But now, there seems to be a wind of change! ;-) I joined an online contest HERE and guess what -- I was the 11th person that won! There were only supposed to be 10 but yes, as luck would have it, they made it 11 and I was the 11th! ;-) It's not a huge prize but really, there's nothing better than getting free stuff! ESPECIALLY when the free gift that you're getting is as informative and useful as the one that I got.
I'm talking about a book -- a local publication called "Insider Picks: Manila by Day." I've seen it at bookstores before but even with the bright orange color, the book just wasn't as inviting. I didn't really pay much attention to it, especially when the copies I found at Fully Booked or Powerbooks were all sealed. I couldn't even take a peek! Anyway, it retails for 495 pesos. After having skimmed through it, frankly, I think the book should cost more! ;-)
My prize (the book!) was couriered to me last Saturday. I haven't read it page by page but I was able to skim through it. And let me tell you, this is one book that every household should have. It's perfect for those who:
- are spendthrifts and would like to get value for their money (isn't that everyone?)
- often have 'emergency' parties and get togethers at their places
- are sick of malls as shopping destinations
- don't have a directory of reliable shops and service providers and would like to find 'sukis'
- are in need of ideas of exciting places to go and activities to do with a significant other or the whole family
- would like to take classes (be it dance classes or photography or those centered on outdoor activities) to develop themselves but don't know where and how to start
- have a sweet tooth and would like to be introduced to great finds from unknown home bakers in the city
- enjoy online shopping and bargain/outlet store shopping and would like to be informed of hole-in-the-wall places to go for unique finds.
Well, frankly, the list just goes on and on. These are some of the things that made my heart skip a beat when I browsed through the book. Did you know that there's a Schu Factory outlet store that sells their shoes at 50-70% off right in the heart of Makati??!?? Who knew that there's a place in the netro that provides sabre fencing lessons? And for only 1,700 pesos per month at that! Ooooh, and did you know that there are four shops all over Manila that sell Ikea items? As for restaurants, are you aware that an Italian-Filipino fusion restaurant exists here in Manila? Yes, believe it, there's one over at BF Homes called Chi's Oven Baked Kitchen. And from the blurb on the restaurant, it says that they serve, prepare for this: pizzas topped with balut! For non-Filipino readers, 'balut' is a fertilized duck egg (embryo) that's a delicacy here in Southeast Asia. There's a ton more of these type of interesting places listed in the book. I think it's the only Manila guide/directory that I'll ever need. Each entry has the name of the place, a description and examples of services/items that they provide, an idea of price range, the address, phone number, email, and in most cases, the website too. Forget online research. It's all here. ;-)
Interested? Copies of "Manila By Day" are sold everywhere. But I found a whole table display and piles and piles of this book over at Fully Booked at Rockwell. That's if you're interested in buying in bulk. ;-) Otherwise, single copies should be available at any National Bookstore, Powerbooks, A Different Bookstore, and of course, Fully Booked branches.
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