Christmas, the Season of Buy and Sell

Christmas--as the old, tired, wrinkled, used and abused saying goes--is just around the corner. And what better way to celebrate it than by raking in the cash, right?

But sarcasm aside, Christmas, just as the Big Boss up above has given us His Son, is the time for giving: No matter how painful or reluctant we feel towards such gestures. And to better aid our gestures of giving (that is, making it a lot less time-consuming and pocket-friendly) a lot of small time bazaars or tiangge, as we would endearingly call them, have opened up.

And no, they can be found anywhere! Well, anywhere that has human habitation that is. Having said that and what with Christmas getting nearer, people are now practically raiding these stores in hopes of buying cheap, useful and aesthetically satisfying stuff.

The Quezon City Circle Bazaar--
an excellent haunt this season.

For the sake of example (and mind you, it's a perfect one), I have gone to the drastic lengths of getting out of my humble abode for once and scour Metro Manila for bazaars.

One to be noted is the hailed Quezon City Memorial Circle. Not only does it serve as a historical landmark and a tourist attraction, now it also serves as a shopping landmark and bargain hunters' attraction.

The shops in the Circle are open during weekends from 5 to 10pm. But since it's the holiday seasons these shops would remain open until the wee hours.

Half-priced clothes.

Now, I've mentioned that the QC Circle is now officially a shopping landmark and bargain hunters' attraction, right? That, in the bluntest of sense, is strictly true. What we would normally see as priced sky-high, we could see here priced almost as half, or even less... truly a find!

Never go barefoot again.

Looking through price tags, the lowest prices for blazers and tank tops are only P50--something we not normally see in malls. A pair of shoes would only cost P150--again, something normally seen in malls. For girls, they also sell three pairs of earrings for the bargain price of P10, and exquisite-looking bags that sell only for P50 which, need I say it? Something we not normally see in malls.

The UP bazaar-- a one stop shop not
only for students but bloggers alike.

Getting away from the Circle now, I chanced upon the bazaar in the University of the Philippines. Inside the Diliman campus, the students did not let the chance to earn money get away as they, too, have put up shops selling goods ranging from... um, well, you name it, they have it: from house decorations to beauty regimens to secondhand books--practically and virtually anything!

These booths can be found in front of the International Center building in Pook Dagohoy. But, if you're still not sure where to go, just ask the guards. They'll you, rest assured.

10 pesos for everything is not a myth.

Bags, anyone?

Among these booths, however, the most visited (and most lauded in that sense) are booths boasting goods all for P10: They have keychains, small toys, clips and pins--knick knacks that are both fascinating and fun to have. 

If you are into novels or just don’t have anything to do with your money, there are booths selling secondhand books that will surely be worth your while.

Also, and as if this were not enough, there were also ukay-ukays, or shops selling used signature clothes.

There you have it folks. It might be natural for us to spend for gifts during Christmas, but however true this may be, we must remain always a wise spender. In short, skip the mall, go to bazaars.

Just kidding.

Anyway, have a happy Christmas and a merry New Year to all. Peace out.