This month has been very difficult for me and my loved ones. My father has recently been diagnosed with cancer, and it's been really tough on everyone. I've been lacking the motivation to do anything creative lately, but I'm slowly trying to pick myself up. I'm really happy I married someone who knows just what to do to keep me inspired.
My husband recently took me out to Intramuros. It had always been one of my favorite places around Manila. I would try to convince my husband to move and purchase a historical home there if it weren't for the flooding issues. I'm tired of watching people who don't deserve ancestral homes own and demolish them. I can 100% say I deserve this shit so yes I WILL MANIFEST ONE INTO MY LIFE!!! Hehehe
This was in Casa Manila. I had to take photos from the most awkward angles. The entrance was less than ₱100, but the place was well-managed with security constantly checking whether you're still staying in line. You have to be very careful not to take a step out of the red carpet, otherwise you'd get scolded like I did, lol! Yet I do understand the need for this much security. You wouldn't want random people touching such delicate antiques.
The walls and ceilings were covered in so many murals.
Oh, how I dream of such a home!
This place must have been a treat to wake up to everyday.
I'd never leave our home if it looked like this.
I want a canopy bed, but good luck fitting my giant husband into that.
Living here must've made one feel like a princess! I wonder if people back then appreciated the art that surrounded them as much as we do. It's not everyday I get to see such opulent designs so I just get lost in every single detail. Angular and plain modern furniture have me tired!
The dressers look smaller in pictures. They were past 6ft tall. That's probably normal for Westerners, but I am a tiny 5'2" Filipino lol. I enjoy being surrounded by gigantic furniture. I find it hard to breathe in such small spaces, so I dream of owning a home with high ceilings one day. Just think of all the furniture and paintings I can fill it with!
There were soooo so many chairs. I wonder if they actually used it all. People used to have more friends back then and had acquaintances over so often, so that wouldn't be a surprise. I used to host a party of more than twenty at my parents' house back in my teens.. it's hard to imagine that now without triggering my anxiety over the thought of people possibly knocking my antiques over. I would die!
The prayer area—one thing I wouldn't need, but greatly appreciate.
People who believe in idolatry always seem to have great taste in art lol
My mother inherited several religious icons from my grandma, and most of them are in my childhood home. Devotees would borrow them sometimes for processions since not many people own antique ones, apparently. I'm quite fond of looking at them since they remind me of my early years (back when I was Catholic as fuck, ha!), but there are certain things you can't own when you have cats around. These are just a few of those.
These brass and cast iron inkwells and quills were divine! I would love to own one. Does anyone else remember penmanship classes? I'm not sure if schools still teach them. I'm one of the few people I know who still write in cursive and it's honestly so odd to me when people cannot read or write in cursive/script since penmanship classes made up probably 10% of my time in grade school.
I already own a ton of these, and it's great except for the times I had to spend chiseling
wax off of tables and countertops. Cleaning and polishing these are a pain in the butt
and will forever remind you of why people used to have servants.
You know the scene in Outlander when Claire was pregnant and cooking stuff using the fireplace? That reminds me of this area somehow. I somewhat dislike cooking using modern tools. It's funny; never in my life have I ever imagined myself becoming a housewife and actually enjoying making meals for my family. We live in a condo right now and I so greatly desire an outdoor or what Filipinos call a "dirty kitchen" where air flows freely and you can cook up the smelliest of dishes without the smell sticking to your home. That, and I miss using a wok.
It's not really the countryside since it still part of Metro Manila, but my childhood home is located far up north and the culture there just feels a bit different from how people live in the city. When I stayed in the north, I indulged in fresh food everyday. The market was really close so my aunt would visit the market everyday to purchase meat and vegetables, and fishermen would come knocking on our door every week, offering freshly caught seafood. Bread made using traditional ovens also hit different. My grandmother would buy freshly baked pandesal every morning, and I haven't really found bread as good as what I had back in the north here in Makati. Everything here feels artificial and sugar-filled. Part of me would gladly move back to "the countryside" if they only had better hospitals and better internet.
And here we end the tour with a wake up call reminding you that you weren't born in the wrong era, lol!
Perhaps I'll go visit my parents one of these days. I miss fresh air and I could use some
time to unwind and free my mind of negative thoughts. I hope everything gets better soon.
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