I'll admit, I haven't explored our "backyard" neighborhood very much. If I leave out of the front of the compound, I can take Roxas straight to the chancery. Or with a quick u-turn, I'm at Mall of Asia or S&R (think Sam's Club). Aside from a very occasional meal at the Sofitel or show at the CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines), I don't do much in my neighborhood. In honestly, we don't do much except go to the playground and pool!
Ten months after arriving, I finally ventured out the back gate to run an errand. When in Chennai in July, I purchased some raw silk to make a dress and jacket. I finally found a seamstress I liked with a schedule whose matched mine, so I was ready to undertake this project. But I needed lining, thread, buttons, and a zipper. The seamstress told me of a place called Carolina's which I could walk to. After some discussion back and forth in Tagalog with Lea, Lea agreed she knew where it was. This evening, of we went (I took Lea since I didn't want to get lost, and there was no where to park a car).
As it turns out, the store was almost a straight shot from Seafront, about 15-20 minutes by foot. For Manilans -- just on Libertad past the LRT station. It had all sorts of sewing notions you could imagine, though definitely geared more toward fancy gowns (think lots of ribbon, rhinestones, and shiny fabirc) than suits and daily clothes. I did manage to find what I needed, thankfully, even if the button selection was a bit more metallic than I would usually opt for.
With the weather finally cooling off, I enjoyed the early evening walk. Our area seems to specialize in inexpensive furniture and second hand clothes, judged by the number of shops of each kind. The public market seemed quite clean compared to similar markets in India, and Lea said the inner stalls sold fruits and veggies for up to 20% less than the ones close to the street. Trikes and jeepneys plied the streets with the occasional motorbike or bicycle - but I didn't really see any passenger cars. Street food vendors sold fried eggs (think hard boiled eggs dipped in batter and fried), fish balls (Lea says never to eat these since even Filipinos get sick eating them), ice cream, and soda in a bag with a straw (i.e., poured out of a big liter bottle into a sandwich baggie for about 10 cents).
Patch was quite a novelty, not surprisingly. He decided he didn't really like the attention and kept trying to pull the sun visor down over his head. Jeepneys won't stop for much, but they will for a white baby with strawberry blonde hair in a stroller trying to cross the street in a neighborhood where we were the only foreigners to be seen.
Unless I need some flowers (found two flower and party supply stores), some more sewing notions, or perhaps just want to browse the public market, I don't think I'll walk around much. At least, though, I can say with conviction that I don't live next to a "slum," like an acquaintance (who lives in the Fort) told me last night. It's not upper class, but streets are swept and stores well kept. Just a normal neighborhood for normal people.
Ten months after arriving, I finally ventured out the back gate to run an errand. When in Chennai in July, I purchased some raw silk to make a dress and jacket. I finally found a seamstress I liked with a schedule whose matched mine, so I was ready to undertake this project. But I needed lining, thread, buttons, and a zipper. The seamstress told me of a place called Carolina's which I could walk to. After some discussion back and forth in Tagalog with Lea, Lea agreed she knew where it was. This evening, of we went (I took Lea since I didn't want to get lost, and there was no where to park a car).
As it turns out, the store was almost a straight shot from Seafront, about 15-20 minutes by foot. For Manilans -- just on Libertad past the LRT station. It had all sorts of sewing notions you could imagine, though definitely geared more toward fancy gowns (think lots of ribbon, rhinestones, and shiny fabirc) than suits and daily clothes. I did manage to find what I needed, thankfully, even if the button selection was a bit more metallic than I would usually opt for.
With the weather finally cooling off, I enjoyed the early evening walk. Our area seems to specialize in inexpensive furniture and second hand clothes, judged by the number of shops of each kind. The public market seemed quite clean compared to similar markets in India, and Lea said the inner stalls sold fruits and veggies for up to 20% less than the ones close to the street. Trikes and jeepneys plied the streets with the occasional motorbike or bicycle - but I didn't really see any passenger cars. Street food vendors sold fried eggs (think hard boiled eggs dipped in batter and fried), fish balls (Lea says never to eat these since even Filipinos get sick eating them), ice cream, and soda in a bag with a straw (i.e., poured out of a big liter bottle into a sandwich baggie for about 10 cents).
Patch was quite a novelty, not surprisingly. He decided he didn't really like the attention and kept trying to pull the sun visor down over his head. Jeepneys won't stop for much, but they will for a white baby with strawberry blonde hair in a stroller trying to cross the street in a neighborhood where we were the only foreigners to be seen.
Unless I need some flowers (found two flower and party supply stores), some more sewing notions, or perhaps just want to browse the public market, I don't think I'll walk around much. At least, though, I can say with conviction that I don't live next to a "slum," like an acquaintance (who lives in the Fort) told me last night. It's not upper class, but streets are swept and stores well kept. Just a normal neighborhood for normal people.
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