Ovidelisremoditius

Cover

COntents

Old things are great in chinatown

binondo church

johnson chua, young at heart

a unique manager

grocery shopping adventure

JULIUS SY

JV BUENA

KD MONTENEGRO

KOJI OKUMURA

KYLE FELICIANO

IT’S MORE FUN IN CHINA TOWN

Old Thingsare Great in Chinatown

A lot of people believe that new things are better than old ones. A

lot of people hate old items because they feel that old things are inferior to the present. Some people consider them as part of the past that’s not anymore appli-cable to the present. This is why people easily judge old things. Before, I was also one of those. However after dining at Makong Mami Shop, I changed. Makong taught me that even an old shop like it, can serve delicious food.

Makong is currently known as Masu-ki mami shop. It is the oldest mami

shop in Chinatown and is currently on its 82nd year. It’s pretty famous in China-town especially among the old people.

Makong is not only old because it has been serving food for 82 years but

it is also old in a way that its style is also old. It’s presently named after its current owner’s Chinese name which is Ma Su Ki. This style of naming a restaurant is an old tradition the Chinese had before. Its pre-vious name, Makong, was also derived from that style where the owner’s name was Ma Kong. This style is favored by old Chinese people but is currently not much used anymore. By naming its new name as Masuki Mami Shop, we can see that it’s still sticking with the old styles even though we live in the 21st century already.

Living near Chinatown, my parents with my grandmother would bring

me countless times to eat at Makong. The first time I ate at Makong was when I was in Grade 1. Compared to any normal kid at that time, I wasn’t very choosy with foods. But the thing that made me dislike Makong is due to its appearance which in return affected my sense of taste. Unlike other Chinese restaurants which have air-con-ditioning units, clean new plastic tables, chairs with soft cushion, well dressed staff, Makong is the complete opposite.

“...even an old shop like it, can serve delicious food.”

AAfter giving a glance at the noodles and sauce, I then looked at the siomai. Not only did the noodles and

sauce gave me a weird feeling, but the siomai also gave me one. The siomai was served on a small sauce plate but what gave me a bad feeling was its weird appearance. Compared to other siomais, it is very big. It looks bigger than the size of two normal sized siomai combined together. Not only was its size is different but its color is different. A normal siom-ai will have a yellow wrapping and a flesh color for the meat inside but the siomai in Makong is different because it had a pale color for its wrapping and had the same pale color for its meat which made me think whether it’s already cooked. Since I decided not to judge foods by their appearances, I gave the foods a taste which in return gave me a shock.

I tried tasting the mami without any sauce because I felt that using the sauce would be weird, after taking a sip from the

soup and some noodles, I was delighted. I never thought that the mami would taste this good. The soup was clear but it had a simple taste in it. A taste that’s achieved by mixing asado and shredded chicken in a clear soup with only a pinch of salt added. I found the noodles strange; it wasn’t chewy like the current noodles one will find in mami shops. After tasting it, I remembered that they said using the sauce would make the taste even better so despite hating sauces, I tried to get some noodles with my chopsticks on my right hand and use the spoon on my left hand to get some sauce and pour it over the noodles. The mysterious combination gave birth to a won-derful taste that could defeat the taste of the modern mami houses. But the mami was not the only dish that surprised me, the siomai also piqued my interest because even though it wasn’t also covered in some yellowish flour like most of the si-omai were, it gave me a taste that I have never known before.

It was a taste that I had a hard time to describe since it had a mix of sweetness, saltiness and

sourness. The siomai gave me a feeling that it would provide me a taste that only this old

shop would be able to. I copied what my parents did. I got some calamansi and

squeezed it over their special sauce. After mixing the sauce with the cal-amansi, I would place the siomai in the cup of sauce and roll it using my chop sticks until every part of it is covered with sauce. After tasting this weird creation, I got

another new taste. It was differ-ent from the taste earlier. I would

say that it was even better. Their sauce was really special because it

really turned their delicious mami and siomai into the next level of goodness.

