Noontime Luneta

I was waiting for NHI to go back from their lunch when I decided to pass time strolling around Luneta. I found a good spot where there was a perfect shade. I gaped at the monument and started to remember memories of my childhood, when my father would bring the family to picnic in its grounds. I would always look for the honor guards then, watching them guard the monument - moving at a certain count, they were like machines but they were nowhere to be found today. It was noontime, they must be resting somewhere - I can't blame them for the sun was scorching the fields of Bagumbayan, it was a summer day!

I stayed longer that I should, it was pass 1pm when a group of Korean's arrived at the monument site and started to take pictures. They were accompanied by a younger fellow who briefed them with some information about Rizal - that's what it looked like but I could be wrong. They were cheery, happy seniors, some even smiled at me when they passed the spot where I sat. All that changed when a platoon of beggars came from nowhere and started asking for money. It was embarrasing but this scenes are all too common, we see this everyday, they reminds us of our social reality. These people has made Luneta their home.

I also visited the spot where NHI created a beautiful stone monument for the GOMBURZA. It was a good looking creation in honor of the Filipino priest. It was just a piece of metal and stone raised above a few inches from the ground I remember then, it was the exact location where the garrote was erected. I use to touced it and people would just walk over it then. Kudos should go to NHI for formally making the grounds a monument for all people to notice.

Lots of great memories here. The monument of Rizal was facing the direction of the bay, when he was executed, that was the horizon he was looking at. The waves and the blue sky probably gave him inner peace. It was a good spot to die, although he wanted to face his executioners - he settled to face the Manila bay. 'Oh what a beautiful day...', exclaim the soon to be dead hero when he saw Manila bay and the skies, even on the day when his headed to his execution he never failed to appreciate the beauty of his country . Currently, Quirino stadium blocks the view of thebay from were Rizal stood, i wonder what he' say about it.

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One surprised was that while I was walkng from Salamanca Plaza I noticed that the streets were flooded. I began asking a baranggay official if the street have a drainage problem, he kinda looked at me and smiled. Later I found out that this is a normal occurence when there's a high tide. i did not know that. I thought there was a tsunami or something.