The Urban Roamer

spending an alternative Valentine’s affair: Chinese Lunar New Year

July 29, 2014February 15, 2010 by The Urban Roamer

Just when you thought Valentine’s weekend (which by itself is somewhat a rare occurence) would find yourself limited to being caught in crowds of couples flocking into the metropolis’ usual romantic haunts, and/or if you yourself do not feel like spending Valentine’s either, it was nice to get an alternative occasion to celebrate: the Lunar New Year which our fellow Filipino-Chinese brethren celebrated that same weekend.

What better way to celebrate it than to pay a visit to the place which is the heart and soul of the Filipino-Chinese community: the Manila Chinatown.

in memoriam: the old Magnolia/Nestle Ice Cream House

July 29, 2014February 11, 2010 by The Urban Roamer

My personal recollection of this place was my habit of looking at it whenever we go to Cubao and pass by this landmark. Growing up with fondness for ice cream and the old Magnolia (who can forget their ice cream and bottled Chocolait?) it was unfortunate that I didn’t get to set foot in the place throughout my childhood. My only satisfaction back then was to get a good view of what I considered a piece of heaven to, at the very least, satisfy a desire that I could not attain at that time.

Some though were lucky to get to eat or spend a party in this place back then. During the 1980’s, it was considered a haven of sorts for kids and adults who happen to love ice cream. And it’s not just the ice cream that people go there for. The food, I heard, was good as well. Back then, there was an outdoor mini-playground that as a kid made me want to get off the jeepney so I can play there.

commemorating the first shot of the Philippine-American war

February 4, 2010 by The Urban Roamer

At this time, we marked the 111th anniversary of the outbreak of the Filipino-American war, part of a chain of events that began way before of how we ended up being screwed by the Americans who were in the processing of building their own colonial empire and became their “little brown American brothers” regardless of … Read more

The city remembers the woman in yellow

July 29, 2014January 25, 2010 by The Urban Roamer

It was been more than 5 months now since former Philippine President Corazon C. Aquino passed away after a long bout with cancer. Not to mention the “yellow fever” that came along with that. Which has led to a chain of events in which the details would lead us astray from the topic here at hand.

And for those who are still stricken or just had about enough of the yellow fever, guess what. Cory magic is here again as the country commemorated on January 25 what would have been the 77th birthday of the woman we know as Cory, the woman in yellow.