The taste of the foods that this mami shop offered me is very different from the typi-

cal modern mami houses. Everything from top to bottom is different but the taste was at par with other famous mami houses. The taste was something only this old and simple shop can offer. It was something unique and simple. Some people might say that it’s weird but they wouldn’t deny that the taste is at par with the food of the modern. This is why people shouldn’t be too quick to judge old things. Old things might not be the trend today but they surely have something in them that made them famous in the past. We should not quickly judge them but rather give them the benefit of a doubt. We should always remember to not judge a book by its cover.

A As I grow up, I started to learn not to judge a book by its cover. I started to appreciate foods for their

taste and not get affected by any outside factor. I decid-ed to invite my family to eat at Makong again thinking that this time around, I would be able to truly appre-ciate the food that my grandmother often craved for.

Arriving at the store, I realized that nothing had changed. The old worn out red rug that was there during my child-

hood days is still placed in the entrance to greet the custom-ers. Walking past the dirty old rug, I saw myself walking on black and white tiles that are designed in a way that made me think I’m walking on a chessboard. Even though the design looks pretty modern, I easily saw that the edges of most of the tiles have been chirped off and the surfaces of the tiles are very rough and dirty. The copy of a Philippine Star article about them is still displayed on the wall. There are a number of big worn out wooden tables which sizes vary from squares, rectangles and circles. Accompanying the tables are the small wooden chairs that seems like it will break down when seated by a heavy person. When I sat on a chair, a waiter approached me.

While ordering my food, I no-ticed that the waiters there

were still old fashioned because they were still dressed in plain white t-shirt with black pants. It was too sim-ple that one wouldn’t expect that they’re working for a famous mami house. While waiting, I can’t help but think on how I can ap-preciate their food when I’m already having the creeps because of their place. After a few minutes, my order of one big bowl of mami and one piece of siomai was served.

As the bowl of hot noodles greeted me, I noticed that they had also served a small cup of black sauce. Even

though the black sauce looks disgusting, it is said that this special sauce is their trade’s secret. Looking at the noo-dles and examining it, I got a weird feeling but I also be-came curious on how it will taste because the noodles was served in a bowl of clear soup and topped with a mix of asado, a Chinese style meat, and shredded chicken which were not toppings that a modern mami shop would use.

JULIUS SY

The first time I was about to visit Chinatown, I no-ticed how it is a very lively place. Even if I came in the morn-ing, crowds of people already walk along its streets while most are busy talking to each other. On the other hand, the honking of cars, jeeps, and trucks passing by the streets can definitely be heard while unpleasing to the ears. One can also observe shoppers and vendors conversing with one another in grocery stores, food stalls, Chinese merchan-dise stores and feng shui shops which are some of China-town’s main attractions. However, in the center of all these is a large, old and historic church. Although the Binondo Church can be found near the busy and noisy streets of Chi-natown, it makes me feel calm and blessed.

Remarkably, this church in Chinatown has been present for over 400 years. In 1596, the Binondo Church was found by Dominican priests to serve their Chinese converts to Christianity as well as to the native Filipinos. Here, San Lorenzo Ruiz, who is half-Chinese and half-Filipino, trained in this Church. In honor of the first Filipino saint, the church was also named as the Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz.

However, due to various disasters, the Church has been re-built for a number of times throughout the years.

Being old and rebuilt a lot of times, the Church’s fa-cade is not as magnificent as the other churches. The walls already have a lot of cracks and looked dusty. Some of the tiles on the floor have been damaged and while others are even removed. The pillars near the entrance were also quite missing a few pieces here and there. When I first saw the Binondo Church, I thought it would take only a few more years for the Church to be destroyed and soon people will stop rebuilding it. Nevertheless, spending the day inside the church made me discover why the people of Binondo continued to preserve this church.

