It looks like a beautiful businessI can't wait to go there to see it and November I'm coming to the…read morePhilippines in November

I love how Greenhills can still somehow surprise you even though you've spent a good time of your…read morelife there and seen it grow. There are stores there that you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, and one day you'll just be walking along, getting lost in Shoppesville and you chance upon a dollar store, and you think nothing of it, until you go in and have your life changed. A dollar store in America is much like the Daiso and Saizen here, except of course a dollar is cheaper than th P66 or P88 you shell out for an item in these stores. While similar in concept, the stuff here isn't exactly ridiculous low-priced, just that they're American imports. A lot of them are stuff you'd easily get here in the country, of course, but you'd come upon a few that are more hard to find, and one of those are STARBURST CANDIES! I love Starburst. They were my friend when I was in the US riding the subway or getting lost and feeling like a complete foreigner. I sometimes have dreams about Starburst. And I was over the freaking moon that the store carried them in a bunch of different varieties, so I snatched one up (I regret not buying more) and had it rung up at the register. They have other things too, like curiously cheap trail mixes, cereal, dog accessories, shampoos, cosmetics, detergent, and so much more stuff. But I'll only come back here for the Starburst.

A few years ago, due to humongous losses from prolific counterfeiting of Levi's Jeans, the Levi's…read morebrand's main offices, factory, and warehouse in Pasong Tamo Extension closed down. They were at a large lot right across a long-abandoned building, which is now Alphaland Mall. Why is this important? Well, that was where you could go to buy original Levi's jeans and apparel at criminally huge discounts. Not as cheap as the counterfeits, but these were originals, and were worth having. Those days are gone. Or are they? Thankfully, original Levi's jeans, apparel, accessories, and yes, even Levi's Dockers pants and shirts can be had at factory outlet prices, at--- you guessed it, a Levi's Factory Outlet. Ironically it's right at the mall that's across the street from where Levi's warehouse and offices used to be. Up in the second floor of Alphaland Mall is where you'll find the store. The store is staffed usually by a couple of dudes who look like they moonlight as bouncers (and maybe they do!). I was pleased to discover they're the gentle sort, and the curious thing is, these "bouncers" are actually pretty good um... "seamsters"(?) as well (more on that shortly) The store does live up to its "factory outlet-ness" since it's full of different Levi's jeans in all sorts of sizes, colors, and styles, usually at 50-70% off the original price. Some of the sizes may be a tad large for the average person, so you'll have to make alterations... but where? Right at the store, where else! For a measly P100, you can have your pants and jeans' hems shortened to the right length. I'm not sure if they can make more complicated alterations, but you'll be pleased to know that they will do alterations on jeans and pants that are NOT a pair of Levi's or Dockers. All it takes is ten minutes, because usually there aren't that many people having alterations done, which is kinda unfortunate, since they do a decent job for a rock-bottom price. I'm no "fashionista" or whatever you call it, just don't expect the styles to be the latest ones you'll see in mainstream Levi's outlets. You may also have to dig a bit for the size and style you're looking for, but at P1600 to P1900 for original Levi's 501 Button-fly jeans, the effort should be worth it.

Like Japan Home Center, you can find anything and everything you're looking for in American Bazaar…read more But this time, yup, they sell American brands - for a really cheap price! Their price point ranges from 88 pesos to 66 pesos and this store is one of the stores I frequent when I need to restock office supplies, home supplies, gardening supplies or cooking and baking supplies. I'm a big fan of their hair accessories and their hair dyes. Sometimes I also buy their cocoa butter lotion - it's really good. I love how a lot of their products come in big sizes so you really know that you're saving a ton of money for something inexpensive that will last you a long time. Another tip is, if you're having a children's party or a simple party (nothing fancy) and you need props, food supplies and toys, you can definitely see a lot of choices from American Bazaar. Heck, you can buy all your party needs there. Well, except for food and drinks that is.

Just the place to get some bargain knock offs! Yep, I'm cheap. Everyone's respectful and no one…read morepushes their stuff on to you. Just check them out and get only what you want.

