Sweet Sunday

Since Friday, my country has been in disarray.

Several coup "attempts" have supposedly been thwarted. The marines are allegedly on the verge of rebelling against the administration. GMA's State of Emergency is still in place. People are crying Martial Law Again?! We are afraid to venture out, for fear of being caught in the middle of rumbles between soldiers with water cannons and protesting civilians.

Yet despite all the trouble brewing in Manila, I managed to spend a quiet, reflective day in Chinatown with my best friend Kim Chua yesterday. We spent the afternoon there praying in temple, and wandering around Binondo, looking for good things to eat, namely:

1. Sincerity Chicken (on Nueva Street)

It was closed when we got there (it turns out it's only open til 2 p.m. on Sundays). Kim swears that theirs is the best fried chicken she has ever tasted. Though I am a decidedly strict pesco-vegetarian, I decided to break out of that mold just this once, if only for rare culinary experiences such as this. Yesterday, the universe had other plans.

Nevertheless, I shall return soon. Who wants to come with me?

2. Eng Bee Tin (on Soler Street)

This store is every hopia lover's wet dream. I counted at least 12 varieties of hopia on one rack alone. Other specialties include tikoy galore, fortune cakes and radish cakes.

3. Eng Bee Tin Deli (same street)

They serve very good kamote balls, usually available only during special Chinese holidays. On the outside is soft, sweet kamote paste, while in the middle is ground peanut paste.

By the time we were having dinner with her cute brother Allen (hehe) in Italianni's, news broke out that the marines had taken over Fort Bonifacio. My friends rushed back to their house in Corinthian Gardens, while I decided to stick it out in Megamall at the Backdoor Arts and Music Festival with other friends Kooky Tuason and Anabel Bosch.

There, while we were fully aware that the county was going to pieces in the streets, we watched Pinikpikan rock it out with Wawi Navarozza and Kapatid. That mass of creative energy, burning up the air, of drums and voices and bodies beating and screaming and moving in unison all around us, could have cancelled out the chaos outside.

As their set wrapped up, Pinikpikan ended things with a prayer: Kahit magulo ang lahat, basta mayroon tayo nito, basta mayroong buo sa loob natin, malaya pa rin tayo. Malaya pa rin tayo!

Sana nga.