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11 December 2003 Surviving
holiday shopping
ISN'T it terrible that Christmas
shopping can often seem like Lenten penitence? I thought I'd do my bit
for mental health in the country by giving a few tips on getting your
shopping done less painfully. Don't forget, you only have two weekends
left.
I should preface this column by saying that my objective is to get gifts
that are ecologically friendly, utilitarian and, preferably, locally
made. That means shopping less in shopping centers or malls. But if you
must go to the malls -- and they do have alternative shops, especially
in the 'tiangge' [bazaar] sections -- do this early in the morning. The
best reason to do this is that shopping's just generally more pleasant
early in the day. As the day wears on, you have to deal with irritable,
if not downright nasty, vendors and even nastier fellow shoppers.
The earliest birds get to negotiate for the best "buena-mano"
[first-buyer] price. Vendors like to believe that the first sale they
make will set the pace for the rest of the day. The larger the first
purchase made, the better the buena mano, literally a "good
hand," which means more big sales the rest of the day. You can
therefore bargain with the vendors to give you the lowest price possible
so you can buy more, which means a better buena mano. And I just love
watching the vendors when they make their first sale, as they use your
peso bills to "bless" all their merchandise, hoping the good
luck from your good hand will spread.
Early birds get the best of the lot, whether clothes, plants or, most
important of all, parking space. It's always a good feeling, too, when
you're through shopping and you get to give up your slot for one of the
millions of other buyers waiting for a slot. I will never forget how,
last year, a visiting American friend actually got out of my car and
roamed the parking lot, waiting for someone to leave. At one point, she
and another person spotted a car leaving. You should have seen the two
of them jumping into the air and sprinting toward the slot, my friend
screaming an offer to the other guy: "I'll pay you a hundred pay-sos
for the space." You guessed it, not even a hundred pay-sos was
enough for her competitor to give up his claim.
Another way to keep your sanity, especially while in the malls, is to
find ways where you can get the most gifts in the least time. Gift
certificates are the easiest way out, but there's something almost
impersonal about them. There is, of course, one exception and it's
bookstore gift certificates for children because they then get to browse
through the store and choose what they want.
Bookstores are my favorite one-stop shopping place, although for a
bookworm like me, there's always the danger that you will end up
splurging on yourself rather than for friends.
Compacts discs -- CDs, VCDs and DVDs -- are another good bet. I am so
encouraged by the growing number of educational Discovery videos (thanks
to Magna Vision). These CDs make great gifts and I hope more selections
will be made available. In China and in Thailand, you find a very wide
range, the films all properly dubbed. The Chinese and the Thai know
these CDs are in a way social investments, helping to boost scientific
literacy among the young.
Are there alternatives to the malls? I think so. I haven't gone through
the University of the Philippine (UP) Village subdivision in Quezon City
this year, but I know there are quite a few NGOs and alternative crafts
stores there. Instead of driving around desperately in the malls'
parking lots, take a chance and cruise around UP Village to find the
different shops.
Another alternative would be the "Scout" area in Quezon City,
around Roces Avenue and Tomas Morato Street. First stop could be Popular
Bookstore on Tomas Morato, closer to the ABS-CBN side. Then you can do
Aklat Adarna, with their amazing range of young people's books. They're
in a new office at JGS Building, 30 Scout Tuazon corner Dr. Lazcano,
right across the original Max's Restaurant. Lynn Almario, the owner,
tells me they have a Christmas sale.
From there, you can actually walk to Kama, Kusina, Atbp., better known
as Cardinal Ceramics. Their address is 32 Scout Santiago corner Dr.
Lazcano. Excellent housewares there, including a gift pack of cacao
tablea complete with the traditional "batidor" and mixing
bowl.
Greenhearts, on the corner of Scout Reyes and Mother Ignacia Avenue,
could be your next stop. It has the widest selection of herbs
imaginable, together with gardening supplies and really useful booklets
on cultivating the plants. If you get herbs, you can request them to
stick labels on the pot, with the plant's name and care instructions.
Make sure, too, that you sign up for their e-mail service, which sends
out herb gardening tips.
Move on to Roces Avenue to the Papelmaroti building. On the ground floor
is the Papelmaroti shop where you get calendars, notebooks, wall decor
and other "feel good" stuff. The second floor has a Books for
Less shop, with both new and used books. If you purchase more than 250
pesos worth of stuff you even get a voucher to get free coffee at their
shop downstairs. Or, you could have lunch or dinner at Greens on Scout
Santiago, which is a vegetarian restaurant that offers meals as well as
bread, cookies and other organic foods that you can pack as gifts.
A final alternative, why not drop by the UP Film Center this Thursday,
Friday or Saturday to catch Cine Veritas, with several films to mark
Human Rights Day. Thursday at 7 p.m. they're showing award-winning
"I-witness" documentaries "Selda Inosente," "Babalik
na si Ma'am" and "Kidneys for Sale." On Friday at 2:30,
40 and 7 p.m. there's Ditsi Carolino's "Riles" about children
growing up by the railway tracks. On Saturday afternoon at 4 and 7 p.m.
there's "Magdalene Sisters," the controversial British film
about how young unmarried Catholic girls in Ireland were incarcerated.
At all these showings, they will be selling tapes of selected
"I-witness" documentary features, again good holiday gifts.
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