’t really know how it went, but it was fun. I guess that pretty much matters :)

Santan flower near our house.

Stumble it!