Mommy Pehpot, Author at Mommy Pehpot

7 Reasons Why I Hate Going To Quiapo

In a span of one week, 3 times ako nag may I sugod sa Quiapo..

1st sugod to buy ate’s wedding ring and to get my camera from Mayer’s (pinalinis ko kase last February).
2nd sugod, binalikan ko ang camera kase hindi pa daw gawa.. waah 3 months un! and at the same time, nagpagawa na din ako ng salamin..
3rd sugod, binalikan ko ung pinagawa kong salamin kase hindi natapos nung 2nd trip ko.

And during those 3 may I sugod eksena, I realized, FINALLY! that I really hate going to Quiapo! Here are the 7 reasons why I hate going to Quiapo.. (makikiuso lang ala viral nova LOL)

New Sin Kian Heng Quiapo — New Sin Kian Heng

1. New Sin Kian Heng. Is there any other place that offers Kitchen Aide Artisan Mixer 4.8 L for as low as 18,000 PhP? Wala na! And other than that, New Sin Kian Heng is home to many cooking wares you suddenly realized you need! I will never set foot on this store again..err not unless I have at least 20K PhP to spend freely woohooo!

2. Killion. If New Sin Kian Heng is cooking and baking wares heaven, Killion is cooking and baking ingredients heaven! 1 Kilo of flour is only 50PhP! The last time I was there, wala naman talaga ako balak bilhin eh, pero bumili pa din ako ng worth 1000PhP goodies..san ko gagamitin iyon? Mayroon talagang centralized hypnotism na nangyayari sa Quiapo eh.. para lahat ng tao dun mamili lang ng mamili!

Excelente Ham Quiapo — Excelente Ham in Quiapo

3. Excelente Ham. Overheard from a buyer at Excelente: “sabi ko sa inyo pag punta natin dito, iwasan natin ang Excelente.. tukso dito eh”

Indeed! I end up buying 1 kilo of scraps, 1 kilo of ham and 1 kilo tapa! For Excelente Ham prices, check out the photo above.

Gold in Binondo how much — Binondo Gold Store

4. Gold. I would like to think that this area is still part of Quiapo, after all, kaunting kembot lang ito from Quiapo church. This is Binondo na ba? Anyways, this is the side of Sta Cruz church. Forgot to ask how much a gram of gold is.. but we got my sister’s wedding ring for 1200 PhP (not the sangla able kind but it’s really nice..not cheap looking). Most of Sati’s earrings are from that area.. these kinds of earrings are usually sold at 500 PHP each (buy one take one, so that’s 250 PhP each) but don’t be fooled by that, you can buy earrings for as low as 150 each. Tumawad ka lang ng tumawad, bibigay din yan.. pag ayaw pumayag, lipat ka sa ibang tindahan 🙂

5. Cheap eyeglasses. Can you guess how much the eyeglasses on the photo is?*

Quiapo is home to cheap eyeglasses (doon ang gawaan ng mga lens at wholesale price ang frames)! So if you have an eye problem, I suggest not to go here, you’ll end up buying 2 pairs! And it won’t even cost the same as the one you got from your optical shop at the mall.

But if you still want to try, here’s how the sop in eyeglasses shopping

Look for a lens maker and ask where to find the cheapest frame
Cheapest means frame for as low as 175 PhP!
Lens maker will accompany you to an optical shop (you need to pay 100 PhP) for your eye grade
Choose your lens! (Multi coated processed lens>> ung sobrang taas na ng grado is 700 PhP.. isipin mo na lang kung gaano yan kamura kung mas mababa ang grado)

Where to buy the cheapest frame? Direction and location here

6. Where to eat? Binondo, which is a stone away (or a pedicab away, for motorized pedicab> 70 per ride, 50 for padyaks) from Quiapo is home to many many many authentic Chinese restaurants.. eherm hahaha

So where to eat? Wai Ying? Quick Snack, Estero, Shin Tai Shang, President’s Grand Palace? saan paaaaa?!?

But don’t forget to try cold milk tea ha 🙂

7. Last on my list.. PASALUBONG!! Hopia? where to buy the best Hopia? Sawa na sa Eng Bee Tin? Try Ho-Land Hopia or the Chinese Hopia on the photo above. Darling Biscuits is hopia with kundol as fillings.. hang sarap!!!!!!

How about fried siopao? frozen wanton, frozen siomai? or how about Lord’s Stow egg tart? Haven’t tried? Huwag mo ng subukan, nakaadik!

BUT!!! even with those hate and the 7 reasons.. pupunta pa din ako ng Quiapo!!! I can’t help it eh hahaha but this time I’ll make sure na may milyones ako sa bulsa LOL hahaha

Meron pa pala! Where to buy cheap kiddie bike in the Philippines? Sa Quiapo pa din!

