I still remember how I found out who Santa Claus really is.
It was Three Kings Day, January 6, the ’70s.
We used to get really cool presents on Three Kings Day, sometimes even more special than Christmas presents.
My favorite Three Kings presents were temporary tattoos and Action Transfers—remember those?

One Three Kings Day my sister and I found a baby doll crib and sheets under the tree.
On its plastic cover was our names written in Pentel Pen (or marker to you) by what looked very much like my mom’s handwriting.
“It’s mom’s writing,” my intelligent sister thought out loudly.
Oh my God.
We woke up my mom to ask her, and she confirmed it. Not only was she Santa Claus, she was also Melchor, Gaspar and Baltazar.

My sons are now 6, 10, and 12.
A couple of years ago the two elder boys started hearing in school that Santa isn’t real.
Not wanting the spoil the fun for the little one I simply told them, those who don’t believe in Santa don’t get Santa gifts. So both elder kuyas continued to “believe.”
Each year I would think very hard how to make the packaging believable, not even using my own handwriting.
This year I ordered personalized Christmas sacks from the U.K. They were gorgeous.

The little boy got Playmobils from Santa, while I ordered two iPad minis for the bigger boys.
The iPad minis were purchased in Hong Kong by Tita Grace because they were a cheaper by a couple of thousand each.
I was so proud at what I did. We even spread a trail of “snowflakes” on our doorstep.

On Christmas eve, the boys got scared when they saw the “snowflakes.” They thought someone had broken in—like someone from the North Pole maybe? I wondered out loudly. Duh??
And then they saw the Christmas sacks, opened them and saw the iPad minis.
“This isn’t possible,” Markus said, shaking his head.
“Am I dreaming?” Ben said.
They were so happy they high-fived each other and went to bed.

On January 4, while we were checked in at the Raffles Hotel for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, the boys searched for their new iPads to bring down to the ballroom, just in case.
That was when Tita Grace casually told Ben, “Oh, I bought those in Hong Kong you know.”
Ben’s eyes grew and whispered to me he knew I was Santa.
“Please don’t tell Markus and Chris,” I said.
Ben promised.

A few days later while having lunch at home, Markus asked me in between bites, “So how do you get our teeth from under the pillow without anyone noticing?”
“What?” I said.
“You’re the Tooth Fairy right?”
I looked at Ben. “You told him!”
“It’s OK mommy. I knew you were Santa. I just wanted to get the gifts,” Markus said.

For a while there I didn’t know if I wanted to kill Grace or thank her for sparing me another year of staging a North Pole invasion in our living room.
I decided not to get mad at her. The boys are after all growing up. It would be ridiculous to have a teenager writing to Santa next year.
Anyway, I did save some money on the iPads. So thanks, Grace! I guess.

Those interested in the Christmas sacks, here’s where to order.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

If things go well, we should be experiencing cold weather until the second week of March this year.
Therefore, ilabas na ang fur, ang Ugg boots, and scarf at iba pa!

MANILA, Philippines—Metro Manila on Saturday morning recorded a 16.9 degrees Celsius, the lowest temperature since year 2014 started.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the coldest temperature was recorded at 6:20 AM at the bureau’s science garden in Quezon City.
The temperature in Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Bicutan also dropped to 18.30 degrees Celsius at 5 AM, the state weather bureau said.
Last Sunday in Baguio City, the mercury dropped to its this month at 8.1 degrees Celsius.
Pagasa said the cold weather, brought by the northeast monsoon or “amihan” in the country will continue until the second week of March this year.

Source

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

If things go well, we should be experiencing cold weather until the second week of March this year.
Therefore, ilabas na ang fur, ang Ugg boots, and scarf at iba pa!

