July 27, 2010

A sense of place

It is sometimes tough to get a sense of a place when all you see of it are specific buildings or interiors. So come and join me at Philcoa, a major transportation stop in my part of Quezon City, so called because the landmark government building at the corner of the Quezon Memorial Circle is the Philippine Coconut Authority. The south side of the road, one fork of which leads to the University of the Philippines, has two strip malls. Behind the nearer building is the baratilyo which I love walking through for its bargain clothes.

Citimall at Philcoa


This is the western end of the strip mall, closest to the Quezon Memorial Circle. Vendors are no longer allowed on the sidewalk, though one still managed to set up her potted plants against the wall. But she's not obstructing pedestrian traffic flow so it's okay. There is a gap between Citimall and another building at the corner, so a few fruit and vegetable vendors have their stalls there.

Citimall at Philcoa


The green overpass below is where I took the first two pictures from. All these jeepneys are going to northeast Quezon City. GT (Garage to Terminal) Express is another form of public transportation. Mostly Asian utility vehicles (AUVs), they travel fixed routes from one specified station to another specified station and cannot—or should not—load or unload passengers between their two stops. And yes, the guy in the blue shirt inside the jeepney was smiling for me; in fact, he was quite insistent that I include him in my photo.

jeepneys at Philcoa


The gap between Citimall and the corner building is caused by a small creek which runs at the edge of an extremely dense urban poor neighborhood. It used to be choked with garbage, but the community finally learned its lesson when it flooded badly during last year's typhoon Ketsana. It is now relatively clear of solid waste but, unfortunately, not of liquid waste. The stench is still quite bad and, as you can guess from the water's color, the creek is definitely dead.

dead creek at Philcoa


The street around the corner is lined almost entirely by small enterprises; some are franchises but most are single proprietorships where the seller, repairman, cook or seamstress is the owner. This is also where my tricycle terminal is, so this is where we'll end our walk for now.

Masaya Street near Philcoa


And That's My World!
That's My World Tuesday

34 comments:

Jack said...

I like the top photo, Hilda. I never think to use different angles.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this adventures walk through the streets, where it seems, as if every corner provides a different view.
Please have a great Tuesday.

daily athens

Halcyon said...

So interesting. You are right, it is hard to get a sense of place from just one photo. This series really makes you see a typical street. Fascinating! Thanks for the pictures and the story.

Julie said...

Ooo enjoyed that meander very much, Hilda. I have something similar - but totally different - today.

I am glad that creek has be cleaned up but obviously there is still much to be done.

One of the wonderful things about daily blogging is being shown around someone's neighbourhood. I appreciate the tour.

Lesley said...

This tour certainly helps to put your place in perspective. It seems like it is very busy.

Al said...

What a vibrant, lively area. Great shots, they bring it home to my semi-rural part of the world.

Photo Cache said...

I have a vague memory of this place. Thanks for the update. I will update my mental imagery too.

Have a lovely week.

Olivier said...

j'avoue ne pas avoir tout compris (mon anglais est trop faible et google ne traduit pas tout tres bien), mais j'aime l'angle de tes premieres photos

Al said...

Hilda...don't you think we already had bumped with each other while taking photos? I was just there last week, I went to UP to have Dawn's UPCAT permit signed, imagine they missed Dawn's permit among the thousands of applicants haha. How funny.

Inday said...

I haven't been into Philcoa while I was there. I can see how the place indeed is growing.

I laughed at your comment about going crazy thinking of those ...blah blah blah .haha

Thanks for the visit Madam.

Unknown said...

i love this post! been to citimall and philcoa a couple of times when my sister and cousin were still in UP, but hadn't really stayed there long enough to get the sense of the place. i enjoyed walking with you.:p

gogouci said...

First photo caused a little vertigo but once I regained my bearings, I thoroughly enjoyed the images. So much to see in all of them.

Anonymous said...

That's a wide range of perspectives and sights, a very comprehensive introduction to a neighbourhood. I specially like the last and the first image.

T. Becque said...

That was great! I loved seeing your city like that!

Marites said...

it's been awhile since i've been to this place and it has changed. There are more people and more structures. Nice photo series!

My World is here.

Dina said...

It is a welcome and needed walk through the neighborhood. Thank you for it.

James Mark said...

Fascinating text and shots.

Reena said...

Philoca!!! i lived in Maginhawa St when i was still in college for one year so this area is very familiar. Good thing they cleaned the area already. are the shawarma stands and the blind masahistas still in the area? :)

Thanks for this. It was a quick trip to memory lane for me...

☺lani☺ said...

First thing that comes to my mind -flood. Last Sunday, my flight to Taipei was delayed because of heavy rains...

Rob Siemann said...

I absolutely LOVE the idea of a Coconut Authority. Do you think they will have a peanut authority in the southern US of A, the Jimmy Carter area? A paella authority in Spain? A wine authority in France?

Anonymous said...

Funny how you pass by a place everyday, watch the developments from afar and yet not really know the place? Philcoa through your eyes is such an enlightenment. Thanks for walking us through.

arabesque said...

everything looks deja-vu even when it's in q.c. huh?! ^0^
this is MM indeed!
tnx for the tour, truth to be told, i don't think i;ve ever been to philcoa yet. haha! ^0^

Lois said...

Great post Hilda! Your photos and commentary make me feel as though I was walking along with you.

Gattina said...

What a nice tour I made with you, it's always so interesting to see other places !

Kaori said...

I like the colorful parasols in the second photo! Thanks for the glimps into your world, Hilda :D

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Hilda: Neat shots as you walked around your world.

EG CameraGirl said...

Thanks, Hilda. Seeing the big picture does help put other photos into perspective.

It seems poor city neighbourhoods have similar problems no matter where they are. I hope the population between Citimall and the corner building works to clean up the creek.

VP said...

You showed us your perfectly, from different angles and exhaustive captions. I enjoyed it very much!

Lowell said...

Well, that is a fascinating tour of a special part of your city. Quite dramatic pictures which allow the viewer to get a real sense of the ebb and flow of the place.

George said...

Thanks for sharing the neighborhood around your traffic stop. I enjoyed the walk through this part of your world.

Hilda said...

Al:
If you see a tall (5'9") woman with short hair and eyeglasses, with or without a camera, lugging a huge shoulder bag, say hi. That's probably me. :D

Reena:
I think there's still one shawarma vendor, but I'm not sure. I am sure that the blind masseuses are still there.

Rob:
LOL! Don't they? :)

Louis la Vache said...

«Louis» is fascinated by that unique Filipino institution, the Jeepney.
;-D

Francisca said...

Hilda, what an absolutely terrific tour of your world! Both the photos and your story capture it all so very well! I very much like some of the angle shots you take, they add a different perspective to the sometimes craziness of these street scenes.

AB said...

I love the Jeepneys and the anarchic chaos of all the signs.