Where to buy United Nations Costumes in Manila
It’s been the question midway through September. The next month meant United Nations celebrations in most schools in the Philippines, and more often than not it consisted of the kids dressing up in various native costumes of countries around the world and saying a greeting in that country’s language.
Maia is representing Austria in her school’s United Nations pageant late this month. Preparation for her costume involved quite a bit of internet research as to what the national costume of Austria looked like, and how to find such a costume in any store in Manila. Having one made to order was already out of the question. Most tailors required a month’s notice for such jobs.
Last week I tried the malls. I spotted costumes for Korea, Japan, the US and some Polynesian ones but ziltch for Austria. In fact the malls had more Holloween costumes than United Nations costumes. Holloween in the Philippines is something I am not very keen about but that’s another blog post.
Cris did some research himself and came upon this mom’s support forum where one Mom mentioned a store in Quiapo that specialized in United Nations costumes. She could not recall the street it was on, but gave enough directions to her co-forumers that Cris knew where to find it.
The store was on what used to be Echague Street, parallel to Hidalgo, on the farther side of the Quiapo Church. In fact from Sta. Cruz, following Echague Street will take you into Quiapo Ilalim. Echague Street is now known as Carlos Palanca St.
We found our Austria costume at the Echague Bazar, ran by William Uy and Christine Cheng. They sell all kinds of embroidery, barong, ladies bags, kimonas, long gowns, costumes, wedding gowns and table cloths. They also accept made-to-order barong, gown etc. I got that bit of information from the business card the owner gave us. Maia’s Austria costume cost us P350.00.
Echague Bazar is at 163 Carlos Palanca St. with phone numbers 314-7890 and 733-6357. It’s on the same side as Excellent chain of stores where people in the know get their hams and quezos de bola for the holidays.
Additional directions: from Manila City Hall take España Bridge which will lead you to Plaza Lacson. Immediately after the bridge on the right is Carlos Palanca St (Echague). At that corner is Plaza Fair, behind it is the old SM. Just keep going past the camera shops, looking to the left and you will see the Echague Bazar.
Photo of the Day
Exactly a week ago I promised myself to take at least one good picture a day. I needed practice, for sure, after all that I had learned and am still learning about photography. These days I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to shoot, where I see light and shadows and color, which is of course everywhere. Having a camera and knowing how to use it gave me a whole new way of seeing things, and I wanted to make the most of that by coming up with at least one good photo a day.
Sometimes it’s quite easy to spot a good shot. Sometimes I need to do something extra. Sometimes it just lands on my lap just begging for me to take it. I’ve been lucky, I guess.
Today’s photo was taken inside the Orange Tree Coffee Shop, a small nook that I found, quite by chance, on my way back to the office from an early afternoon meeting. They have very good chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and fantastic brewed coffee. They’re at the back of the row of middle eastern restaurants at the corner of NS Amoranto and E. Rodriguez, in Quezon City.
If you like you can go through the Photo of the Day album I have on Facebook, and most of those photos are also in my Flickr account.
My day with Rolly Magpayo
On the 13th of February this year I accomplished what I thought was almost impossible almost a year before. I bought my DSLR camera. It was the Nikon D60 I had for so long dreamed about, and with the collective proceeds of my SSS, Pag-Ibig loans and my salary for that pay period I finally managed to purchase one.
My husband and I named it Jason, after the practice of people naming their gadgets after real people. Jason, because he was “born” on Friday the 13th. And so for the next four months I slept with Jason on the table by my bedside, I downloaded digital photography magazines on the internet, I signed up to a couple of digital photography forums and hobnobbed with a few lady photographers and a fun bunch of D60 users.
But then I slowly realized something was missing. I had my camera and I had my shots, and maybe some of them were good snapshots, but absolutely none of them were real artful photographs. I began to think that maybe I didn’t have the talent or the eye for photography, and that I had just bought myself a very expensive point and shoot camera.
In the photography forum I signed up for, digitalphotographer.com.ph, I asked for the help of a few professionals in the forum, inviting them to look at the photos I had so far and to critique them so that I could find out what I was doing wrong. After much discussion and professionals pointing out what I needed to be doing and otherwise, I decided to take lessons.
