Mind you, 85 pesos sounds cheap, but when compounded to 25 or so items, can add up to a lot already. This is what happened to me when I bought 36 cute knick-knacks at the store, while still promising to come back for more. It's just good that the staff and cashiers are friendly and helpful. Here are my own tips for shopping sanely and effectively in Saizen, the authentic 100-yen (hyaku-en) shop in Manila, after Japan's very own Daiso chain of stores: 1. Look out for their products labelled Made in Japan. Some of the stuff is Made in China, and if you say China, you ... Continue Reading...
Saizen, 85-peso shop in Robinsons Galleria: the house of cute
Truth to tell, during my first (and only) visit to Tokyo in '05, budget constraints forced me to visit the 100-yen stores as my only option for buying 'pasalubong.' They were huge, housed in three to four-storey buildings with all kinds of stuff available. Fast forward to 2009, one need not fly as far because the real 100-yen (hyaku-en) shop named Saizen opened its first branch at the Robinsons Galleria last April 29. Everything at 85 pesos each! I have to admit: the extent of their offerings makes Japan Home Center a poor cousin. Must-buys here, in my opinion: ... Continue Reading...
Beryl’s Chocolate Kingdom, Malaysia
During this trip, I was glad to discover Beryl's Chocolates and to visit their showroom-cum-museum in Kuala Lumpur. Actually, it's a big house converted into a commercial structure. I was thinking that it was such a nice marketing ploy, to promote the brand, and products that are proudly made in Malaysia.There was a steady stream of tourists like us a-visiting, for who can refuse chocolates? My son, the dessert lover, enjoyed our little tour, particularly as they were giving us free bites of chocolates to sample. I ended up buying $70 worth of chocs to take ... Continue Reading...
Ipanema: the best flip-flops for summer?
You just know summer's fast approaching when you get invited to an event sponsored by a flip-flop company. The good thing with events like this is that you get to discover new brands. In this case, the Made in Brazil "Ipanema." Silly me has seen this before but stopped short of buying. It happens to be more expensive than the other popular brand (insert H word here :D ). But now that am a proud owner of a pair of Ipanema (as a result of a shamelessly-procured schwag bag), I must say this posh brand is l-o-v-e. I like the way it treats my rough feet like royalty ... Continue Reading...
David & Goliath, Havaianas, Zen Zest & a few of my fave things at the moment…
There's been a backlog of blog posts ever since the house move, so I'd just like to give the heads-up to the following products I tried recently: Havaianas.... I Heart! Summer is for flip-flops and I adore the pairs of Havaianas I got recently, especially the one with "Blogger Ajay" spelled out on the straps. The latter is a result of the "Make Your Own Havaianas" event I attended recently in the Rockwell Tent. In the past, I would have shunned a signature brand for my tsinelas (slippers) since it's just tsinelas anyway. But I like how Havaianas lets you ... Continue Reading...
Recent Comments