MANILA, Philippines—Metro Manila on Saturday morning recorded a 16.9 degrees Celsius, the lowest temperature since year 2014 started.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the coldest temperature was recorded at 6:20 AM at the bureau’s science garden in Quezon City.
The temperature in Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Bicutan also dropped to 18.30 degrees Celsius at 5 AM, the state weather bureau said.
Last Sunday in Baguio City, the mercury dropped to its this month at 8.1 degrees Celsius.
Pagasa said the cold weather, brought by the northeast monsoon or “amihan” in the country will continue until the second week of March this year.

Thank You Lord!

Source

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

If things go well, we should be experiencing cold weather until the second week of March this year.
Therefore, ilabas na ang fur, ang Ugg boots, and scarf at iba pa!

MANILA, Philippines—Metro Manila on Saturday morning recorded a 16.9 degrees Celsius, the lowest temperature since year 2014 started.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the coldest temperature was recorded at 6:20 AM at the bureau’s science garden in Quezon City.
The temperature in Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Bicutan also dropped to 18.30 degrees Celsius at 5 AM, the state weather bureau said.
Last Sunday in Baguio City, the mercury dropped to its this month at 8.1 degrees Celsius.
Pagasa said the cold weather, brought by the northeast monsoon or “amihan” in the country will continue until the second week of March this year.

Thank You Lord!

Source

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

If things go well, we should be experiencing cold weather until the second week of March this year.
Therefore, ilabas na ang fur, ang Ugg boots, and scarf at iba pa!

MANILA, Philippines—Metro Manila on Saturday morning recorded a 16.9 degrees Celsius, the lowest temperature since year 2014 started.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the coldest temperature was recorded at 6:20 AM at the bureau’s science garden in Quezon City.
The temperature in Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Bicutan also dropped to 18.30 degrees Celsius at 5 AM, the state weather bureau said.
Last Sunday in Baguio City, the mercury dropped to its this month at 8.1 degrees Celsius.
Pagasa said the cold weather, brought by the northeast monsoon or “amihan” in the country will continue until the second week of March this year.

Thank You Lord!

Source

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Japanese lifestyle brand MUJI recently opened its seventh store in the Philippines at Ayala Center, Cebu.
The 417-square-meter store is located at the mall’s new second-level expansion wing, and is home to a complete selection of furniture, housekeeping tools, kitchen and dining utensils, storage solutions, health and beauty products, travel accessories, men’s and ladies’ apparel, stationery, and food items.

In the Philippines, MUJI is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. (SSI) with locations at Robinsons Magnolia, Power Plant Mall at Rockwell Center, Greenbelt 3, SM Mall of Asia, Shangri-La Plaza East Wing, and Ayala Center Cebu. Muji will reopen soon at Bonifacio Global City Central.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

It’s my first trip out of the country this year.
My husband and I decided to meet the Dutch in-laws to celebrate his birthday.
It’s been a while since I blogged about the worst airport in the world, also known as NAIA Terminal 1.
While it’s great that the terminal fee has been lowered from Php 750 to Php 550, one still wonders where all that money goes?
Perhaps we need a Benhur Luy kind of whistleblower to let us know exactly what happens to the terminal fee.
Because as far as I know you can buy a can of paint with Php 550? A can of paint to fix certain portions of the airport, such as this check-in counter.
I mean look at this afam* checking in at Business Class.

Actually no paint job can fix this. This counter needs to be changed like five years ago.

I can think of a couple of reasons for whoever is curating the shops at NAIA: either bad taste or corruption or both.
I mean look at these shops—do they even make money? Who is the target market of these stores?
Tourists with bad taste? I mean check out the names…

Look closely—there is a walis behind the dried mangoes. Who the freaking hell wants to carry a walis in the airplane, do tell??

Let’s check out the ceiling.

Neil Armstrong was not here.

And it’s not art.

Hoping this ceiling will not collapse

Eek!

OK, this kind of looks like art.

Terminal fee can buy cans of paint, people!

And if you look down you’ll see the sorry state of the carpet.

I mean the carpet looks paper-thin.

