Oh My Janey

Instadump: Hanoi Haul

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Hanoi was a blast and so was the shopping. There are so many things about Hanoi that I want to write about, but I just can’t help it that it’s the shopping that inspired me to stay up quite late just to edit the photos of my shopping haul. I haven’t shopped in such a long time! (Anyway, sorry for the low and uneven quality of the photos. I’m too excited to post about it, but too lazy to open Photoshop.)

There’s a night market in Old Quarter on weekends, and we went there twice! I have a very small budget for my trip and thought very little of shopping. But when I was suddenly faced with a whole street of cheap goods, I couldn’t stop myself! I didn’t buy that much, but if my budget allowed it, I could have bought more! The Dong Xuan night market reminds me of Divisoria but smaller and the Ladies’ Market in Mongkok but cheaper. So basically, it’s a really good place to shop since you won’t be too tired after and get good discounts, too.They accept both Vietnamese dong and USD in the market. Isn’t that convenient?

I heard that Thailand has a wider selection, though, but the price in Dong Xuan night market is just wowow! Hopefully, I’ll be able to post more photos of the market some time soon. [Read more…]

December Loot

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December is the month of big spendings and depleted savings.

December has always been the most stressful month, since in this month, you have to wrap up a year’s worth of work, do some Christmas shopping, and worry about dance rehearsals for your company’s party. So just like any normal girl, I turn to food and shopping when stress becomes a bit too much. Good thing December also means trips to cheap shopping places such as Divisoria and St. Francis’s Square! My two favorite places right because everything’s just cheap and you can haggle to your heart’s content.

So, below are my shopping finds. When I laid it down like that, I realized that I did shop too much. Then I console myself by thinking that all of it would amount to one dress from a signature brand. Then I no longer feel guilty. [Read more…]

The Heavy Feet

I would like to start this post with a quote from Meteor Garden (because it has been 10 years, you know?):

Everyone should have a good pair of shoes. The best shoes will take you to the best places. – Teng Tang Jing

I am not sure how true these words are, because often, the best shoes are expensive and I can’t afford expensive shoes. Often, I buy cheap ones that are comfortable enough to walk in, so I’m not sure if I got to good places because of my shoes. Maybe not. Teng Tang Jing is rich and graceful, both things I’m not, so I wonder if I really should be heeding her advice when it comes to buying shoes.

As a girl, it’s important to invest on good pairs of pretty and comfortable shoes. But being a girl who walks like a grade schooler, shoes don’t really last when I’m the owner. For some reason, I’m not just good at taking care of my own stuff, and that extends to taking care of my shoes. My sister says I have heavy feet that’s why my flats only last for a few months. When I used to go jogging with my officemates, they say they knew my footsteps pretty well because its loud.

This leads me to observe my way of walking, and indeed, I seem to walk loudly. *sob* I blame these for having small, hurried footsteps. Small, because I have short legs, and hurried, because the Elbi culture taught me to walk that way. Or maybe because the boyfriend is a lot taller so my footsteps have to compensate whenever we walk together. I don’t know. I’m just making it up here.

Therefore, I am resolved not to buy anything expensive for I know it will fall to ruins anyway. Heehee. A 500PHP doll shoes? Too expensive! A more than 1,000PHP heels? Walking along Dela Rosa everyday would make it look like a 300-peso pair of shoes. So yeah, no thanks. Unless it’s a gift, of course!

For the past couple of months, I have to live with only two pairs of flats (a black Solemate flats and a gray pair from my sister), a pair of  wedge, and three sandals (but one broke remember? T_T). I walk to and from work so I couldn’t wear my shoes consecutively, and as un-fashionable as I am, I still try to match my clothes to my shoes. Haha. And sadly, I always end up wishing I have more pairs because I read too much fashion blogs. No other reason, really.

I resolve on buying a couple of shoes for the next couple of months and it started last August. And thus, starts the shopping. [Read more…]

Divisoria Loot 2.0

This, by far, is my best Divisoria trip. I’m not exactly sure why but I was smiling like an idiot the entire day just because of my Divisoria trip. I was actually on a prissy mood the day before because Ate Karen, Ate Ninay, and I were supposed to book a flight to Thailand last 11.11.11 because of the P11 promo. HUHUHU. But because of our stupid internet, the slots sold out! I got so depressed that I wanted to cry. I just really want to go to Thailand because I’m so obsessed with Thai boys movies right now.

To cure my shallow depression, I decided not to hold back when Ayessa and I go to Divisoria the next day! And I didn’t, and I’m so glad that I finally let loose on money a little. I’ve been so stingy the whole year but I guess it’s time that I enjoy my hard-earned (questionable, indeed) money. I REGRET NOTHING.

I don’t know. Maybe I just loved the trip so much because it made me feel grown-up. Even though I’m already working, I rarely spend money on clothes, bags, etc. This is actually the first time I went to Divisoria and shopped using my own money. I guess it’s the reason why it’s so fulfilling. Who know. Maybe the trip just made me happy because I simply love shopping and I’m just spewing reasons to convince myself that I’m not a shopaholic. No, I’m not yet a shopaholic. [Read more…]

The Art of Being a Cheap Bookworm

We all know that books aren’t the cheapest goods in the market. A paperback costs roughly around PHP300, and if you’re stingy like me, that’s not exactly cheap. Over the years of wanting books that are far too expensive for my budget, I learned that there are a lot of ways to acquire books on your to-do list without spending too much. I decided to share my book hoarding skills to other bookworms even though no one asked me to do so. Because I have nothing better to do, I might as well spread my love for books.

However, the following tips aren’t for people who are very particular with the condition of books. If you’re looking for really low-priced books, then you should understand that the condition of the book may not be the finest you’ll see. Expect creases and a little tear here and there. But if you look hard enough, you can see seemingly brand new copies for a really low price. Also, most of the tips here are only applicable in the Philippines. [Read more…]

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