Chinese New Year Feast along Ongpin Street

Ongpin Street is abuzz this morning because of the Chinese New Year. That’s why I made it to point to pass through Ongpin Street just to see the festivities.

The inflatable arch near the Carriedo Fountain welcomes visitors. Ongpin Street is adorned with Chinese lanterns.

It seems like the inflatable arches are popular these days. Even Lido de Paris Hotel has one and the kids posing with the balloon version of the Chinese lion.

Chinese New Year is all about luck. People want to be lucky that’s why they have firecrackers to ward off bad luck. Tigers and lions dance to bring good luck to businesses. And of course, lucky charms are available for those who want to attract good luck.

The weird thing is that the Holy Family and the crucifix were also made to become lucky charms. I know that evil spirits fear the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph and Jesus Christ but they are not lucky charms. I think that luck, particularly Feng Sui, is incompatible with Christianity.

I’ve been seeing fruits and vegetables with red ribbons since the Christmas Season. Street vendors guarantee that these are special fruits and veggies because they bring in good fortune. I can’t believe that red ribbon have that special power to make things bringer of good luck. Maybe it’s the reason why Red Ribbon cakes are popular.

It is the “Year of the Horse” so most popular lucky charms are those related to horses like these figurines:

And that’s not all, I saw karatela with their horses at Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz. There might be a “parade of horses” this afternoon.

What I like with Binondo Chinatown is the food. There are so many restaurants to choose from and some of them have tickled Pinoy’s taste buds like this Fried Siopao shop along Ongpin.

The queue of siopao buyers is very long. I wonder how good their siopao is. I will definitely try this after Chinese New Year, when the crowd is gone.

Castañas is also hot this time of the year.

It is a very busy day for this castañas cook.
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My favorite tikoy is actually being sold right off the sidewalks. There’s so many many generic (or not popular brand) tikoy along Ongpin Street but people still queue for Eng Bee Tin’s tikoy. It seems like the crowd followed the media promotions done by news anchors and celebrities for Eng Bee Tin.

I’m glad to see that my favorite place along Ongpin Street has plenty of visitors.

Chinese New Year is the only day when Ongpin Street can rival the streets of Divisoria. The place is crowded even if only very small portion of Filipinos celebrate Chinese New Year.

I noticed, however, that this year’s Chinese New Year is less gay as compared to the previous years’. I just saw few Chinese lion dancers. There is very long dragon and two Chinese lions near Binondo Church but that’s all that I saw this morning.

The only “live” performance that I saw was that mini-“ati-atihan” dance, which is not that lively compared to the real Ati-atihan.

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The current mode of Chinese New Year celebration is OK but I think it can be improved, especially that the government treated it as a national holiday. Chinese New Year may be made as day to highlight the Chinese culture and its connection with the Philippine society. I believe that more people will come to Binondo Chinatown if Chinese New Year is made to be a cultural festival.
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Tikoy for New Year

When I was still a kid, my auntie usually send us a box of tikoy for the Chinese New Year. I still remember the oily and sticky tikoy on my plate during breakfast. This memory of the yummy tikoy compelled me to buy some of it last Chinese New Year.

Just like the majority of Filipinos, my family only celebrates the New Year of the Gregorian Calendar. The New Year of the Chinese Calendar is just an ordinary day for us. But this doesn't mean we shun eating popular Chinese New Year delicacies. We love Chinese food, especially tikoy.

Tikoy or Nian Gao is the most sought of food every Chinese New Year and many people queue just to buy from Eng Bee Tin and other food shops in Binondo Chinatown. Ongpin Street is crowded with vendors who only sells tikoy.

Aside from hopia, Eng Bee Tin is also popular for its tikoy. However, I already tasted their tikoy that's why I decided to buy a box of tikoy from Eng Ho. I already posted about Eng Ho when I talked about their mamon cake.
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I bought the medium sized tikoy for 180 pesos. That tikoy is for my family and siblings. The small sized tikoy, which costs 60 pesos, is for my beloved. I bought the small sized tikoy not from Eng Ho but from Filipino-Chinese vendors who set up shop along Ongpin Street.
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The large tikoy is white because its ingredient is white sugar while the smaller tikoy's ingredient is the brown sugar.

