I've been looking all over Manila for Philippines fighting sticks, made from a special tropical…read morehardwood. I found them at Metro Department Store in Cebu, but figured they'd be just as easy to find in Manila. I'd been all over town, and finally found a beautiful set at Chris Sports. This is a small, but very complete sporting goods stores. The other ones I found were either outdoor gear or tennis shoes. And there were so many helpful employees, nine of them. Like I told them, in the US they'd be lucky to have 3 people working at a store of that size.

Toby's Sports is one of the biggest retailers of sporting goods in Metro Manila. You will find…read moretheir stores in leading shopping malls here in the big city. Whatever type of sports and fitness apparel or equipment you need, there's a big chance that you can find them at Toby's Sports, particularly in their big branches at SM Mall Of Asia and Glorietta. If you're a die-hard UAAP fan, you can also get genuine UAAP apparel and accessories from Toby's. My branch of choice is in SM Aura Premier. Although the store is smaller compared to other Toby's Sports branches, I like it here because the display racks are clearly organized by theme or sport. The last time I visited was when I bought swimming goggles for the summer. They have a wall of different types, brands, and colors of goggles. The choices can be a bit overwhelming. It's a good thing that a salesperson approached me and guided me on what type of goggles would best fit my needs.

You can buy everything inside a health store and you still wouldn't be healthy without exercise…read more And if you're not naturally athletic and the thought of free running is making your joints ache then it's best to buy equipment that will help you achieve your goal. Welcome to Toby's- your one-stop fitness store filled with the latest exercise equipment in Manila. I've made a little home gym from buying their merchandise and so far it's been a worthy investment. I have a couple of weights, a yoga mat, a medicine ball and boxing gloves all purchased at reasonable prices. I wish somebody would give me a P10,000 gift certificate in this store because there's so much here that I want to take home. (Okay, maybe I'm being cheap, let's raise it to P25,000) I don't know what else to say except that I hope my wish comes true because Toby's is great and I'm a fan.

This is yet another street in Manila with a special purpose. I recently discovered Bambang when my…read morebalikbayan friend asked me where to buy scrub suits for work (she's a nurse in the US). I volunteered to take her to Divisoria, but a friend of hers told her about Bambang, a street full of stores selling medical supplies and equipment. So off we went. The street of Bambang wasn't as busy as that of Divisoria, with fewer commercial establishments, but at the middle of the street is where you'll see the long line of stores selling different hospital supplies. The items there can go from brand new to second hand (I remember my hubby's comment about an old hospital bed, "Parang may namatay na dyan eh.") but all at a bargained price. My friend was so happy with her scrub suits in different colors and designs costing 300 pesos a pair (compared to a mall price of 700 pesos). What made the trip worthwhile for me were the nebulizers. For households with little kids, nebulizers are a must-have. But the most basic ones cost over two thousand pesos in malls and drug stores. In Bambang, you can get one for 850 pesos. Not bad, right? We have a big, heavy and durable nebulizer at home (costs over five-thousand bucks, a worthy investment though) but I'll probably be back soon to buy a more lightweight, travel-sized one.

Bambang Street was just a minute by foot from where I used to live. But I never realized the…read morepopularity of the place until I moved to Quezon City. My friends used to beg me to take them to that street where they can buy all the good ukay-ukay stuff. I was left puzzled not knowing what exactly they were talking about. Apparently, Bambang Street was an institution. Aside from discount stores with really good deals on some of the best branded items, Bambang also offers a wide array of medical supplies with stores located one after the other. Located so close to the street are plenty of public and private hospitals that can explain the influx of medical supplies and equipment. They also sell them in wholesale prices so you can be sure to get a good deal with anything you buy. Make sure though to take care of your belongings as it can get a little rowdy at times.

There are many stores that sell Li-Ning sporting goods, but I still like to visit their standalone…read moreshop in SM Mall of Asia. The store offers more choices. It's perfect for very finicky shoppers like me who want best performing shoes and apparel when playing badminton. Li-Ning satisfies my need for good quality sports products at affordable prices. I always look for good value for my money, especially when it comes to a hobby sport like badminton. I have tried other brands before, but I was not very happy with their performance. My first badminton training shoes were actually made by a well-known brand and, in just two months, the sole in one shoe decided to separate from its toe box, making it look like a huge flapping tongue whenever I took a step. Li-Ning has different equipment and accessories for many other sports like basketball, volleyball, and running. They also sell jerseys, jackets, and backpacks. But the only reason I visit their shop is to buy badminton training shoes, shuttles, and rackets. I got my two favorite badminton rackets from this store.

