manila

Walking around in Manila can be a bit embarrassing, at least once my name becomes known. My name makes me famous in this country, and in this country alone, as some illustrious ancestor of mine is regarded as the country’s national hero. Even though this illustrious personage (who was probably not a relation) died long before I was born, and even though as a historian I am personally rather embarrassed by his behaviour, people still get excited every time my name comes up. It is most peculiar- I feel like a celebrity for the first time in my life. Manila in general is full of surprises. It is a diverse city with a surprisingly developed elite section that resembles Hong Kong’s. We wander by a shopping mall full of Louis Vuitton and Chanel, which surrounds a beautiful inner garden of excellent (and expensive) restaurants. Nearby are elite residential neighbourhoods where the houses look like miniature guarded fortresses. A few streets away, however, half naked kids are playing in the gutter…