Over the years, Tumblr users have skyrocketed. It's so popular that a lot of kids, teens and hip…read moreyuppies get inspiration from Tumblr blogs. May it be photography, quotes, memes, gifs, art, pop culture, style and most especially fashion. My friend actually introduced my sister and I to Fashion Market. After learning about it, we go there every time were at this mall. Fashion Market is split into 2 sides on the mall - the left and the right. I suggest going through all stores. It can take hours though, haha, but you won't regret it. They have every style and trend you'd typically see on Tumblr, fashion blogs, Youtube beauty channels and fashion week! Inside, you'll also find spas, salons, money changers and ATM's. The prices range from super inexpensive to normal clothing price rates. A lot of stores sell super hip shoes, clothes, hats, shades and even prom dresses and traditional Filipino costumes. Definitely check out these stores I frequent when you're there - (right side) Push Thru, Mastermind Chase and Muradito, (left side) Nava, Berca and Ballow. Happy shopping! :)

Most of the reviews here are on the pet center or the other divisions of the market, i.e. the one…read morewith shoes, the one with clothing overruns, the one with secondhand appliances, the one with bicycles, the one with gardening stuff, etc. Those are all well and good, but what I love about the Cartimar Market is their food. Seriously, where else can you get authentic Thai food for less than a hundred pesos? Sen Lek Thai in the foodcourt is one of the best Thai places I've tried. If you're more into Korean food, Arisoo is a restaurant towards the back that I was also able. My favorite though is the cold taho at one of the Japanese groceries here, I forget the name. It's basically cold taho with toppings of your choice, for around fifty pesos for a big bowl. It's my secret pick me up. Don't tell anyone, okay?

I consider Cartimar Market to be one of the more underrated places in the metro. A lot of people…read moreknow about the pet center here, which is also what drew me to the place in the first place, but once you go past that, you'll see that it has a whole lot more to offer. It's not a market in the usual sense. I haven't seen any wet produce like meat or fish, though I'm sure there's an area in there somewhere. What I have seen are stores selling clothing - mostly overruns or surpluses of major brands, stores selling shoes, stores selling appliances, and stores selling miscellaneous items like mason jars and the like. You also have, of course, the pet center, and the SM supermarket. The best part, I think, are the foreign groceries where you can get Japanese or Korean ingredients dirt-cheap.

If you're not one to brave the heat and the sticky crowds that come with it, you should consider…read more999 Mall. I actually can't tell it apart from 168 Mall, as they both look the same inside (I mean... really). You can mostly get a lot of the same things you can get at 168 here. But what makes it convenient is that I find this place easier to go to, and it's beside Lucky Chinatown Mall. You know, you window shop at Lucky Chinatown, then buy the actual goods here or at 168. This place also has less people than 168 mall, which makes this place more comfortable to shop at in terms of temperature and.. err..walkability. If you're bringing foreigners along to do some shopping, this might be less-traumatic for them. But, as far as merchandise goes, if you're shopping specifically for fashion, I do find that there are more, better choices at 168. 999 Mall does have some good fashion finds, but they are few and far between. As for food options, I'm vegan, so there's nothing to eat here except fries, coffee, juice... Actually, there's a GREAT vegan place if you head straight away from the malls and crowds towards the quieter side of Soler St. It's called Green Planet Vegetarian, and it's a must-try (even omnivores will approve!).

A bussling chaotic go-go place that somehow still manages to function, but that is how things work…read morein the Philippines. Just doesn't rate close to the order/organization of the clothing district in Taipei, for instance, but one can find great deals here: in our opinion, go here mostly for the Bangladeshi branded over-runs in t-shirts, polo shirts, shorts, denims, etc. But pay attention to quality? Is similar to the bargain markets in 168, 1188, QQ, Taytay, and Baclaran: if you do pay attention to quality - seam stitching, workmanship faults, material softness and thickness, print design - can get great deals here that easily outmatch SM, Robinson's and Ayala operations that have such high overheads that they are only kept open by deceiving the buying public! Also have many Chinese and Pinoy muslim shops, but not at all attractive to us. Check 999 out?

I always knew that Starmall EDSA-Shaw is a good place to hunt for bargain items. But it's only…read morerecently that I discovered Japan Selection on the second floor. At first glance, the store looked like just any ordinary thrift shop selling Japan-made goods. Look closer, or better yet get inside, and you will see that they are more than just the usual stocks of cookware, kitchen gadgets, chopsticks, Lucky (or Pocky) biscuit sticks, and whatnots from the land of the rising sun. They sell second-hand appliances on an 'as is, where is' basis. This means they will test the appliance you want to buy in the store. But if it doesn't work later when you bring it home, you can't claim a refund. They also have pre-owned baby strollers and other baby furniture. Heck, they even have used surfboards. What really lured me to the place was the stacks of original Japanese manga comics, many of them are Naruto. I was giddy because my cousin who's learning how to read and write Japanese can now spice up his studies by reading one of his favorite manga/anime series in its original language. Without hesitation, I grabbed three books to buy. Right across the manga section was the used toy shelves. Here, I found countless Ultraman figures, diecast cars, robots, and baby toys. Clumsy me grazed one of the items on a shelf and it fell with a beautiful percussive sound. When I picked it up, I realized that it was a bamboo baby rattle. I bought it for twenty bucks to use as decoration at home. The only downside to Japan Selections is their dusty, topsy-turvy store. If you suffer from asthma, better stay out.

