PHILIPPINES | Monday, 14 January 2013 | Views [613] | View Larger Image
The smoke rising in languid curls into the air keeping him company, a Sampaguita (Jasmine flower) vendor battles fatigue with a stick of cigarrette while he waits at the back of the crowd for the chruchgoers to disperse. Most Filipinos treat their religious statues as human, which is believed to bring the owners luck: dressing them in elaborate clothing and sometimes offering food. Sampaguita necklaces are used to adorn religious statues' necks.