The year of the Rodz.

I've become a huge Chinese poser since my friends and I discovered Binondo. We go there to pig out dine whenever we're craving for dimsum and dumplings. Wai Ying has been our food haven and shopping at Mandarin Grocery became our best retail therapy.

Facade of the Binondo Church (San Lorenzo Ruiz)

Ben and Bernice picked me up at 7eleven Tandang Sora at eight o'clock in the morning. We arrived at Binondo early. Ayos. We have time to walk around the area, take pictures and look for a good parking spot. After what it seems like an endless walkathon, we decided to have brunch at our favorite place. The area was jam packed and we had to wait for a while.
This is what we got.

I had my favorite siomai. One serving (4 pieces) costs P65. It's cheap and it's huge and it's sulit! And then I also had spareribs and chicken feet. I like the spareribs because it's really tasty. The chicken feet and spareribs meal is P130. That's one serving and good for one person. 

Ben, my friend and colleague, ordered their Beef Wanton Noodles. I tell you. The beef, the wanton, soup---- they taste nothing like Chowking or any Chinese fastfood you know! The best part is, it is good for two persons. And it's just a hundred bucks. 

After pigging out our heavy brunch, we walked around the area some more. There were dragons everywhere, dancing to the beat of the drums, people handing the angpao (Chinese red and gold envelopes. Forgive me. I told you, I'm a Chinese poser), lucky charms and gems everywhere, tikoy all over the Chinatown....and fake colored (dyed) poor chicks. (Yes, they're selling those poor colorful baby chickens in Binondo streets and I don't get why. I'm thinking they're lucky charms?) Poor little creatures.

We chased dragons. Walked under the blazing sun. Bathed under the heat. Laughed. Talked about life. This will be my lunar year. Thank God for good friends and great times.