Thank God five international airlines are slated to move their operations to NAIA 3—including Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air, KLM and Emirates—according to ABS-CNN.
I have never been to NAIA 3, but once I set foot in there, do expect a review from me. XO

*foreigner

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Not a few people have been asking me: “What’s your take on Vhong Navarro?”
For one thing, I was in Singapore when it happened. The first time I head about it was on Ping Medina’s Instagram.

Before:

After:

From what I gathered, Showtime co-host Vhong Navarro was beaten up by a certain Cedric Lee and his gang because of a girl named Deniece Cornejo, who cried rape.

Cedric Lee and Deniece Cornejo

FYI: Deniece is supposed to be deniece of news anchor Mel Tiangco, while Cedric Lee is the baby daddy of Vina Morales’s daughter.
Apart from starting out as a member of the Streetboys dance group, the only other thing I know about Vhong is he certainly has his way with chicks, as I’ve heard one young “pedigreed” actress has reportedly slept with him, eek!
Other than that, I know nothing.
I am not particularly interested because Vhong Navarro is so not hot, and I am not interested in guys who have a silent “H” in their name.

I take exception to dancer Jhong Hilario who had the funniest mishap on Instagram, just Google it.
P.S. I do wish for Vhong Navarro’s swift recovery and that justice be served.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

It’s wonderful when you find your home away from home. In Tokyo, I prefer the Peninsula. In Singapore, it’s pretty much the Grand Hyatt.
I didn’t use to like this place so much, but when the Ion Orchard mall opened right across from it, the location suddenly became very OK.
Prior to finding this place home, I preferred the Mandarin Orchard for location and the famous overpriced Chatterbox chicken rice, which I love.

I also used to like the Quincy, but the place has gotten old. They really need to renovate.
But all things considered, I love the Grand Hyatt Singapore because of its design.
To further prove my point, last year I saw Tyler Brûlé and the Monocle team here.

I’ve heard a couple of people say the Grand Hyatt rooms and bathrooms suck, but I did not see it at all during this trip or or last year.
The bed is nice and comfy, and the thermostat is really easy to control. I love the convenience of the nightstands with the two shelves.
We didn’t really use the office corner because there were plugs everywhere. We could use the fast Internet while in bed.

This nice chair ended up as my husband’s sabitan (rack) of used clothes because Euroboys like to recycle their clothes

The TV was not complicated

Sliding doors open up to a marbled bathroom, which is chuva-approved.

It has a bathtub and separate shower stall

Enclosed toilet, thank you very much

Dressing table—how convenient

Spacious counter sink—a must for me

And a closet that opens from inside and outside the bathroom. No need to run out for pieces of clothing.

The only thing I don’t really like was the food. Room service sucked. But I did enjoy the cereal-crusted KFC with Hainanese chicken rice my hubby bought next door. How convenient! Though I wish I had discovered this earlier on the first day. I could eat this everyday.

Please try when in Singapore.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

SMART Communications, Inc. is proud to announce its partnership with the 7107 International Music Festival this February 22-23, 2014.
Headlined by international acts (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kaskade, Empire of the Sun, Kendrick Lamar) and local bands (Up Dharma Down, Taken by Cars, Radioactive Sago Project), the 7107 International Music Festival will be held at Global Gateway Logistics City, in Clark, Pampanga.

Now Smart, along with its online music portal SPINNR, will be giving away more than 1,000 tickets to lucky Smart Prepaid, Postpaid and Broadband subscribers.
What’s more, Smart has prepared exciting events and attractions—including a dedicated Smart headquarters, where subscribers can lounge and hang out for the duration of the entire event.
Lucky Smart subscribers will also get the chance to meet and greet the artists back stage, take home exclusive merchandise, and get exclusive perks on the festival grounds.

To know more, go to http://smart.com.ph/7107, follow @SMARTPromos on Twitter, or like Smart Communications on Facebook.

