September 1, 2010

Narrow opening

THEME DAY: OPEN AIR MARKET • Alright, I'm cheating a bit for the City Daily Photo theme day today. Metro Manila has several well-organized upscale weekend markets nowadays (markets where rich people don't mind being seen at), but I was too lazy to go out on a Sunday morning just to take pictures since it's the one day in the week when I don't have to wake up early for work. So here is a view of a quite unintentional open-air market: an alley in Manila's Chinatown in Binondo. Contrary to what its narrow, busy streets look like, Binondo has one of the highest land values in the metro. So it is hardly surprising that stores and vendors use every available space to set up their merchandise, and that includes alleys and sidewalks.

alley with market stalls in Manila's Chinatown


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29 comments:

  1. arabesqueSeptember 1, 2010 at 6:51 AM

    is this in carvajal?! ^0^
    although, a bit pricey, this is a one stop shop to the fil-chi community. ^0^
    and i think the shot is perfect.

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  2. Chattahoochee Valley DailySeptember 1, 2010 at 7:14 AM

    Interesting shot. It fits the sterotypical Manilla street scene of my mind.

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  3. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2010 at 7:21 AM

    Looks like a great place to learn news, meet friends ... peaceful. Please have a good new month.

    daily athens

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  4. HalcyonSeptember 1, 2010 at 9:02 AM

    This looks like a really nice market. I bet you can find some interesting stuff there!

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  5. ReenaSeptember 1, 2010 at 9:27 AM

    sandali, so you went to binondo? did you take the pasig ferry ride like what we did before? :) hehe.

    nice shots! i was afraid to take out my camera during my trip there. i was so paranoid. haha

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  6. VirginiaSeptember 1, 2010 at 10:23 AM

    Hilda,
    I can imagine how wonderful the street markets are in your wonderful city. I'd love to experience them.
    V

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  7. RandySeptember 1, 2010 at 10:49 AM

    Glad you chose this one. Looks like an interesting market.

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  8. Julie ScottsdaleDailyPhoto.comSeptember 1, 2010 at 10:56 AM

    a very tight fit for a market. but these alleyway markets can be fun and they bustle with activity. I hope all is well

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  9. GeorgeSeptember 1, 2010 at 11:50 AM

    I like your photo of the street market. It brings back memories of the markets I saw in China.

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  10. escapeSeptember 1, 2010 at 12:09 PM

    Anthony Bourdain walked through that alley. we tried the palabok in one of the shops there.

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  11. JillySeptember 1, 2010 at 1:30 PM

    You've captured so wonderfully the life of a busy market. Love it, Hilda!

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  12. Chuck PefleySeptember 1, 2010 at 1:54 PM

    Reminds me a bit of Chinatown in San Francisco.
    Can't say that I blame you for not wanting to go out early on your one day of rest -:)

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  13. Cezar and LéiaSeptember 1, 2010 at 3:34 PM

    A busy day in the market!Cool shot!
    Léia

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  14. JazzySeptember 1, 2010 at 3:47 PM

    great gathering place.
    happy theme day!

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  15. AnonymousSeptember 1, 2010 at 4:01 PM

    Great atmosphere, looks a very lively place.

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  16. lewi14@gmail.comSeptember 1, 2010 at 4:06 PM

    Looks like busy market. Very nice shot for this theme day.

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  17. Mike RoseSeptember 1, 2010 at 4:09 PM

    Hilda it looks so like Thailand! I thought it was just Thais that could use every available inch of space(whether they own it or not).

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  18. VPSeptember 1, 2010 at 4:13 PM

    People at the market aren't so much different around the world: almost everywhere you find the same poses and the same attitudes.

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  19. BirdmanSeptember 1, 2010 at 5:40 PM

    That slash of sky adds a lot.

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  20. MoSeptember 1, 2010 at 5:42 PM

    I love the food markets in Asia. What dud you buy on this day?

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  21. EG CameraGirlSeptember 1, 2010 at 7:22 PM

    Cool shot, Hilda. And hey! I don't blame you for wanting to sleep in. :)

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  22. B SQUAREDSeptember 1, 2010 at 7:59 PM

    I get the impression that the rich are the same everywhere.

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  23. miaSeptember 1, 2010 at 10:02 PM

    I haven't been to Salcedo Market ever. I find that I just can't muster up enough energy to wake up early just for that. But I hope to drop by one of these days! I wanna sample the food! :)

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  24. Rob SiemannSeptember 1, 2010 at 11:14 PM

    It's a market street without a roof, therefore it is an open air market, no? Enjoy your lay in on sundays!

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  25. FranciscaSeptember 2, 2010 at 2:05 AM

    Are you telling me you live closer to Binondo than Salcedo, Hilda? I dread driving into Binondo as the traffic snarls are just too outrageous around there. But the vegetables are the best in Metro Manila. Anyway, you managed a great market shot. :-)

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  26. BergsonSeptember 2, 2010 at 3:29 AM

    no men in your market ??

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  27. RobSeptember 2, 2010 at 9:22 PM

    narrow street markets are perfect for photography

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  28. Louis la VacheSeptember 4, 2010 at 10:04 PM

    «Louis» finds it interesting that Chinatown markets all seem to share certain characteristics world-wide. This one could have just as easily been in Oakland or San Francisco, California...

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  29. TussySeptember 15, 2010 at 9:10 PM

    Your view and mine are quite similar, sorry that I visit yours so late. :)

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