Ahhh, Japan Home Center, the land of the 3C's - cheap, cool and captivating. Cheap because…read moreeverything is P88 or P66...around $2 or less. That's a steal! Cool because you can literally find anything you'd ever need for your house, room, classes or work. Captivating because they sell a wide array of things that you would think is only a want but it's actually a need. I can't just go inside the store and not buy anything. Sometimes I buy a lot - pet accessories, neck ties, baking items, toys...but it never bothers me because I love everything I buy and again, they're so cheap! Also, a great tip if you're on a very tight budget for buying gifts on friendship day or gifts for any occasion really, is buying your presents here. Seriously, they may be cheap but a lot of the stuff don't look cheap. There was even this one time, I think I reached P1000+ on my purchases and they had this promo that if you reach 1k, you'd get a free vase or something in the lines of...a vase would be around half the price. Of course I accepted the promo with open arms. They had great vases! And my parents' anniversary was coming up so I got them a vase I thought they would like and they did! This my friends, is called smart shopping. Learn it, love it, live it. :)

I have a love hate relationship with this store…read more Their items go for cheap prices which I really love. And they always have something that I need. I have found kitchenware, bags, umbrellas, items for my pets and Hello Kitty things. There are times when they have book covers made out of cloth and liners for my shelves. The quality is rather okay considering the cheap prices. I mean, don't expect something that costs Php88 to last you for an eternity. It's my go to place when I need something right away and I don't have much money to splurge on the item. So why do I hate this store? Because the items are so cheap I end up buying things that I don't need. Not the store's fault really.

There are just some places that are pretty fun to roam around even if you don't necessarily buy…read moresomething. There are also places that you know you enter, you don't really plan on buying anything, but boom there you are 20 minutes later with a plastic water jug on hand. It's a place that kind of appeals to your hoarder tendencies and makes you think if hmmm, maybe I need a new toothbrush holder! Daiso is pretty much that for me. It's a Japanese store that sells pretty random items, but they have a lot assorted home and school items. What makes Daiso very compelling for me is the fact that the items they sell are cheap. Rarely do the items go above P100 bucks. And honestly, the items seem so useful at the time. I mean an organization tray always seem useful, and they have loads of that. Oh, my weaknesses.

Daiso has over 100,000 goods, wot?!!! Well not in this store, but all their hundreds of stores…read moreworldwide. Therefore you never really know what to expect here. You can't rely on the fact that if you buy something here, and you come back for some more, the items will still be there. That is not the case. It is really just a place you visit when you have a bit of cash left to spend and you are looking for some useful kitchen stuff or funny japanese items. Also if you are looking for something in specific e.g. a neck pillow, just start your search here and if they don't have it here move on. Daiso always surprises you, I guess that's the fun part. I don't like to be surprised at the check out counter though, so they should make the prices more clearly visible. This store is generally neat and well maintained, unlike other daiso outlets.

When I stumbled upon the Daiso Japan store in Glorietta 3 a few months ago, I couldn't contain my…read moresurprise. "Finally!," I thought. Perhaps its area also doesn't do the store a lot of justice since it's in a part of the mall that doesn't really attract a lot of foot traffic (bridge way from Glorietta 4 to Glorietta 2). But I was glad I saw and I so entered the store with excitement. One can't help but feel overwhelmed with the rows upon rows of objects stacked high until the ceiling. From office supplies to kitchenware, cleaning supplies to gardening tools, make-up and skincare, snacks, and everything in between - Daiso really has it all. Perhaps you're not even sure what you're looking for, but for sure, Daiso has it. What's great about the discount store is that everything starts at Php 88. With that in mind, I grabbed everything I needed (and also didn't need), and left a happy (albeit a little poorer) shopper.

I love Daiso! They have things that you didn't even know you needed, but things that you want -…read morebecause it's either really cool, cute, or cheap! This is a pretty sizable outlet, and unlike the other outlets, has a lot of space to walk around and the shelves are organized pretty well. There are lots of kitchen items here - ranging from glassware to plates to cutlery to measuring cups and even kitchen utensils and tools. I also love that there are some cheap Japanese snacks to purchase here. It's not of the absolute best quality, but it'll do for the price that you're paying. If you need to get anything for the office or events, you'll be sure to find what you need here. They have lots of stationary and little gifts and even craft items too! It's really a one-stop shop! Love it.