Gingerbread mall

Mr. Gingerbread Man welcoming Christmas shoppers to Gateway Mall.

Stoop

I've already shown several photos of the historic building of the Museum of the Filipino People. Now, let's finally step inside (yes, they allow photos of the exhibits as long as you don't use a flash). The museum is the repository of much of the archeological treasures discovered all over the Philippines, hence the name. One of the first things you will see upon entering the museum is the garden in the middle, which has a replica of a traditional Ifugao house. The Ifugao are one of several tribal peoples who live in the Cordillera mountain range north of Metro Manila (it is also the name of the province where they live). The thickly thatched roof shelters the entire house down to the level of the raised floor, necessary in the rains and cold weather of the mountains. This means that one has to stoop or squat to get to the ladder which leads to the doorway.



Inside the museum, there is a model of another Ifugao house, which has as many varieties as there are Ifugao sub-groups. The model is not accurate in its use of materials, however. Bamboo slats will not provide much shelter from the cold winds that blow throughout the Cordilleras.



If you want to see the colorful handwoven traditional dress of the Igorot, the generic term used for the six distinct ethno-linguistic groups of the Cordilleras including the Ifugao, the tourists we saw at Mines View Park in Baguio City last year wore them for their souvenir photo.

Cherubim on high

December 8 is the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of the Archdiocese of Manila. To commemorate this Roman Catholic holy day (which, beginning this year, is no longer a holiday in the Philippines), I offer you another view of the Manila Cathedral, which is also known as the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The symbol on the round plaque underneath the cross is the coat of arms of the Holy See which features the papal tiara and Saint Peter's crossed keys.



ADDENDUM: Because so many are asking. This feast day used to be a holiday for Catholic institutions all over the Philippines. But on May 20, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)—think of it as the government of the Catholic Church in the country—declared that it will no longer be so. It is still a holy day, however, and Catholic schools are asked to organize activities related to the solemnity (Mass, Rosary, forums and programs on Mary) "to capture the true spirit of the holy day and make its celebration more meaningful."

Sacred Heart

The crucifix and monstrance which I featured yesterday belongs to one of the side chapels of the Church of the Gesù. It is called the Sacred Heart Chapel, and a stylized image of Jesus showing his pierced heart and hands is displayed prominently near the front entrance of the chapel though lit artificially because there is a small room behind it. This is a very modern representation of the traditional image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for which there is a strong religious devotion in the Philippines. The text on the image is from the Gospel of Saint John, chapter 19 verse 37: They shall look upon Him whom they have pierced.

Monstrance

The Ateneo Church of the Gesù has two side chapels. One chapel is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and the other is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This Sacred Heart Chapel is also known as the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament because it is the one used for the exposition of the consecrated Eucharistic Host—note the monstrance built into the base of the crucifix.

Coastal defense

The historic Fort Santiago built by the Spaniards in the late 16th century continued to be used as such all the way to the 1940s, when it was the headquarters of the Philippine Division of the U.S. Army. Old canons can still be found scattered throughout the fort today, though I don't know if they are relics from the Spanish or American era. This one is trained on Manila Bay, which used to be much nearer the walls before land was reclaimed from the sea. Trees, weeds and moss now surround and grow on the old fortification. I like that.

Raise the red lantern

I really like these bright red lanterns at Hap Chan (Chinese for 'gathering place'), a Chinese restaurant that has several outlets in Metro Manila and beyond. I used the 'accent color' feature of my camera—it lets you choose one color to focus on and bleaches the rest of the scene into monochrome. While shooting, not processing after the fact. Pretty smart for such a little thing. I wonder if its sensitivity can be adjusted…

Two mathematicians

As part of the countdown to the Ateneo de Manila University's 150th anniversary, Philippine pianist Raul M. Sunico performed at the Church of the Gesù on Tuesday evening. Trained at the University of the Philippines, Juilliard School and New York University, Dr. Sunico's wonderfully eclectic program included pieces from Frederic Chopin, Isaac Albeniz, Claude Debussy, Franz Liszt and George Gershwin. The list of Dr. Sunico's many accomplishments as a concert pianist, orchestral soloist and musical arranger—both internationally and locally—is too long to include here, but beyond his brilliant piano playing, there are two things that endear him most to me: he arranged Filipino folk songs and kundiman (traditional love songs) for classical piano and recorded them in fifteen volumes—a legacy that will forever enrich Philippine culture; and his many projects on music education, especially for grade school children.



I do not have a photo of Raul Sunico at the piano, unfortunately. The conditions during the concert—dim ambient light, strong spotlights, a pianist that performs with his entire body—were just too tough for my little camera. But I did get one during the photo-op before the concert. So, without further ado, let me introduce to you the president of the Ateneo de Manila University, Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ and Dr. Raul M. Sunico, Artistic Director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Dean of the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music and pianist extraordinaire.

The oriental side

A contender for yesterday's theme day post because of the servers waiting for diners to sit on their side of the large restaurant that is Spiral in Sofitel Manila. If I didn't know any better and if it weren't for the wrought iron detail of the counter, I wouldn't have thought this was the same restaurant as this.

1,500

THEME DAY: WAITING • Goodie bags filled with biscuits, candy, noodles, slippers (flip-flops) and a rubber ball waiting to be distributed to children who live in poor communities and whose homes were flooded because of the heavy rains of typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) during the 2009 Lights for Hope Christmas outreach party.



It will be interesting to see how City Daily Photo bloggers interpret this month's theme. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Private party

The elegant, old world-style private dining room (or function room, as we call it here) of restaurateur Larry J. Cruz's Filipino restaurant Abe (ah-beh), named after his father Aguilar. The rest of the restaurant uses more modern wood, rattan and fabric chairs. No photos of the food this time (Jacob and Marley, you can rest easy now—I don't want you gaining weight because of me) but I do want to say that it's very, very good. Forget the diet if you ever have the chance to eat at Abe—some of their best dishes are deep fried or feature pork veined with fat (melt-in-your-mouth delicious!).

A staff to lean on

The two saints beside the stairs leading into the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Church are Saint Anthony Mary Claret and Saint Jude Thaddeus. St. Anthony Claret is the founder of the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which runs this parish in Quezon City. St. Jude is the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes, which makes him a very popular saint in the Philippines.

Lighthouse

I've already posted a photo of Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street during the day. At night, it is a veritable beacon for book lovers like me.

I spy…

Masks! At the Masquerade themed party of Sofitel Manila's 7Pecados by the Bay bar and club last Wednesday.

With a lovely ice bucket.


Under glass with a bottle of cognac.


Over the stage.


On the bar.


In a silver bowl of ice with champagne.


The last World Wide Wednesdays @ 7Pecados themed party will be on December 2. It will be a Marker Party where guests will be given white shirts and markers. Care to guess what you're supposed to do?