#emmyexplores

Night lights at the bottom of the Burj Khalifa ~ surreal to think I’ll be back at my office desk this time next week and all of this will be but a distant, happy memory 💫🌍✨

Wow. Where to start. These wonderful people have been my colleagues over the last three months, and I have learnt so much from them. It is so true that those with the very least give the most; their kindness is truly humbling. They have taught me the real meaning of hope and that human touch we can so easily forget in the busy whirlwind of the western capitalist world. I hope to impart some of their magic when I return home. In the meantime, I am so full of gratitude for this incredible opportunity. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Salamat Po 🙏🏼✨

Over the last couple of days I have felt quite overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the poverty around me; emaciated street children running barefoot and partially clothed through the filthy streets with nowhere to call home, serving as a constant reminder of life’s inequality. It is so hard to gauge how much impact my volunteering here has had ~ it seems so minimal when there’s always another problem to fix ~ but then as I left the office I was met with this glimmer of hope... an outdoor Zumba class on the street outside showcasing exactly what I admire about the poorest Filipinos: they might not have much, but boy do they have spirit in their soul and a fire for life ✨💃🏻🎵🎺

It was about time I saw some of the city I’ve been living in for almost two months, so taking advantage of a ‘cooler’ day ~ 32 degrees + warm breeze ~ here are some snaps of Old Manila (Intramuros) feat. Emmy 🇵🇭 ✌🏼 🌏

All Saints Day is a public holiday in the Philippines to honour the dead. Filipinos return to their home provinces and pay respects to relatives that have passed away. As the sun was setting on a stifling hot 35 degree day, masses of families turned out in their best clothes ~ some children still sporting Halloween costume ~ and gathered in huge crowds in the cemetery where their family lays to rest. Instead of green grass and grave stones, picture a busy maze of multi-coloured one storey mausoleums, with ornate tombstones, bright flowers and family names emblazoned across each little ‘house’ for identification. Golden sunlit hues hung around the dusty light as the aroma of burning candles filled the air. Each family occupies their patch, saying prayers and sharing stories, while fanning themselves from the extreme humidity. It is an occasion for families to get together and some make a picnic over the tombstones, as noisy street sellers take advantage of the hordes and offer Filipino delicacies to eat and drink. Families stay for nightfall, as the light of the fading day is exchanged for the fluttering, bright candles, creating a still, vigil-like atmosphere. More and more people arrive as night sets in and the colours drift away to flame and stone 🎨⚰️🍭🕯💒