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13Dec/0910

Christmas Shopping

Girls need two lifetimes to shop. I know it's very given. But it's really amusing (and at the same time, irritating) to see and experience how this kind of thing really happens. They really make you wait.

Yesterday, my family had our annual Christmas shopping. We went to SM Makati, Landmark, Glorietta and Greenbelt. I was with my mom, sister, two brothers and a girl cousin. The girls did the digging first. It's really hard to wait especially when you don't have money and you don't have a cellphone. Eff. Anyway, they always make us wait whenever we shop together. Just, unfortunately, my father will not be here for Christmas, for the second time.

Greenbelt is still intimidating as always. Landmark is like an upgraded Divisoria. SM and Glorietta was made for the middle class. We found most of our buys in SM and Glorietta. It's kinda off to shop at this time of the year because people are in a hurry to buy stuff (take note, without an s) because it's Christmas and it's high-time for consumerism without guilt. We're on a tight budget this year because Dubai is in a crisis. We're seriously worried because only my Dad works. But we were able to buy all of our wants.

I was not able to find gifts for my two exchange gifts. It's hard to find a 200-peso unisex thing and 100 peso gift for a not-so-straight-friend. Well, do I have to give gifts to my friends? It's the thought that counts, right?

There were a lot of good jeans in Greenbelt and Glorietta. But most of them were very expensive. When will I be able to have my Viktor Jeans? When? I think this season's color is violet. Most of the collections in the shops were violet. It's very amusing for my little brother Arvin. No green loves this time. But, hey, i hate it when wait-this-is-what-i'm-really-looking-for-but-i-already-bought-something-that-i-don't-really-want-kaya-i-will-not-be-able-to-buy-the-thing-that-i-really-want happens. Depressing. This post is so gay 'no? Yes, because i'm gay like that. We are all gay when it's Christmas.

Anyway, the National Bookstore in Glorietta 5 is awesome. You get to read and check all your favorite books without the annoying dim light. The store is lighted perfectly. But Powerbooks will always be for the readers. NBS is for the buyers! We all know that books are cheap in NBS. And that Fullybooked is for the Rich Kids! Aside from the bookstores, i also visited some of the ID and furniture stores there. The stores were intimidating but most of the them offers modern collections. I just hate it when christmas trees that are supposed to be chrismtas trees don't look like one. I know designer things should be unique and cool but too much uniqueness is not good. Sometimes, eclecticism and modernism is not good. Anyway, anything that's too much is not good.

We now have a Christmas tree! :)

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Tagged as: bookstore, christmas, Dubai crisis, eclectic, family, fullybooked, girls, glorietta, greenbelt, jeans, landmark, modern, National, powerbooks, shopping, SM Makati, tree, trees, viktor 10 Comments

13Sep/082

29th Manila International Book Fair

[chenelyn of "Chenelyn, Chenelyn!"]

It is my first time to see a book fair. Although I always see exhibits such as IFEX, CFEX and F.A.M.E, these exhibits were always held in the World Trade Center, kaya it's also my first time to see (as in go inside) SMX Convention Center.

Book Fair

Lots of good publishing companies/bookstores/institutions are there, my favorites includes the UP Press, Ateneo Press, UST Publishing House, Anvil Publishing, National Book Store, Powerbooks, National Historical Institue, St. Pauls, Summit Media, Ibon Foundation, and Adarna Books. ( adarna:nostalgic ) There are 123 exhibitors kaya magsasawa ka talaga!

Most of the books are expensive, not-that-expensive, i'm just expecting cheap prices since it is a fair. Good thing i found bargain hard-bound books from National Bookstore, I bought one, "The Lost Constitution by William Martins." A "K-Zone Mag" for my brothers, "Cosmopolitan" for my mom and "Witch" for my friend from Summit Media naman. Those three magazines cost 100 pesos lang! Pero back issues. :D The two major bookstores, Powerbooks and National Bookstore made a 20 percent off in all of their items. I found three good books, babalikan ko na lang sila!

Ateneo Press and UP Press offers good books though Ateneo's products are not cheap. Controversial mostly and laman ng Ibon Foundation's booth pero ansarap basahin eh, UPng UP ba! :D

SMX CONVENTION CENTER

Since it's my first time ren dun sa venue, i'll dedicate a section of my post na rin. SMX in the outside is impressive, the architectural designs are good! I think fiber glass walls are good talaga for exhibit venues eh, they create an ambience of a corporate world at classy rin! The location of the venue is medyo inaccessible lalo na sa mga commuters since you really have to walk from the jeepney/taxi stop para makarating sa entrance. Or you can enter MOA na lang, at magpalamig habang nag tratravel. Air-conditioning is not that good kasi in other parts of the exhibit hall, naiinitan ako, dapat super centralized yung lamig ah!

A: Mainit dahil maraming tao!

Cleve: Exhibit hall nga eh, fair nga di ba? Malamang madami talaga ang tao kaya nga dapat malakas ang AC nila.

A: Sabi ko nga. Oo na nga.

The over-all physical look, ayos naman. Pero ang mga security guards at ang kanilang method of checking bags is not good. Haha. Ang disrespectful nung guard biglang hinahatak yung bag at manual airport type machine security checking sila! Yung parang ilalagay mo yung bag mo para ma x-ray sya tapos aantayin mo, ganon rin sa kanil except for being manual nung kanila. The restroom is very conventional, walang bago. Yung escalator, awesome! Ang taas nya talaga!

Enjoy the images. (Phone pics lang)