Vendors along the boulevard in Zamboanga

Today is Araw ng Kalayaan (Independence Day) in the Philippines. I thought to feature here something I wrote in my other blog. There are many ways we can interpret kalayaan or independence. The basic notion, of course, is about independence from a foreign power. But there is also independence (or freedom) from poverty or debt. There is also independence or freedom from unhealthy relationships. I guess you can stretch the definitions according to your preferences.

Our morning walks allowed us to observe some scenes in the city. Along the R.T. Lim Boulevard, there are stretches of what was probably a public beach. We saw these vendors along the shore selling shellfish and clams.

Vendors selling shellfish - I suddenly recalled the tongue twister: "She sells sea shells by the sea shore." I asked their permission before I took the photo. It was still somewhat a candid shot and by the time we were on the return part of our walk, most of their items were already sold. Apparently, they already have 'suki' or regular buyers.

Conchs are basically sea snails and considered a delicacy in the Philippines.

Other sea snails that some people generally call 'kuhol' are in buckets filled with sea water to keep them alive and fresh.

Clams make for good soup. I like the clear soup version that we usually order in restaurants to go with our grilled food or whatever it is we order for lunch or dinner.

These are the scenes you usually miss when you're driving or riding. Walks or jogs bring you closer to these scenes and provide the opportunity to stop and look (even inquire, make small talk or take a few photos). They enhance our walks and allows a glimpse of how life was along the shores when a city like Zamboanga was not as developed as in the present. Manila used to have public beaches before the first reclamation projects eventually wiped them out. The attempt to bring those back in the form of dolomite beaches don't really help considering the water pollution that makes swimming or wading risky for people. Still, you also see many swimming or wading in the waters, and seemingly immune to the bacteria and other threats the waters contain.

-