Smart, the leader in mobile services in the Philippines, has over 56 million subscribers as of 2013.
SPINNR, powered by Smart Music, is the country’s biggest online music portal with more than 3 Million songs available for download. For as low as Php 49, users can enjoy unlimited music streaming from SPINNR on their PCs, smartphones and tablet with no data charges for 30 days.
To know more, go to http://www.spinnr.ph.

7107 International Music Festival Executive Producer Tina Herrera, Smart Innovations and Product Development Group Head Melissa Limcaoco, and Smart Prepaid Marketing Head Joel Lumanlan unveil a groundbreaking partnership that will give Smart and SPINNR users an amplified music experience during this year’s most anticipated music event.

L-R: Smart’s Media, Trade Activation and Touchpoints Group Head Darlene Chiong and Data and International Services Marketing Head Michele Curran join Melissa Limcaoco, Tina Herrera, and Joel Lumanlan at the press conference.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

From now until April 29, 2014, get a chance to trade in your furniture that is still in good useable condition and get new a new Gus* item at 30% off regular price.
After the promo period, all traded-in furniture will be donated to ABS-CBN’s Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc.

Gus* is one of my go-to places when looking for furniture in Manila.
This is great promo because aside from being able to redecorate and getting a bigger discount for new furniture, you’ll be able to help out a family in need by donating your old pieces.

Terms & Conditions:

1. Acceptable furniture for trade-in are sofas, chairs, stools, tables, desks, beds and cabinets.
2. Traded-in furniture are subject to evaluation by Gus* to ensure that they are still useable and intact. Gus* has the right to reject items deemed no longer in useable condition or not fit for donation.
3. One unit of traded-in furniture is equivalent to one discounted product from Gus*.
4. Purchase of Gus* furniture, lighting or accessory should be made within the promo period in order to qualify for the discount. Indent orders made during the promo period are also qualified for discount.
5. Promo cannot be used in conjunction with other promos or discounts.
6. Trade-in furniture may be picked up by Gus* free of charge within Metro Manila as long as delivery and pick-up is made on the same day at the delivery site.
Should the pick-up site be different from the delivery site or on a different day but still within Metro Manila, a minimal logistics fee of Php 500 shall be charged.
All pick-up and delivery outside of Metro Manila shall be charged an appropriate fee.
The client also has the option to bring the furniture for trade-in to Gus* Metro Manila warehouse (12 Tagdalit Street, Brgy. Manresa, Quezon City) or to any showroom.

Check out their locations at the ground floor, Greenbelt Residences in Makati or Design Pod at 52 Connecticut Street, North Greenhills, San Juan.
To know more call +632.621-8171, email GUS@livingspace.com.ph, or like them on Facebook.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

I’ve been a fan of Hervé Chapelier way back since my Parsons years in New York in the early ’90s.
That was when I used to frequent Galeries Lafayette on 57th and Fifth and discovered French brands like Xuly Bët, GR816, and Hervé Chapelier. Unfortunately my favorite shop closed its doors in 1994.
I would describe Hervé Chapelier as known for casual, boxy, very Japanese bag (even though it’s French) just because the Japanese love it so much. And here’s how they wear it.

Obviously they are partial to camou print.
Lucky for us, Hervé Chapelier just opened recently at SM Aura.

The store is great and huge and I don’t have to speak French to get what I want.

It has all sizes from small, medium, large

Naturally I went for big and small

I like huge

Prices range from Php 3,750 to Php 18,450. Design-wise I prefer this to Longchamp which everyone in Manila has that I only look forward to its special collar pieces with Jeremy Scott.

Next: An interview with Hervé Chapelier in Manila

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Hervé Chapelier is French but the biggest market for his bags is Japan as they go crazy over his two-toned totes and pouches. If you search #hervechapelier Instagram, you’ll find that most of the posts are by Japanese men and women with the totes. Hervé Chapelier’s second biggest market is Italy.

Herve Chapelier totes are not “It” bags and that is what the Japanese love about them.
In the early 2000s, American preppy college girls carried these nylon bags with the little green labels.

