I can't change Filipino librarians, but I can change the way you look at us.Carlos Celdran has been quoted as saying, "I can't change the way Manila looks, but I can change the way you look at Manila." I have paraphrased above what he said because it occurred to me that I am trying to do something similar through this blog. My effort may just add up to small change, but—guess what?—sometimes small change can make a big difference.
Celdran, whom I do not know personally, is quoted and portrayed vividly in "Walk the Talk" by Liam Fitzpatrick (Time, 14 March 2005):
One of the best ways to get to know the city is through the half-day walking tours given by the garrulous Carlos Celdran... Decked out in an appropriate costume... Celdran offers up rich narratives that are by turns gossipy (his account of Imelda Marcos' rise and fall is hilarious) and compelling (the description of a bombed-out Manila, at the end of World War II, is unforgettable).It is this article, I believe, that prompted a longer piece on Celdran in a local newspaper: "Take an unforgettable tour with the Pied Piper of Manila" by Ross Harper Alonso (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 10 April 2005).
Celdran has his own blog, called Walk This Way, where you can get information on his tours, what he recommends, and even his views on the Catholic Church and poverty in the Philippines.
