NO ONE CAN DISTURB HER & HER TURON
by Jessica N. Obciana BAJ 2-1D
NO ONE CAN DISTURB HER & HER TURON
On Sunday afternoon, May 18, 2025, my family decided to wander around Luneta Park, Manila to relax after a week of exhaustion and stress from studying and working. Before the sun set, we decided to eat in the nearest food stall and bought street foods. And I saw my older sister eating her favorite merienda turon (fried banana roll) as the golden hour light shines on her.
While randomly taking pictures of scenery in Luneta, I saw my older sister, Andrea, enjoying her turon and I took that opportunity to capture that scene as she enjoys her food while observing the beauty of Luneta Park— a place where told and untold stories can be found.
She doesn’t notice how the lights hit her, casting soft shadows on her face, warming her skin, and that scene making her look like from a film— no one can disturb her and her turon. Just enjoying a simple snack with quiet time.
Turon (lumpiang saging or fried banana roll) is a Filipino merienda snack made of thinly sliced banana, rolled in spring roll wrapper and fried with caramelized sugar. For my Ate, it is her beloved Filipino snack she enjoys the most, and it is perfectly matched when the day starts to slow down in historical places.
Luneta Park is perfect for picnics for family, friends, partners, etc. because of how peaceful and relaxing the vibes are. So seeing my Ate eating her favorite snack makes me wonder if she’s having a relaxing time or time to decompress, especially now that the pressure of graduating is somehow what she’s experiencing now.
Growing up, she’s always the one who looked after me, especially because our age gap is just almost 2 years. She saves her last piece of food for me, even if she still wants to eat it, or always goes with me whenever I have to go out for school purposes. Watching her now, she deserves to quietly enjoy a chill time together with her turon.
This is the magic of golden hour, it turns the photo— a snack, scenery or person— into something that can tell a deep story and something worth remembering.
I took this photo without her noticing but when she looked at me, she was confused and laughing as she realized that she is now my subject for photography. Documenting her love for turon while in the place I love the most. Her love for turon and my love for historical places— moments worth documenting.