As I was about to come in to the Church, I noticed that its entrance was wide enough to fit about ten people at once while also being about 20 feet high with its top hav-ing a shape of an arch. Here, I felt that I was really welcome to come inside. Coming in, I looked at the left side near the entrance and I saw a mini-store full of different religious items, from rosaries to the bible and even bracelets.

Tip! Tip!

Tip!Binondo Church: Visiting the Calmness and BlessednessJV Buena

“ Although the Binondo Church can be found near the busy and noisy streets of Chinatown, it makes me feel calm and blessed.”

Walking straight ahead into the church, one could easily notice the usual setting of an interior of a church: rows of pews properly arranged, a huge altar and differ-ent figures of saints. Here, some people are kneeling or sitting while others just close their eyes with their hands clasped firmly. At the same time, at the right back corner of the room is Jesus inside a glass coffin with his body cov-ered with a red cloth. Meanwhile, at the left back corner is the famous black Nazarene where it was probably placed at the back because of its upcoming procession in two weeks time. Aside from these usual features of a church, my attention was caught the most by the church’s ceiling.

One doesn’t usually notice the ceiling, but the Binondo Church made sure that its visitors will be awed if they looked up. Probably the most noticeable of the church’s features are the paintings where each of them is about 10 meters in length as well as in width while they span in the entire ceiling. Each of the paintings was provid-ed with sufficient details through unique strokes of shad-owing while were also given life through the nice com-bination of different colors. One of the paintings which I noticed was the Jesus carrying a large cross while people surround Him. Others are the paintings of Mother Mary with a crown in her head while angels are around her, a delighted baby Jesus in a manger together with Mother Mary, Joseph and the three wise men, and Elizabeth hold-ing the stomach of a pregnant Mary. Soon, I realized that these paintings represented each of the mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Furthermore, these paintings at the ceiling gave me the feeling that there are a lot of holy persons, like Jesus, Mother Mary and the Holy Spirit, watching over me.

If we walk further, we can see the huge altar of the church. Here, numerous religious figures each have a hole in the altar. The different saints are positioned near each other and in rows while they are all calmly facing to-ward the people who come inside the church. Moreover, the Blessed Virgin Mary can be seen carrying the child Je-sus at the center of the altar while an abundant amount of light shining gave the figure a more divine presence.

From the altar, if we look up, another beauti-ful painting could be seen. It is placed on a semi-sphere where one could see the Holy Spirit looking like it is about to descend while around it are the clouds and the sky which may indicate heaven. Also, we could see a number of cherubs smiling behind each of the clouds as if to say that they welcome us in heaven.

Looking at the left side of the altar is the pres-ence of the first ever saint of the Philippines. Being also called as the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the church won’t be complete without a figure of it inside. Here, he keeps it simple by wearing clothes like t-shirt and slacks while holding the holy rosary with his left hand and a palm leaf with his right hand. Meanwhile, at the right side of the altar, one could find another figure of the Bless-ed Mary. Here, she wears the usual blue and white while also holding the rosary.

At the very right of the figure of the Blessed Mary, one could see a stage with microphones and the stand where musical pieces are placed. I’m guessing this is where the choir of the Church stays to sing their hearts out during the holy mass. Beside this, I also noticed a bel-en near it. Here, the nativity scene is depicted with the three wise men looking at the delighted baby Jesus. It is amusing to see this simple yet meaningful decoration in this church because it helps the visitors of the church remember how Jesus was born simple yet changed peo-ple’s lives.

As I now go out and take another picture of the façade of the Church, I realized that my trip to Chinatown wouldn’t have been complete without visiting this mar-velous church. An outside view of the church may make people think that it is old and historic but the different fea-tures of the inside of the church definitely made me feel calm and blessed. With this, I realized that it is just right for the people to continue rebuilding and preserving this old church even if it takes a lot of times. The presence of an old church also helps in making the people remember that there is a place in Chinatown where they can have a peaceful atmosphere amidst the busy and noisy streets.

fugiaNatum vere numenis simus, od qui

When you hear the words ‘Feng Shui Expert,’ what comes to mind is an image of an old wrinkly Chi-nese man who is bald yet has a long frizzy white goatee. He wears a saggy monochromatic robe with Chinese emblems on it. He looks stern even more with his husky voice as he imparts Feng Shui pointers to his customers. It is all as if he existed in early Chinese civilization. However, Mr. Johnson Chua is not one conventional Feng Shui Expert many people imagine him to be.

