Sep 9

Sep 9 Little Lessons On Becoming Filipino: Gulong Sulong

Here is a photo story of our morning spent at the Gulong-Sulong (rolling cart).

Air in the morning is always a little more fresh than the afternoon. By afternoon the air thickens and just hangs stagnant merging with the compressed heat and smog. Needless to say, I love the walks home in the morning. Jet lag aroused us early this particular morning so it seemed right to mosey around and take our time on the walk home to burn some daylight. The erratic sleep patterns of travel gifted us with one of the most delightful mornings we have had in Manila.

Again, erratic sleep patterns had me in Yes-Mom-Mode and after the usual requests for any thing in sight I answered with an unusual, yes! Salty, crispy, warm - a perfect combination, even at 8 am. This was the morning I said goodbye to my waistline forever and hello to fresh patatas. The way Manang sliced the patatas right before my eyes and instantly fried them deceived me into thinking they were healthy. After all, they hadn't come from a package.

There is everyday magic here. Sometimes the most simple of experiences are the most profound. I was in awe seeing a daily routine that was so foreign to me, I had literally never experienced a gulong-sulong before. The sweet manangs taught me the process and along the way answered my one hundred questions about their jobs, families, and recipes. They offered their bench and chatted with me and my little guys until it was time to continue our slow stroll home. I hope I never take for granted the Filipino smile.

The cart on the right of the gulong-sulong had more stock than a National Book. The tindera was a great business woman, her cart was adjacent to a school and was full of the mandatory school supplies. The photo gallery below has some of my favorite finds as I peered through the treasure trove. Please notice the chocolate cutlery for 5php a piece lang!

The wonder from the gulong-sulong carried us all the way home, I couldn't come down from that happy place even if I wanted to. The C-5 is much merrier from an overpass on foot than stuck behind a wheel honking.