Intense Intramuros.

One of the entrances to Intramuros, the oldest district and historic core of Manila

Tourists to Manila visit Intramuros to get a glimpse of Manila's past. For in Intramuros, one finds the ruins or remnants of an imperious Walled City, constructed in the late 16th century as protection against local and foreign invaders to the Spanish colonizers.

The original Walled City included the Palacio del Governador General (Governor General's Palace),  the Manila Cathedral beside it, and the Ayuntamiento (Congress) just across.

San Agustin Church originally built in 1571.

In the many narrow streets are other government buildings and other churches, like the San Agustin Church and the Lourdes Convent.  There's also the Fort Santiago, a fortress overlooking the Pasig River which served as the look out to check incoming strangers and vessels, and which served as the National Hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal's incarceration chamber and Japanese garrison during WWII.

The Lourdes Church and Convent as it stands today.

There's also the Fort Santiago, a fortress overlooking the Pasig River which served as the look out to check incoming strangers and vessels, and which served as the National Hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal's incarceration chamber and Japanese garrison during WWII

Fort Santiago

                                                                       

From this look out into Pasig River,  Spanish sentry saw who's approaching the Walled City

In a trip to the Knights of Columbus Headquarters in Intramuros last week, we decided to become tourists and explored what remains of the Walled City.

Knights of Columbus (Philippines) buildling in Intramuros, where the first K of C Council (1000) was established.

Intramuros is in a very sorry state of decay.  The old buildings have become private offices and schools, and the old Ayuntamiento is now home to the Bureau of Treasury.  One building is now a hotel.

Intramuros ruins.

There are new structures which attempt to blend with the old 16th century Spanish architecture, but there are newer houses which belong more the slum.

Other sections of the wall call for cleaning up and restoration.

Students from nearby universities and schools use part/roofs of the Walled City as trysting places and a golf course takes center stage.

At the Fort Santiago, more disappointment greeted us. The Rajah Sulayman, site of many good plays staged by Lino Brocka and his ensemble in the mid-70's and early '80's, lays in waste and in silence.

Walls of the Sulayman Theatre

Dr. Rizal's Shrine is being renovated so are the entrances to the dungeons and artillery chambers.

Bust of Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, at the entrance to the Rizal Museum.

View from the top, one of the dungeons at the Fort, where Filipino soldiers were kept as prisoners during the Japanese occupation of Manila - WW II

The City of Manila should look into the case of Intramuros and urgently start a professional and masterly restoration.

Intramuros evokes a past brimming with aches and pains of patriotism, of love for God, of a country's glory.

Interior courtyard of old structure turned into Hotel Intramuros

Rare Filipino-authored books found in an Intramuros gallery and bookstore

Living Rock N' Roll.

My older sisters grew up with the music of Ricky Nelson, Paul Anka and Elvis Presley. I barely recall Ricky Nelson but could still remember the LPs and 45's of Paul Anka which my sister Sonia kept and played in the gleaming turn table in our living room.

Of Elvis Presley, I remember our laundry woman's daughter showing off her idol's 4 X 5 color photo which she brought with her whenever she ironed our pile of clothes. And course, my aunt took me and my sis Jo to the movies of Elvis at the Ideal and Ever theatres in Avenida Rizal.

I was listening to old music at the RJ station the other day and heard of an Elvis Presley night at a local bistro housed in a big hotel. That would be in August, the birth month of The Rock N' Roll King. 

I love the Elvis Presley songs which can accompany boogie dancing especially Blue Suede Shoes. 

Let's rock. Let's boogie.

Not new but fun to watch.

It was a rainy day and my car's alternator was not acting up (?) so I decided to watch HBO as the entire household was asleep including the three dogs and the cat.

First movie was Safe House starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds and The Amazing Spiderman. On Friday we were at the Megamall and people lined up at all the cinemas. I took a peek and wanted to see World War Z but was late for the showing.

I have un-viewed DVDs sitting by the set but decided on HBO anyway.

And this morning while sipping black coffee and enjoying a bowl of hot champorado and buttered pan de sal, I tuned in to HBO's VEEP starring my favorite Elaine of Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

When I was working at a law firm in Manhattan in the late 80's, I had an office mate who looked like Julia, also a Jewish girl with the same eyes and hairdo. And then there was another girl who worked as a temp and was always cracking us up; she wanted to be a stand up comic.

I found out later that Manhattan was and is the place where the theatre and movie hopefuls do office  or service work while waiting for the big time to happen. That's why the song "New York, New York's ...if I can make it here, I'll make it anywhere... famous line.

Hope. That's a word that always refreshes, and what everyone needs. I'm hoping that our apostolate's big assignment in church would be a success.

All around me relatives and friends have their own wishes and hopes. New parents hope for their baby's good health, budding entrepreneurs hope for added contracts, new or seasoned travellers hope for safe and enjoyable vacations, and regular folks hope for peaceful and comfortable lives.

Not new but always fun to watch. This includes the past seasons of our lives.

Past bedtime.

We travelled by land to a Southern Tagalog province once and our co-passengers talked way past midnight; lights out was not observed and quiet descended only when the folks ran out of stories to tell.

Travelling by plane is another story; travellers are more discerning of "lights out" policy and the added amenities of in-flight music and movie, and personal gadgets such as Ipad allow passengers to settle quietly once the flight crew draws the curtains signalling "night time," inside the aircraft.

But there are other banes to both land and air travel. Take the unruly child whose parent cannot or decide not to control.  Or the drunk passenger seated beside or behind you who decide to sleep your side or continuously fidget in his chair.

One time, a burly Caucasian man called a stewardess to tell off an old Asian woman who was pushing his reclined seat while he slept. The crew told the woman that reclined seat is allowed but not during meals and while the plane is descending. The poor guy who must have felt guilty after the crew admonished the old lady then became friendly towards the Asian.

On a flight bound for stop in Japan, I had a female Canadian co-passenger who immediately took possession of the empty seat between us. Another time, a compatriot returning to Manila kept on talking to me even while I was already sleeping. Because the two seats between us were empty, I took one and slept all the way to Korea.

On a land tour to Boston several years ago, the Chinese tour guide kept on reminding the travellers to avoid using the on-board commode which he said was for emergency use only. A middle-aged woman who obviously was not able to hold on, rushed to the toilet anyway.

In another flight, a group of loud policemen headed home from L.A. to Columbus, Ohio and who were visibly under the influence of alcohol took fancy of a young couple whom they needled throughout the five-hour flight. I was seated near them and avoided them like plague.

Another time, a has-been Philippine actor was a seatmate in a flight bound for Manila. He was a nice fellow and talked about his glory days in Philippine show biz, and showed photos of himself and his wife posing with his contemporaries who are still active in the movie industry. This fellow was attending an Amway conference in Manila.

Lucky me, anywhere I go, either by land, sea or air, I always manage to catch my zzzzs.