“Lessons?!” my friend and co-worker Abi said. “For how much?” She balked when I told her the price, but then she wasn’t surprised because she knew me, and my quirks.
My teacher was to be Rolly Magpayo, art director for GMA, environmentalist, mountaineer, diver and painter. I’m sure there’s a lot more than that, but one day is not enough to get to know the person who was going to teach me the basics and the intricacies of photography.
And that he did. For an entire morning last Sunday we sat at the lobby of the Manila Hotel while Rolly took me through a presentation that included the history of cameras, the kinds of cameras, lenses and filters and how, in principle and practice, take good pictures. He explained the rule of thirds, and the golden mean, and the golden spiral, and the relationship of the trinity: ISO, Aperture, and Shutter speed. And Rolly compelled me to go on manual settings beginning on that day, something I thought was impossible for me.
But the greatest thing about a good teacher is that he can make things look so simple for a student. And with Rolly explaining photography to me, everything fell into place. I saw everything that I was doing wrong, which was—well—everything. He taught me that manual settings was actually not intricate alchemy but mere common sense. And after those four hours in the morning I recalled some of the stuff I’d been saying in the forums, especially in the Comments and Critique section, and realized my words were pure hogwash.
After lunch we went on a walk through Fort Santiago, a place that I’ve been to for the third time this year. I figured since I’d been there before the walk would be nothing new for me, but I was dead wrong. Rolly showed me corners and paths that I had never seen before and that were perfect for shooting with or without a model.
There were shots that he took with his own camera with ease, and and after showing the shots to me he would tell me to to take the same shot. And I would twist and bend and kneel till I was a pretzel and realize I could not duplicate the shot that took him a few seconds to make. But he kept encouraging me and giving me tips and he didn’t stop until I got the shot that he wanted.
There were times when I could feel he was shaking his head behind me, whenever I attempted a shot that was poorly thought out. And his words would ring inside my head. Consider your subject, how to light your subject, how to position yourself with regards to your subject. And I realized this was hard work, but I also saw the difference evident in the photos I took then and now.
When I got home I started a new Picasa and Flickr account, and turned my back on the pictures that I took in the past. I knew for sure that this was the first day in the rest of my photographer’s life. And if that sounds a bit presumptious then so be it.
Thank you, Rolly, for your time, your patience and experience. I hope I live up to, or even exceed, your expectations.
And the rest they say …
I was envious of my co-workers who were assigned at a client’s site in Masbate the first time the Pacquiao-Hatton bout was announced. I was sure they would have Directv Service at site, as they usually did during any major sports event. And I was not mistaken. It was funny even, the way some of them walked into the mess hall where everyone was gathered in front of the widest screen on site, realizing that the game was over in two rounds.
Being in camp has its advantages and disadvantages. When we’re there we are not allowed to leave the camp until it’s time to board the shuttle for the trip back to Manila. We wear safety shoes in the designated areas, which means at least half a kilo of additional weight on each foot when you trudge up and down the hills. But the food at the mess hall is great, and you eat with Direct TV on a huge screen right in front of you.
It wasn’t my turn to go on site at that time, and I was telling myself sayang, of all the times when I could have gone, this would have been the best. My job when on site was to give computer tutorials to new, computer-uninitiated hires, as well as to sponsored schools who were recipients of brand new computer donations. It’s very rewarding work in terms of fulfillment, and the sweet benefits on the side (European style food, large helpings, a posh gym, Direct TV Service and best of all, fresh air) make up for all the hard work in preparation and during the tutorials themselves.
I was at the DiPP EB when I heard the news. The Pacman downed the Hitman in round two.
I am really sorry, Manny, for thinking that you needed 5 or 6 rounds to dispatch the Hitman, when all you needed was 2.
Mabuhay ka, Manny Pacqiuao!
Photo from http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2009/5/3/1241323510937/Manny-Pacquiao-v-Ricky-Ha-002.jpg.
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