Bilao Street Vendors
When I got home to the Philippines, I was so pleasantly surprised to note that during my long absence a balcony overlooking the street has been added to the front of our house.
It was absolutely fantastic. I can see street life in microcosm from where I stand in our balcony. I can survey children playing merrily, neighbours going about their business, most of all I can spy any walking vendor of food, who passes by.
I love hearing the taho vendor shouting what he was selling, he was a favourite one as my sister, also a balikbayan (country returnee) and I have missed taho (sweetened tofu dish) so much; I can hear the ice-cream man ringing his bell, I can hear the coming of carts selling all kinds of fruits and I can hear the seller selling tinapa and daing.
There was even a mobile jewelry seller, an Igorot woman from Baguio, who comes every Saturday. I bought a lovely Chanel earring for P100 (100 pesos = £1.20), which I love. Actually I spent P1,000, I would have spent more but I did not have enough time to go through her many cases of jewelries hanging from her arms, her back and chest. I wish now I made more time. 🙂
I caught the suman man at the very last day of our stay. He was a young man carrying a bilao, a rattan woven circular tray, full of suman, kutsinta and puto. For fun I asked him if I could take his photo. He giggled but politely declined, which was fair enough. He did allow me to take photos of the delicious rice-based desserts.
The suman was lovely and the kutsinta was moist and delicious, just how it should be.
Yes, from the balcony, I can choose my dessert and what to have for dinner. In this intance, there is more fun in the Philippines.