Real Living Space

If you haven’t been living under a rock, then you’ve probably heard of artist, heritage-fanatic, and multi-talented Manila tour guide Carlos Celdran and his Walk This Way tours. We actually featured Carlos and his lovely wife Tesa’s home in Real Living way back in November 2004. Here are a few pics of that shoot…

Aside from hosting and organizing assorted art events and performances at The Living Room at The Syquia Apartments, Carlos practically turned local guided tours from boring history lesson and tourist trap to a social commentary/performance art/non-fuddy-duddy must-do activity regardless if you were a white foreigner or full-blooded Pinoy. Carlos’ most famous and frequently-attended tour is his “If These Walls Could Talk” Intramuros Tour, so it is but fitting that he opened a gift shop tucked right within the walls of Intramuros itself, called La Monja Loca, which has been open for about a year or so.

“La Monja Loca” actually means “The Crazy Nun,” (ask me another time for the explanation, folks). This little shop carries items that run the gamut from Team Manila t-shirts, bayong totes, tabako coasters, and Imelda terno bags, postcards of Old Manila to actual anting-antings from Quiapo—all references to Pinoy history, pop culture, kitsch, and silly superstitions. Here is a sampling of the stuff on sale (with some actual bomb shells you can use as found-object or doorstop as well):

It’s an interesting stop after visiting Manila Cathedral, San Agustin, or Casa Manila (it’s actually near there). And much like Carlos’s tours, I feel the entire shop is a social commentary of sorts on the richness—and craziness—of the Philippines.

La Monja Loca is located at Unit 3a, Plaza San Luis, Calle Real, Intramuros, Manila, text tel. 0920-9092021 for inquiries. Thank you Pierra, for dragging me along that lazy Saturday, and sorry Carlos, for barging into your store unannounced and publishing all this without your permission—I’m sure you won’t mind, dear. Have a safe Holy Week, guys. (Real Home photos by Albert Labrador)