Cleaning Up

Laborers pulling grass provide a welcome distraction to those waiting for the off-peak hourly train.



Rail upkeep is currently limited to basic cleaning and pulling grass from the rail.


Pause.


Worker's bags.

Legitimized

"DOTC-PNR. Do not delay."

When the PNR stations were revamped, practically all "skates"-- illegal improvised vehicles built to travel on "idle" tracks-- were removed. I saw one spared, though. The PNR drinking water is delivered via official skate, by two men and a tag-along child.


Stop and pull to position.


Lift a la palanquin.


"Parking"


Engine removal.


Kid playing with the "horn"-- which is actually powered by a bike pump.

Extras:

• To learn more about skates, read this blog made by students as a quite cute project.
• A couple of skate shots in this collection of rail photos.
• An article about skate eradication, with a small review ("I thought it was quite a pleasant ride until there was a train heading toward us.").

Rail Tie Benches

Old railroad ties, replaced by concrete ones, are the only place to sit at PNR stations.

Sta. Mesa Trainstop Greenery

Lemongrass, coconut, banana, eggplant, sili, and the train station behind.

Sta. Mesa is an interesting place. Dense, much alive, and easily accessible by the spanking-new (well, relatively) PNR train. And when you get off the train station, you see an abundance of greens planted on land that used to be informal housing.


Eggplants fruiting.

The more systematic garden located directly by the station is maintained by the local barangay officials from Barangay 629 (Zone 63) during their spare time. As I missed my train, we walked up to a small bamboo room, which doubled as their local government office. There were people playing cards, and some sitting around in their sandos, one without a shirt. There's no hurrying, and you can sit down without introducing yourself, and fit instantly in their rhythm. They are good people.


The edge of the pond, shaded by an aratiles tree and bordered by tsitsirika (periwinkle).

The garden was started by barangay kagawads and tanods when the informal settlers were removed to make way for the new train system. Usually the willing come by to water the plants and do other tasks. Nothing gets stolen, but residents do come by to ask for vegetables, or many of the medicinal herbs growing. Recently, a tilapia pond had been installed. They occassionally catch some and eat them, but they had admittedly put too many fry in, resulting in small fish. No complaints, though, just learning.


Tilapia pond with religious figures.


View from the station: lots of kamote (sweet potato), kamoteng kahoy (manioc), and lemongrass.

Blind Band

I often hang around and listen to the blind musicians scattered around the city. They play mostly ballads from a time when bands were called "combos" and the electric guitar was new stuff. Sometimes they do those sad Filipino songs about migration and separation.

A favorite spot is by the stairs of Ayala rail, beside the bus "station", where there are many places to lean.