Feng Shui, also known as kanyu, is an ancient Chinese geomancy which originated in the West Han Empire around the third century BC. Its principles and theories bear the concept that the earth has life and energy. Positive or negative energy is said to come through certain natural, philosophical and astronomical factors. Chinese history claims that farmers and villagers who practiced Feng Shui experienced prosperity and harmony in their respective lives, while their neighbors who did not do likewise went through extreme adversity and misfortune.

More and more scholars were made as the art of Feng Shui developed throughout the years. It was originally bound only within the corners of the Chinese Imperial Court. All Feng Shui masters were not allowed to expose their knowledge to outsiders because it was consid-ered so powerful that it could be dangerous if the enemies got a hold of it. Nonetheless, time came when it became part of Chinese family tradition for fathers to hand down their Feng Shui knowl-edge to their sons. In due course, anyone can al-ready gain access to learning the said art regard-less of one’s generation and cultural background.

Born on February 17, 1984, Johnson Mi-chael H. Chua is quite too young to be a Feng Shui expert. Just 12 years ago, he finished his sec-ondary education in Chiang Kai Shek and later graduated in CKS College. He now runs his own business called Sunrise General Merchandise, and works there as the General Manager and Consul-tant as well. This is where he serves as a legitimate Feng Shui expert.

Johnson Chua, Young at HeartKD Montenegro

“Mr. Johnson Chua is not one conventional Feng Shui Ex-pert many people imagine HIM to be.”

At a young age, Johnson has remarkably gone quite far in his respective field of career but of course, he first had to un-dergo several trainings in preparation of becoming a profes-sional Feng Shui expert. He had gone to other countries like Singapore and Malaysia to attend classes or seminars led by Feng Shui Grand Masters Raymond Lo, Lilian Too and Giyalwa Karmapa who are only a few of whom Johnson had encoun-tered with for Feng Shui training.

When asked if he found Feng Shui hard, he answered yes. “It’s hard to learn and analyze but the hardest part is to know how to solve the problem (laughs). Nonetheless, if you’re really in-terested in Feng Shui, it’s fun,” he added.

Johnson certainly sowed what he reaped. He was recognized and commended by many as a Feng Shui expert through the mass media. In print media, Marivic C. Chua who is a prom-inent writer of Asian Dragon Magazine featured Johnson in two of her articles for January-February and May-June 2011. “Money Luck in 2011” was her first article where Johnson shared Feng Shui tips on how to get your home and office ready for the new year. The second article was titled “Luck is in the House” where he shared about using direction and lo-cation to change your future with the use of Eight Mansions Feng Shui System.

On television, Johnson has been featured by countless live-lihood and talk shows such as GMA’s Unang Hirit and Mel & Joey, as well as ABS-CBN’s Matanglawin and Kabuhayan Swak na Swak. He is frequently interviewed for his Feng Shui ex-pertise in celebration of the New Year or Chinese New Year. Many big-time celebrities and icons have noted his knowl-edge in his field. ABS-CBN’s My Binondo Girl actor Xian Lim, for example, was said to be Johnson’s loyal customer even before the artist stepped in to show business. Xian seek for Feng Shui pointers from Johnson to help him achieve a pros-perous showbiz career which he apparently has now with all the acting and modeling projects being offered to him.

