My wednesday was kept free of office work to give way to my annual pilgrimage to Chinatown in honor of my father, Ka Cardo.
Ongpin will always be an hour away from our house because there’s no way one could get any faster while navigating the streets in San Juan Sta. Mesa, and going to Recto where hundreds of jeepneys line the street on their way to Gasak, Divisoria in Tondo.
Recto sight see
Movie, anyone?
Butas???
I have a new driver and luckily, he knew how to go to Ongpin, or at least that’s what he believed.
As we turned left from Recto, I saw the new Luckytown Shopping Mall and I remembered that the 168 Mall is just behind it. I decided to go swing by 168. When Oyen and I came here before the holidays, we were not able to go around because of the thousands of people panic shopping. I thought it would be a good day to check the place out since it’s odd hour, no more throngs of shoppers.
I asked if he knew how to go to 168, yes indeed. He dropped me off at one of the entrances and told me to go out on the other side.
I was paranoid of losing my bag and wallet. This has been a recurring dream. I was also afraid to venture away from the entrance as I didn’t want to get lost, para akong bata. My celphone battery was draining fast thanks to 3G, which made me more nervous. How would I be able to contact my driver?
I just stayed on the ground floor and near the entrance. I was like a probinsyana enjoying a new place and looking at stuff.
I bought two dasters for P240 each and I am wearing one now. Price was P250 but since I bought two, I haggled kaya I paid P480 na lang for the two.
It has two pockets.
I saw a floral blue dress selling for P350 one size fits all, but before I could make a decision, I saw 3 other girls looking at it too. Ayokong may kapareho.
I bought a stem of silk flowers for P50.
All from China, the store owner is also from Xiamen.
The sales lady tried to talk me into buying this kissing swans. pang Valentines daw. Eh according to a friend named Angie, bad daw ang swans sa relationships. Mag-aaway daw ang mag-asawa kaya she removed all the swan figurines at her house and from her vacation home in Tagaytay.
Sales lady——— “mam, kuha na, Jade yan”.
I saw a cute pig— “magkano ito?”
Sales lady——— “P350”
Me—————– “cute sana, kaya lang mahal pala”
Sales lady——— “jade yan, mura na yan”.
Me—————- “hindi ito Jade, fiberglass yan”.
Tori Burch K. sandals P100 only (K as in Kuno)
This could have many uses, shawl, table decor, curtain- especially if you own a cabaret, pwede rin wear as shown.
I can get a red one for Valentines Day. Akitin (or takutin) ko si Edmund, nakalabas ang tyan ko.
To pacify my grumbling bulate, I bought bicho-bicho.
I requested the sales lady to remove the sugar.
While I was standing and looking at the Hello Kitty stuff, while eating my bicho-bicho, someone just walked by and coughed right on my hand. Yuck, bastos, she coughed on my bicho-bicho! I threw it away. I went back and bought again, and good timing, she just fried a few pieces and hasn’t dusted them with sugar yet.
I was able to buy 8 pieces of small pineapple Chinese decoration made of plastic for P25 each. Sabi pang good luck daw.
Parang I’ve seen this before.
We left 168 at 4 pm. Sobra akong nalibang, I didn’t notice the time.
While waiting for my vehicle, this vendor from Tondo sold a New York City bag made of tarpauline-like material.
For good luck daw yang ipagpag ang pera sa paninda.
Ongpin is only 5 minutes away from 168 but it took us one hour and 15 minutes because the driver didn’t know his direction. I thought he knew that’s why I didn’t pay attention to where he made a turn, I was reading cellphone messages. We went deep into Tondo, around Divisoria, back to Recto, buti na lang I saw Avenida, otherwise, he was going straight to Mendiola. But it was too late, we’ve wasted an hour.
Para akong nahihilo sa tagal ng ikot namin so I got my God is Good Always (GIGA) rub from Alvin and inhaled it and rubbed some on my forehead. Naku, umubo ng umubo yung bagong driver. Sobrang arte. Ayaw ng amoy.
Avenida
It’s difficult to just drive around in the streets of Chinatown without knowing exactly your way because aside from having very narrow streets with both sides parked with big trucks, some streets are either blocked or one-way.
Buko drinking buddies