Menthol-riffic!

still trying to figure out where to start or how to bring back my blogging mojo.. so many things happened..pagkatapos magkasakit ng mga bagets, ako naman ang sumunod.. at kahit hindi pa ako magaling, may I sugod sa Quiapo at Divi ang drama ko for my ate’s wedding.. so while I try to re organize my thoughts, calendar and physical health, here are some of the things I bought in Quiapo.. err Binondo to be exact:

Yes, there’s a few drops of Chinese blood on my veins but it’s not what influenced me to be dependent to menthol and ointments. I got it from my mom who loves anything alternative medicine hehe (acupuncture, moxibustion and the use of food supplements).

These 4 are always present in our medicine cabinet and each one has a purpose..uhhm well for me.. each one has its own “expertise”.

Let’s start with the more popular menthol, Vicks VapoRub. I have a confession to make..there was a time in my life that I can’t live er sleep without a rub of Vicks. It was during my college years and Vicks kinda treats my home sickness.. Actually until now, if I am super duper stressed, I still need some help from my menthol friends to fall asleep. Other than that, we use Vicks to treat colds, coughs and ease pain from tonsillitis.

Vicks VapoRub can also be used as steam to temporary relief from colds or clogged nose. To use as steam, partly fill a bowl of steaming water, add 2 teaspoonfuls of Vicks VapoRub and inhale the steam.

Polar Bear is next because as far as I can remember, this menthol has been with my family..giving us comfort from stomach pain and travel sickness (even morning sickness!). My mom would put two drops of Polar Bear to a cup of hot water and will drink it like a tea.. best treatment for flatulence hehe

According to the Tsinoy where I bought Polar Bear, this menthol is for China where as White Flower is used in HongKong. Also, be careful in buying Polar Bear, only buy at Binondo where you can be sure that you’re buying the original one. Original Polar Bear is distributed by Tekson Marketing here in the Philippines.

White Flower.. can’t remember when it was introduced to me but since then, we never run out of this flower. Since White Flower is a very strong oil, I use this to treat head ache.. like extreme headache or the migraine kind of head ache.. or the kind of head ache that makes you want to cut your head off.. Put a little near your eyes and a lot on your forehead and you’ll definitely feel a sudden relief from that kind of head ache.

White Flower is also used for cold, flu and muscular pain. It can also be applied to insect and mosquito bites and used for travel sickness.

Last one.. which I only discovered this year, is Tiger Balm… ay I love the smell of this one.. I use this pag bahong baho ako sa paligid ko LOL Tiger Balm is best used for muscle pain.. instant relief mga teh! The only downside.. kumukulay sya sa damit!

Tiger Balm is from Singapore pala.. and can also be used for itchiness and insect bites.. my sister pointed out that it smells like Betet.. it’s another menthol ointment (from Malaysia naman)..well, not to me.. Tiger Balm smells waaay better than Betet.

Price List! (from Binondo, magtanong tanong muna kayo ha, kase ung nabilhan kong tindahan sa Binondo medyo mahal eh haha):

White Flower 10 ml 140 PhP
Polar Bear 55 PhP
Vicks VapoRub 135 PhP
Tiger Balm 95 PhP (as low as 75 PhP)

All these menthol pala is available din in Mercury Drugstore, not sure lang if it is cheaper in Binondo or not 🙂

Do you love using menthol or Chinese ointments too? Tell me what’s your favorite!

Practical Tips For A Hassle-free Family Vacation

Going on holiday with your family is all about having a good time together. But let’s face it; travelling with your kids can be stressful. Wherever you choose to go out of the many available family holiday destinations, there are a few things you can do to minimise the headaches of a family vacation.

Go all-inclusive

One way to reduce the stress of a family holiday is to not have to worry about keeping track of the costs as you go along. Cheap all inclusive holidays are ideal options for vacationers who want to achieve ahassle-free and fun family getaway. With an all-inclusive trip, you pay one price upfront and all your accommodation and meals are included. The price can also include activities and excursions.

Get your medical details sorted

At least two months prior to your trip, go and see your family GP. Explain your plans and ask for advice. You may need to get some vaccinations or get extra prescriptions for medications. If your child has an allergy, it is a good idea to print out a card that specifies the allergies, in case you do need to seek medical attention while away.

Prepare the kids

Talk to the kids in the weeks before you trip to prepare them for what’s to come. This could involve looking at maps or researching the animal life in your destination. You could also try cooking them similar cuisine to that which they’ll taste on holiday. Another good idea is to have the children start a holiday journal. This gives them something to do on planes, in cars and when you just want some downtime – it also makes for a great memento.

Book flights wisely

If possible book night flights so that you will be in transit when your children are normally asleep. This not only helps keep them calm on the flight, but reduces the impact of jetlag when you arrive. Avoid stopovers as well, so you are not hanging around an airport for too long getting bored.

Pack light

Remember that you’ll have to look after the kids’ luggage as well as your own, so pack light. Get them to choose one toy to take on the ‘adventure’, so you don’t have to lug a whole menagerie around with you.

Family holidays are fun. But they also have their own particular stresses. Use the tips above to keep them to a minimum and you and your family will be able to enjoy your vacation to the max.