Hervé Chapelier totes are favored by those who seek consistent simple elegance minus the zippers, hardware, tassels, batwings and other features that make “It” bags heavy, cumbersome, and fussy. Not to mention, expensive.
Creator Hervé Chapelier was in Manila last month for a brief 12-hour visit to check out the site of the first Hervé Chapelier store in the country at SM Aura. He was on his way to Japan for a personal appearance.

Hervé Chapelier (center) with Philippines franchise owners Cheryl Lao-Lee and Eric Lee.

“You can’t Google me because I don’t give interviews and I don’t have my picture taken,” said Chapelier, whom we were able to speak with at the Peninsula Manila over French fries and halo-halo.
“You’re lucky that I am doing this interview. The last time I was in Manila was to play rugby in the 1970s,” he told us.

The company, which Chapelier founded in 1976, is based in Paris. The brand is very popular for its handbags, wallets, briefcases, backpacks and, of course, the two-toned totes.
In addition to nylon, Hervé Chapelier also makes a cordura version in camouflage and animal print.
The nylon tote, which has a large square bottom and a triangular body, is the most popular design because of its shape and light weight.

I appreciate many kinds of bags—from pricey to affordable. But one thing that is a deal breaker for me is that the bag itself can’t be heavy since I tend to carry my entire house except the kitchen sink.
If you’re like me, you’ll love the Chapelier totes. I love its bring-it-all appeal without looking like you’re carrying your whole house.

“Look at this,” says Chapelier, showing us a small sling bag that would be great if you are attending a music festival or concert and you can only carry your phone and some cash. “This is one of our bestsellers,” he adds.

The SM Aura store is now open and carries many styles and a wide array of combinations for the two-toned totes.
The bags are all manufactured in France. Because of this, they are pricier than your regular nylon tote.
“This is a good business strategy that costs us more but people really want bags that are made in France. They are willing to pay a premium for that,” said Chapelier.

Quick stop at SM Aura with (L-R) Carmela Baronia, Bernice Baculi and Steven Tan of SM Malls, Philippine franchise owners Eric Lee and Cheryl Lao-Lee, Mr. Hervé Chapelier, and Perkin So of SM Malls.

http://www.hervechapelier.com

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Hervé Chapelier is French but the biggest market for his bags is Japan as they go crazy over his two-toned totes and pouches. If you search #hervechapelier Instagram, you’ll find that most of the posts are by Japanese men and women with the totes. Hervé Chapelier’s second biggest market is Italy.

Herve Chapelier totes are not “It” bags and that is what the Japanese love about them.
In the early 2000s, American preppy college girls carried these nylon bags with the little green labels.

Hervé Chapelier totes are favored by those who seek consistent simple elegance minus the zippers, hardware, tassels, batwings and other features that make “It” bags heavy, cumbersome, and fussy. Not to mention, expensive.
Creator Hervé Chapelier was in Manila last month for a brief 12-hour visit to check out the site of the first Hervé Chapelier store in the country at SM Aura. He was on his way to Japan for a personal appearance.

Hervé Chapelier (center) with Philippines franchise owners Cheryl Lao-Lee and Eric Lee.

“You can’t Google me because I don’t give interviews and I don’t have my picture taken,” said Chapelier, whom we were able to speak with at the Peninsula Manila over French fries and halo-halo.
“You’re lucky that I am doing this interview. The last time I was in Manila was to play rugby in the 1970s,” he told us.

The company, which Chapelier founded in 1976, is based in Paris. The brand is very popular for its handbags, wallets, briefcases, backpacks and, of course, the two-toned totes.
In addition to nylon, Hervé Chapelier also makes a cordura version in camouflage and animal print.
The nylon tote, which has a large square bottom and a triangular body, is the most popular design because of its shape and light weight.

