Heavenly blues

An escalator, a stairway... these ways to heaven sure do vary. At the Manila North Cemetery, however, where urban poor families have little choice but to live amidst thousands of graves, I'd say that heaven and hell (and everything in between) are in pretty close proximity.

For these children, the cemetery during the daytime is a cheerful yet macabre playground full of colorful cherubs and religious figures. During the night, though, I suspect that ghost stories abound, the dreamworld takes hold, and nightmares seep into an already harsh reality.

Jo
110210

*Scenes at the Manila North cemetery during the long weekend of "Undas" or Day of the Dead.