Johnson does not only impart his Feng Shui expertise through interviews and articles. He also participates in public conferences to give his personal talk. In ‘Kion Hei Huat Chai’ Feng Shui Forecast for 2010, held last March 1, 2010 in Sulu Hotel, Johnson met up with doctors and other professionals to share his knowledge in his career. He also gave consulta-tions to those who were interested.

Johnson Chua seems to be working very well as a Feng Shui expert considering his very young age. Indeed, he is not like how we picture him to be of an elderly Chinese man. As a matter of fact, he is likewise young at heart. He has diversions which we can never imagine a Feng Shui expert would ever possess.

Johnson is a collector not of antiques but of toys, especially

Transformers and Gundam figures. He targets to get a hold of Optimus Primes and Transformers in all editions. In line with this hobby, he loves attending Toy Conventions where he sees a staggering amount of toy merchandise. He buys and keeps them in his personal closet intended just for his collections. Close friends and families really know this toy ad-diction of his; thus, Johnson would receive collectable toys as a birthday or holiday present.

Another collection of Johnson is Rubik’s Cube, but not just the ordinary three by three square-shaped form. Johnson has more than 20 Rubik with different shapes and sizes. There are circles, triangles, pentagons, six by six (or more) cubes and many more. Remarkably, he does not just collect these for display; he also knows how to solve all what he has. Accord-ing to him, “Every Rubik I solve can release my stress but I bet it can also add stress to other minds.” He finds excitement, challenge and fulfillment with his collection which may prob-ably never end.

Meeting Johnson Chua in person was quite a pleasure. With-out a doubt, he is totally different from what many suppose a Feng Shui expert to lvvook and act like. He is a young Chi-nese adult who certainly has hair. He wears a collared shirt paired with faded jeans. He looks easygoing and friendly with a calm and enticing voice as he imparts Feng Shui point-ers. With all that and the passion he has for toys and Rubik’s cube, he clearly exists in my generation. That totally makes him nothing like a conventional Feng Shui expert.

In China, there are countless kinds of food that are famous worldwide like moon cake, noodles, fried rice, and tikoy. There are so much number of people selling Chinese food because its popularity makes it a business that sells a lot. But among all these people, there is woman I met who has a different view on the business of selling Chinese food. Man-ager Myrna, a person who works in a Chinese store business which specializes in tikoy, is a very dedicated person who gives great importance to the Chinese tradition and culture.

In Chinatown located in Binondo, there are countless of Chinese stores selling Chinese prod-ucts. There are so many of them selling tikoy but one of the most famous stores is called Eng Bee Tin, where Manager Myrna is currently working.

Manager Myrna is a woman with medium height, full Chinese, and around thirty to forty years of age. She has a loud voice that sounds hoarse that might have re-sulted from giving orders in her store. She has a uniform that is purple in color, which is different from others be-cause of her position in the business. Her physical fea-tures clearly show that she is a Chinese which makes it surprising whenever she speaks in Tagalog fluently.

She has been working in Eng Bee Tin for almost ten years now and is a very dedicated person when it comes to doing her job. She knew the history of the company quite well. She told me that the company has been running for a hundred years now and it hadn’t always been so successful. It started out small (selling only ube) like any other businesses and got in to several debts but still managed to stay open. Now Eng Bee Tin has multiple branches that are very successful.

A Unique Manager

“Manager Myrna, a person who works in a Chinese store business which specializes in tikoy, is a very dedicated person who gives great importance to the Chinese tradition and culture.”

KOJI OKUMURA

When I first entered Eng Bee Tin, I observed the inte-rior designs which I found quite nice. I then noticed

Manager Myrna working behind the counters and helping out other employees with their jobs. They seemed to be having a hard time because of the numerous customers but I noticed the diligence of Manager Myrna as she worked.

She gave great effort in her job. When she works on serving the food, she makes sure to move quickly to

avoid making the customers wait too long. When she works as a cashier, she always makes sure to get the or-ders swiftly but surely. She never forgets to welcome and thank her customers. She manages her employees well, dividing their tasks well to ensure order and efficiency.

