Hell's Kitchen

If you're thinking of Manhattan, no.

It is a place I'd like to call the University Belt or U-Belt in the heart of Manila (there exists other similarly nicknamed U-Belts in other parts of Metro Manila). Its name comes from the string of colleges and universities forming some sort of... well... for lack of better descriptive words - a belt stretching inside the San Miguel area, from the western end of España Boulevard, Nicanor Reyes St. (formerly Morayta St.), the eastern end of Claro M. Recto Avenue (formerly Azcarraga), Legarda Avenue, Mendiola Street and the different side streets. Each of the colleges and universities found here are at a short walking distance of each other (thanks to Wikipedia for that bit. Although I use it, I remind you all that IT IS STILL NOT SYNONYMOUS WITH RESEARCH). 

The reason why I called this area Hell's Kitchen is because of the "closed-in" feel of the area. More like a serious 80's film in the light of The Graduate meets A.K.O. Batch '81. It is generally a melting pot of all Filipino ethnic lineages. From all walks of life, social status, political, and religious views, people are basically thrown in the cesspool and mixed so well I could even name it Hell's Blender if it weren't only too macabre.

And the population... The residents here are swamped by the number of students who come to this area every day. Even on Sundays this is a busy, busy place. And with the major roads that goes around the Belt, commercial establishments with some places for leisure (wholesome or not), this has become a sub-district of sorts. Think of human traffic jam during the rainy days, too.

So, yeah. This is a really crowded place. You can find anything you need here if you know where to look - from used books to magazines, skateboards, clothing, printing presses, hole-in-the-wall stores selling anything from piercings to dentistry equipments, banks, side-by-side internet shops that are open 24/7, eating establishments, billiard halls, churches, a mall... even petshops (my buddy got one of those Pac-Man Frogs in Recto. Now he's got a scorpion) Name it, and the list goes on and on. On the plus side, Quiapo, Divisoria, and Binondo are only a jeepney ride away with minimum fare from this area if you ever get the hankering for electronics, pirated DVDs, and cheap clothing for the budget wary one. From here you can almost get to anywhere in Manila. Bus lines go through here, jeepneys, taxis (although it is still a mystery to me why the hell I couldn't flag a cab if I needed one badly).

I live in the vicinity of Mendiola smack-dab in San Miguel. An easy walk away from Malacanang Palace, Mendiola is that piece of road many people refer to as "that one place where rallies happen". It's true, because my school's address is at 638 Mendiola St., San Miguel, Manila. And during snack time, we can hear the slogans of various groups voicing their grievances at the current administration. We get used to it.

"Pogi, burjer?"
"Hinde, ate. Hamenchizwidegg. Damihan mo sibuyas."
"Karapatan ng manggagawa, Ipagloboooon!"
"Sopdrinks?"
"Ano malamig nyo?"
"(some policy or new law, whatever), Ibasuraaaaah!"
"Sparkol, Pop, me Pepsi"
"Sparkol, ate."
"Salamat, Pogi."
"Ipogloboooon!"

You get used to it. The fishballs and kikiam go well with most the militant types, while the burger and ham and cheese with lots of onions and cabbage passing off as lettuce is seeked out by the more choosing conneoisseurs - when the water cannon gets pulled up at front.

There are a lot of dormitiories and boarding houses here to choose from. And lately, with the boom in this thing called a "student-condo", you can practically turn a cell into your own bachelor pad! Look what I did to mine (Paolo, yours is still a cell. Says my girlfriend). Most of the places to live are close to shops so necessities aren't a problem, and food is easy - albeit lacking in nutrition - as long as you know where to grab a bite. Laundryshops here and there, and even gym rats wouldn't get to miss a session.

Of course we get the occassional rumbles between gangs and frat wars, but what the heck. This sort of thing happens and like the rallies that sometimes turn into riots, we get used to them, too.

So it's all hustle-bustle and razzle dazzle in here. Until it gets dark. Time to go home for most. For us "vampire" types who gets to burn the midnight oil more often than other students, our day is just begginning, and ends at about 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Back at home 8:00 is late... here, the night is still young. Just be careful on the way home. U-Belt is also notorious for robbers, snatchers, and other shady individuals. Just don't flaunt that iPod or Galaxy Tab on the way home and you'll be okay. But despite the stories of robbers and snatchers, this is still a very fun and lively place to live. And it's safer now! I lived here for about 9 years now and I can't imagine myself anywhere else. It is accessible to other parts of Metro Manila, and like I said earlier, food is not a problem (with the abundance of convenient stores, who can worry about that craving of 711 Slurpee not getting answered?), and I don't have to pay fare to get to school.

(these photos are not mine, though. They are Googled - another Antonym for Research)

So I lived almost a decade in Hell's Kitchen. I once called this a cesspool, or darkest pit of Manila. It is overcrowded, dirty, polluted, and congested. And it takes a certain amount of guts to live here during a part of your young life. Some don't have it. They crack. And tomorrow, I'll be hauling my ass off my sweet Batangas home for another wicked (in an evil way) academic year in what I'll call home for the better part of the year.

Welcome to Hell's Kitchen, fellas. And as a caveat, I'd like to read a passage from Dante Alighieri's work, Inferno. It says, "Abandon all hopes, all ye who enter here." Hope for the best and prepare for the worst and you'll survive. And with that, dinner's about to be served. Don't ask the cook what he put in here, tho. Now let's rock.