I appreciate many kinds of bags—from pricey to affordable. But one thing that is a deal breaker for me is that the bag itself can’t be heavy since I tend to carry my entire house except the kitchen sink.
If you’re like me, you’ll love the Chapelier totes. I love its bring-it-all appeal without looking like you’re carrying your whole house.

“Look at this,” says Chapelier, showing us a small sling bag that would be great if you are attending a music festival or concert and you can only carry your phone and some cash. “This is one of our bestsellers,” he adds.

The SM Aura store is now open and carries many styles and a wide array of combinations for the two-toned totes.
The bags are all manufactured in France. Because of this, they are pricier than your regular nylon tote.
“This is a good business strategy that costs us more but people really want bags that are made in France. They are willing to pay a premium for that,” said Chapelier.

Quick stop at SM Aura with (L-R) Carmela Baronia, Bernice Baculi and Steven Tan of SM Malls, Philippine franchise owners Eric Lee and Cheryl Lao-Lee, Mr. Hervé Chapelier, and Perkin So of SM Malls.

http://www.hervechapelier.com

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

What do you call people who love colorful stationery like I do?
I go crazy whenever I see a shop full of cute items.
As much as I love hoarding cute things, I also find joy in giving gifts in cute packages.
One thing I’ve noticed in Manila is the lack of cute wrapping papers and boxes. There’s a box store I sometimes go to at Rockwell but I find the shop girls so deadma and unfriendly, like you wonder if they missed lunch or something.
The boxes at National bookstore are more functional than anything, but good enough if you have a ton presents to wrap.
I am not fond of this box store in Mandaluyong. I understand they make a killing during Christmas, but the boxes there are really flimsy and cheap-looking. How I wish they would make boxes for people who are willing to pay for better quality. Also the shop girls, not very friendly.
So my favorite box store would have to be Muji for the kraft paper boxes.

Packaging is everything! If you’re going to give a nice present, you might as well pack them nicely.
Recently I found a source of cute boxes at SM department store in Megamall A, at the ground level.

All these boxes are sturdy and imported and cost more than your ordinary cardboard box. Expect to pay more than Php 100 each.

So pretty, you don’t have to use wrapping paper or ribbon

Found a couple of boxes that are Mich Dulce-approved

You have to check them out if you love giving gifts

and so much more.

Find them at the Gift Wrap section, ground level, SM Department Store at Megamall A.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Don’t panic. It’s not a collab.
To celebrate National Arts Month, Ayala Museum presents back-to-back exhibitions of two powerhouse figures in contemporary visual arts today: Zambales-based figurative painter Elmer Borlongan, and controversial Chinese multimedia artist/political activist Ai Weiwei.

In City and Country: Elmer Borlongan 1992-2012, will showcase the artistic contributions of the man fondly called ‘Emong,’ whose lifework is composed mainly of powerful portrayals of the destitute and neglected in Philippine society.

Opening the day immediately after is Ai Weiwei: Baby Formula, an art installation of 1,815 milk cans in the shape of the Chinese map, originally exhibited in Hong Kong in response to the growing issue of children’s milk safety in China.

Closeup of milk cans

Both Ai and Borlongan use art as a medium for social and political commentary.
Borlongan, who started painting during the Marcos era, was an active member of cause-oriented art collectives such as Artista ng Bayan (ABAY) and Salingpusa.
His paintings acknowledge the existence of various pedestrian characters in the Philippines, and recognize their loneliness, struggle, poverty, confusion, and resilience.
Effectively marrying style and satire in his art, Borlongan was awarded the Thirteen Artists Award by the CCP in 1994 for his contributions to Philippine modernism. He has also enjoyed travel grants to Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and other countries to exhibit his work there.

Ai created a buzz in international art news after boldly staging protests against the Chinese government and other cultural practices, mainly through art and communications via web and social networking sites.
The artist has produced installations, photographs, videos, performances, sculptures, and even Internet art that are always in response to pressing issues in Chinese society.
Through the help of artists and curators worldwide, the artist is able to exhibit internationally despite having his passport confiscated by the government and barring him from traveling abroad.