When she interacts with customers, she makes sure to give respect to the customers and prioritizes

them. I experienced it first hand when I asked her for an interview. Although it was very sudden because I had not scheduled a meeting, she did her best to find time which she did and allowed me to interview her.

Throughout our interview, she answered wisely and with great confidence. She maintained eye contact

with me and kept it just long enough to avoid making it awkward. She has a good posture, sitting with a straight back. She made the interview very comfortable and less tense because of her jolly atmosphere and her use of “Taglish.”When her phone rang, she ignored it until our interview was over. Manager Myrna then offered me a free tea after the interview which I really appreciated because even though it was me who owes her for the interview, she still offered me a drink.

After our interview, I realized that tradition is a very important matter for the Chinese people. Tikoy

doesn’t only sell because of its delicious taste and chewy texture, but also because of what it symbolizes and means for them. Manager Myrna herself, a full-Chinese blooded woman, was born and brought up in the Philippines. How-ever it did not stop her from giving great importance to her own tradition. When she told me this, I can see in her eyes that she was very proud of her identity as a Chinese woman. With confidence, she told me that business isn’t always about money only, but it is also about spreading cultures and traditions.

Manager Myrna is a very inspiring person with a great attitude and values. She works hard and gives all her

effort into her job. When she interacts with customers, she makes sure to give great respect and to satisfy them. Nev-er forgetting to welcome and thank each of them. She is very kind hearted which she proved when she offered me free drink when it was me who owed her for the interview. She is a smart and confident woman who is very proud of her Chinese culture and she believes that business isn’t only about the money but it’s also about preserving and spreading of cultures and traditions.

One of a Kind Grocery Store Binondo’s Chinatown is well-known for having Chinese restaurants, lucky charms, and inexpensive wet and dry products. Some people who have vis-ited the place can even relate Chinatown to temples and beliefs. Aside from these features, from my experience, I noticed the numerous grocery stores distribut-ed around the place. As what is expect-ed, these stores are named using Chinese words. I have encountered different grocery stores and it seems that some of them have similar names. One of these has, more or less, three branches and it made me inter-ested to know why the name, Eng Bee Tin, became popular throughout Chinatown. Having visited the three branches, I found one of them, Bee Tin Grocery Store, different compared to others because of its considerably huge space and products, which are like equivalent to all of the prod-ucts from the two other branches. Typical grocery stores may offer quality shopping with their fresh stock of products and air conditioned areas. In Bee Tin Grocery Store’s case, even though their name is not popular outside Chinatown, they still entertain lots of people who seem to have an excitement that is brought by their products. Also, my love for food made me want to try out their interesting grocery items. Hence, Bee Tin Grocery Store attracts a lot of people in Chi-natown because of their exotic products.

D uring my stroll around the streets of Chi-natown, I took notice of people and even

different kinds of vehicles coming from differ-ent directions. Such view gave me an impres-sion that everyone has their own businesses to deal with, which apparently makes Chinatown a busy place. As I searched for my subject, the entrance opening of Bee Tin Grocery Store, which is a wide opening overseeing some fea-tures inside, made it unique compared to oth-ers that are very much alike and built next to each other. Upon entering the store, I saw the huge well-lighted room painted in light green and blue to make it easy for the customers to look for their desired products. Then, hundreds and even thousands of grocery items came into view. Some can be seen packed in small plastic sachets while the others are stored in cylindrical cartons. The organized arrangement of these products, which is either stacked in columns or lined up next to each other, makes customers

feel comfortable around the place because the orderliness of the store is pleasant to the eyes.

Looking closer to the grocery item labels marked on cardboards near the ceiling,

there is a clear intention of the store that it wants its customers to have an effortless time shopping for goods because of the categorized products in different isles. For example, the products nearest the entrance are labeled as snacks while a farther section of the room is la-beled as spices and seasonings. This approach shows how easy it is to have an idea of what the store’s goods are and where they can be found. Also, approachable assistants found around the store support the idea that it is indeed a customer-friendly place since they make them-selves available to customers for any question or request. With this sight upon entering, it tells customers that the store has a wide range of products to choose from and implies that the store offers everything that they need.