My mother sliced the tikoy into strips and mixed it with beaten egg. She then fried it. The final product is this:
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Yummy!

Belated happy New Year to my Chinese-blooded friends. Hope you liked my tikoy.

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Chinese New Year in Binondo Chinatown

I can't resist going to Chinatown in Binondo, Manila to see the Chinese New Year celebration. The last time I visited Chinatown for the New Year celebration is in 2009. The Chinese New Year is the most joyous feast in Binondo and many people, tourists, and non-Chinese like me visit Binondo Chinatown to see what’s happening.

Ongpin Street, which is the main street of Binondo Chinatown, is well decorated. You will see that the Filipino-Chinese loves their New Year celebration.
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Entering Binondo Chinatown, you will be welcomed by this arch:
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Like the usual, Chinese New Year in Binondo is jubilant and noisy. Lion dancers were on Ongpin Street and visiting various establishments in Binondo Chinatown. Store owners let the lions in for good luck.
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There is also the fabled dragon carried by dragon dancers. The dragon kept on chasing a ball, which represents the moon.
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Chinese New Year in Binondo is not only about Chinese elements taking the center stage. I saw this big cross along Ongpin Street where Binondo Chinatown residents and visitors light josh sticks and say a prayer in front of the cross. Quite a blending of Catholic and Chinese elements in Binondo Chinatown. 

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While I am walking along Ongpin Street, I saw a clump of people watching lion and dragon dancers dance in front of a certain restaurant. I saw these people preparing firecrackers:
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After the firecrackers, the lion dancers and dragon dancers continued their dance.
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I guess Charlie’s Tea House will have good luck for 2011.
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Hmmm...I saw this inside the tea house:
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Looks delicious! Maybe I will try eating at Charlie’s Tea House in the future.

Of course, good luck charms are selling like pancakes on the streets of Binondo Chinatown.
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I don't believe in good luck charms so I didn't bother buying one. The popular good luck charms are the ones depicting a rabbit, which is very suitable for the year of the metal rabbit.
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Porcelain rabbits for 30 pesos apiece.

I walked along Ongpin Street until I reached the other gate of Binondo Chinatown and this lion statue said, "good bye."

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Lessons I Learned in 2009

It is just a few hours away before the first seconds of 2010 will be ticking in our clocks.  In this time, many people are busy in making their New Year’s resolution and hope that they will be able to accomplish the goals that they set before the end of 2009. People are busy looking forward that they most of them forget to look back. 2009 had been a tumultuous year to most of us, it is not good to let it come and go without any of us getting something meaningful before it goes to obscurity.

Aside from New Year’s resolutions, the dawning of 2010 is the best time to look back to the past 12 months and contemplate on the lessons that we had gained. As for me, these are the lessons that I believe I gained from to outgoing year:

1) Friendship is not a Collateral

2009 is a year when I lost a friend because of money. It seems that the saying that friends and money do not mix well is true. My friend’s decision to cut all means of communications between us still baffles me. She gave up on me for just a puny amount. Not answering my calls, e-mails, text messages, and Facebook comments is a signal that she does not want to be contacted. I learned that money corrupts even friendship.

2) Stress is not an Alibi

It is true that the transactions in any Smart Wireless center are slow and the queue is quite long during rush hour. It is also true that Smart should do something about this problem so as not disappoint their clients. However, this problem should not be enough reason to be rude to anybody. A Smart Wireless center tested my patience during my most stressed day. I showed one of their agents my grumpy side, which I regretted later. The lesson is patience and this lesson is quite hard to learn. At least I am wary of my impatience and I am now trying my best to keep me from losing it.

3) Prepare for the Worst

Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng caught many people unprepared. For the long time, many people suffered and that includes my family. Ondoy’s wrath taught me to be prepared for the worst that might happen, especially now that PAGASA told us to expect more extreme weather conditions in 2010 due to climate change. I learned the importance of radio, of keeping the lines of communication open, and being ready to give help to those who are in dire straits.

These are just three of the many lessons that I had learned in the past year. I know that I have more things to recall and more lessons to brand into my head. As the 2009 is waning, let us reminisce the past 12 months and keep all the lessons that it brought.

How about you? What are the things that you learned in 2009?

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