In City and Country, Elmer Borlongan 1992-2012, opens to the public from February 18 to April 6, 2014.
Ai Weiwei: Baby Formula, is on view from February 19 to March 16, 2014.
Ayala Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 AM to 6 PM.
For more information call (632) 759-8288, or email hello@ayalamuseum.org.

http://www.ayalamuseum.org

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

Aside from my favorite, deserted Puregold Jr. on Pioneer Street, the only other Puregold supermarket I’ve ever been to is on Shaw Boulevard.
I get to save a lot in that branch, but I avoid that place because of all the people—mostly store owners who buy wholesale. Imagine the lines.
Interior-wise, most Puregold stores are no-nonsense supermarkets like this old one on Commonwealth.

This customer service counter will take you back about ten years…

Well, Puregold isn’t just for time warps anymore, as they recently opened a more upscale store at Fairview Terraces in Quezon City.

My friend Rem and I got a special tour from Puregold recently.
Upon seeing the lights, Rem said, “Wow. Singapore!”

The new Puregold Terraces offers a saner shopping experience to Fairview residents who prefer quality and convenience. But don’t let the interiors scare you. Prices here are same as in other Puregold branches, though its focus is more on household use.

It has a wider assortment of imported and branded items, plus full fresh operations offering Australian beef, organic products, and wide selection of cheese.

For those who love spaghetti, worry not, they have Farmer Sanchez.

My friend Chuck swears by these Baygon dengue sprays. They are deadly!! You must plan to leave the premises after spraying. It will kill all mosquitoes and even pets! Keep away from children!! (I bought three.)

If size matters to you, they have large packages of household items

This means the branch stocks a very limited assortment of sachets.
But for small business owners, Puregold Terraces also has its own Tindahan ni Aling Puring for members who want to purchase wholesale.
The checkout counters are plenty and feature good design

We spotted Jessica Zafra hoarding cat food (surprise!!)

Finally, these guys brought our groceries to our car. If you’re shopping at Puregold or anywhere, make sure to bring your eco-bags. Most of the time I find that I’m the only one using eco-bags.

Thank you Puregold for the tour!
Puregold Fairview Terraces is at Quirino Highway corner Maligaya Drive, Novaliches, Quezon City.
Read about Jessica Zafra’s shopping experience HERE.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.

I dislike any form of online voting, but I couldn’t say no to Style Bible when they shortlisted me this time for Blogger of the Year 2013. And thanks to all who voted and persevered and a miracle, I won!!

I don’t believe in vote buying, but I believe in prizes and thank yous.
That’s why I’m giving away two wonderful phones from Samsung Philippines.
I personally love my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and don’t leave home without it. The Samsung Galaxy Mega is a larger device called a “phablet” (phone/tablet) which is similar to the Note 3, minus the S-pen tool.

If you don’t win a phone, eight of you can also win a pair of plush toys from Line, the Mobile messenger app with various stickers, plus free voice and video calls over 3G/4G & Wi-Fi.
Now please read carefully…

ELIGIBILITY
To win a phone, you must be able to pick up the prize at the Fort (my office) or a Pepper Lunch Shangri-La Plaza, Rockwell or Greenbelt.
To win a plush toy, you must have a Philippine address (I can ship them to you).

MECHANICS:
1) Must have a Philippine address.
2) Must have a Facebook or Twitter account.
3) Share this entry by clicking the Facebook or Twitter button below.
4) Register HERE.
5) Contest starts on February 12, 2014 and ends on February 15 at 11 PM.
6) There will be two winners of Samsung phones and eight winners of Line plush toys (two plush toys each).
7) Winners will be chosen via electronic raffle and posted here on Chuvaness.com.
8) Winners will be informed via email or text on how to receive their prizes.
9) Only one entry per person. Duplicate entries will be deleted.

Originally published at Chuvaness.com. You can comment here or there.