After a whole month of maximum exposure for my first contributor, I guess it’s about time to write a new post Truth is, I’m thinking of new and better ways to put Manila Street into better use. Since it’s simply impossible to hire people to update this online journal for me, there is no other option but to do it myself. I can’t give up now. Giving up would mean wasting two years of my life. You see, I’ve been keeping this online journal for almost 2 years now and I want to keep it FOREVER. How about a new post once a week?

Anyway, this picture below is the street where I used to play as a child. The name of the street is Real Street (read re-yal). In this part of Manila, you can find a small squatter’s area owned by a wealthy Chinese businessman. Would you believe that the Chinese doesn’t mind if people are squatting in his lot? As a matter of fact, every Christmas he asks children to line up in front of his house so he could give them candies, chocolates and coins. He even employed a few men from the shanty. He owns a warehouse or a self storage place where huge pieces of machines and trucks are being kept.

Simply put, he is a good Samaritan. People call him the “owner.” Some afternoons you’d see him talking with mothers and for a little while, they’d stop their gossiping out of respect.  Then some evenings, you’d see him drinking beer with the men. Well, I don’t know if this is true. But he was quoted as saying that his way of living back in China was unimaginable. People said that he said his family’s house back in his home country looked like a house for the pigs. He’s just thankful because life in Manila has been really good to them. But that’s just according to rumors.

Going back to Real Street, I think its name is just appropriate. No matter how you pronounce it, the meaning is still the same. True. This is where real people live and this is where real life happens. My family’s no longer living in that shanty since 1996 but people still know me When I took this photo, an old man approached me and said “I know you. You’re the daughter of Mr. ******” Hehe. After 15 years, they are still able to recognize me. I planned to deny myself but that’s nonsense.