Around two meters away from the entrance, I checked out the section that holds the ex-

otic snacks, which is the highlight of the store, that are hardly seen in other typical grocery stores. Here are processed fruits such as durian, guava, and mango that are formed into crispy bits of crackers and thin sheets of powder. Oc-cupying most of the racks, hopia, a soft doughy pastry, comes in different flavors such as ube, buko pandan, and macapuno and it is packed in colorful wrappers according to their respective flavors. There are even combinations of flavors like uba-langka, mongo-pastillas, and ube-que-so, Vwhich add to the variety of products to choose from. Also, red boxes labeled with “Fro-zen Tikoy” stir the customers’ curiosities towards the item and leads them to buying it to have a look and taste of the tikoy. Without the labels and flavor descriptions found in the contain-ers, one may have a hard time distinguishing what these foods are and what they taste like.

At a Glance Center of Attraction

Grocery Shopping Adventuvre

All in all, it was made obvious that Bee Tin Grocery Store prioritized the way they present their products in order for the customers not to have a hard time looking for their desired goods. The store’s cleanliness and the various items add to the fact that the store is indeed an ideal place to go to whenever one wants to shop for groceries. With Bee Tin’s additional ex-otic snacks, the place was made more in-viting and interesting to customers since the uniqueness of the products appeals to their curiosities. Grocery stores are usual-ly referred to as a place where we buy our basic necessities for daily activities. But with Bee Tin Grocery Store, the chance to get to choose one’s wants from a wide range of products and to experience the taste of its exotic snacks can be a source of adventure.

KYLEFELICIANO

Moving further into the room, I noticed the Chi-

nese delicacies found in col-orful baskets placed near the floor to make use of the store’s unoccupied space. In this sec-tion, they have their own si-opao breads shaped in squares and circles. Tiny pink markings on top of the breads can be seen to distinguish whether a siopao is a bola-bola or an asado. There are also kinds of dumplings such as beef, pork, shark’s fin, and hakaw that are distinct in colors since some are yellow while the others are plain white. This showcase of products shows how creative Chinese people are in invent-ing, in terms of figures and col-

ors, new kinds of products and how selling such items con-tribute to spreading the deli-ciousness of Chinese delicacies.

In the middle part of the store, which is dominated by col-

umns of shelves, here is where the raw ingredients used in cooking can be found. This sec-tion includes noodles, canned goods, herbs and spices. They even include branded sweets such as Maltesers, Toblerone, and Fox’s, which are known for being expensive. Colorful portable toys like small toy cars and plastic clothing accessories can then be located at the rack beside the sweets. Perhaps, this is the store’s strategy in order for these toys and candies to

be sold to kids who might be accompanying their parents.

Reaching the farthest section of the room, I saw liquid

products in plastic and glass bottles offering different kinds of oils, sauces, and condiments to spice up one’s cooking. They offer sauces that can match one’s desired level of sweet-ness, saltiness, or sourness like ketchup, soy sauce, and vinegar. Salad dressings such as sesame oil and Chinese soy dressing can also be found in this section. From the miscel-laneous products mentioned, it can be seen that the store offers a wide range of ingre-dients, instant foods, condi-ments, and even exotic goods.

Abundance and Exoticism

It’s more fun in Chinatown because it offers a variety of food like hopia.

It’s more fun in Chinatown because you can see a mix of Filipino and Chinese cul-ture.

It’s more fun in Chinatown because when-ever I’m there, it feels like I really am in China.

It’s more fun in Chinatown because it has everything you need and want; its unique culture will surprise anyone.

It’s more fun in Chinatown because it possess-es an interesting culture that can be experi-enced in the Philippines.

J & K STUDIOS