Manila: An afternoon in Ongpin

Aling Ajer’s Afternoon Snack at Carriedo Fountain There are characters that just stand out in the crowd. As we cut through the narrow street...

Aling Ajer’s Afternoon Snack at Carriedo Fountain

There are characters that just stand out in the crowd. As we cut through the narrow streets of Ongpin one fair Saturday afternoon, this colorful character caught our sights as we exit through the Ongpin arch towards the fountain. It’s just hard to resist seeing this middle aged lady enwrapped on her own private world, sipping coffee, eating snacks in the middle of the bustling street of Manila. I guess it’s her seeming carefree character that drew us to converse and get to know her better.

A sip of coffee under the warm afternoon sun

She introduced herself as Aling Ajer. She said already saw us taking pictures of her from a distance but didn’t mind. She just came from a prayer meeting and decided to spend her time here in Carriedo and reminisce on her youth. I guess what drew us to her is her carefree nature under the warm glow of the afternoon sun and the splash of color in this part of busy part of the street. She just stood out and reminded us to just enjoy the moment and be carefree like when we were kids. We bid her goodbye as we head to the streets of Hidalgo as I buy additional photo equipments. I’m not sure if we’ll see her again, if we did, I’ll definitely join her for a snack.

The narrow busy streets of Ongpin

PS: This is just a quick and scheduled post as I’m currently on a weekend Photo Assignment down south in Mindoro. Hope to get some captures and stories to write about. Will be back for more post next week.