Staff at this branch are very helpful. Following you around the store asking you questions about…read moreevery item you take a look at. Selection is quite Nice to. They have a nice selection of workout gloves with wrist protection. They sell lower end versions of hayabusa boxing gloves.bulls boxing gloves and hand wraps. For any of you looking for training gear for basketball or soccer they have a wide variety of skillz gear. If you're in the area this is a good sports store. Small but has a good amount of gear

I started scaling mountains recently and I enjoyed the rush reaching the summit gave. It was really…read moreexhausting and physically demanding but I'm glad that I was able to survive. My companions for that trip were already experienced hikers and mountaineers. They all have their gear, clothing and equipment specifically prescribed for those kinds of activities. I was in a light shirt and board shorts. I got by but I knew I had to do about my wardrobe and my personal equipment should I choose to embark on a similar adventure which I probably would. I passed by Habagat yesterday and got the chance to make a checklist of the things I would probably need in future hikes. The sales people were very friendly and helpful in explaining the uses and benefits of the accessories and other paraphernalia that I wasn't familiar with. I got myself a versatile scarf and dry bag from the wide range of hiking and mountaineering equipment that store offers. I won't say that I'm now fully prepared for my next hike but at least I now know where to get the gear that I would need to make my experience easier and more enjoyable.

I've underestimated the importance of good, microfiber towels…read more A few Christmases ago I was gifted with an Aquazorb towel by one of my good friends. I was really, really pleased by its "performance". It's a microfiber towel so expect it to be way lighter than most towels, and it absorbs liquid very well. What's great about their towels is that they come in all sorts of sizes for various types of activities (i.e. yoga towels, beach towels). They are great for travel as well, because of being so lightweight. Their towels make me want to go out and get physical!... Okay too much enthusiasm. But really. I do need some sort of physical exercise to spice up my sedentary lifestyle. I used to be able to see this brand only at Rox at BGC, but I was so pleased to see that they've branched out to having several kiosks in major malls such as Megamall, and here in Glorietta.

Years ago, I attended a Christmas party with friends wherein we all had to bring a wrapped gift for…read morethe Kris Kringle game we were going to play. When all the wrapping paper was torn and all the gifts were exchanged, we all realized one thing - Aquazorb towels, in all colors and sizes, was the Kris Kingle Gift du Jour. And rightly so! I love Aquazorb towels and I have been a long time fan of the brand. Locally made, these lightweight and incredibly soft, quick-absorbing and fast-drying towels are the best things ever. Since they're so lightweight, you can fold them up and they won't take so much space in your bag. That's why they come along with me in every out-of-town trip I go to. Aquazorb towels are also available in different sizes - from the extra large to the normal-sized ones, to medium-sized ones that are perfect for the gym, to small facial or hand-towel sized ones. They've even got bathrobes and bath slippers too! I said it once and I'll say it again - Aquazorb towels are the best things ever!

In The Neighborhood,…read more In the neighborhood, it's sometimes difficult to find a music store with reliable supply of sturdy strings. Sometimes you find yourself missing a D string but don't exactly have a spare. I tried checking out the supply in RFC because theirs is the nearest, to no avail. RFC is great, don't get me wrong. But most of their stock is a blast from the past and most definitely outdated. I tried looking at the SM Center nearby, but they didn't have a music store at all. So I went and looked around the Las Pinas Starmall area. Lucky me, the Feelmore had some good enough stock of nylon strings. And they were on discount! I bought 2sets of course.

If you want to reenact that Tom Cruise rock climbing scene in Mission: Impossible 2, one possible…read moreway to do that is via wall climbing. We have to at least start with a harness and a belayer. Otherwise, we might fall to our untimely demise without those two important things. BaseKamp is stationed at the 5th floor of Market! Market! welcoming wall climbing hobbyists and enthusiasts. They offer lessons at P3500 for 9 sessions. It's 2 hours per session, so you'll really get those arms toned in no time. A single climb with a belayer is only P50. Imagine that! And I've always thought that this sport is expensive. For unlimited climbs for adults with belayer is P340; P140 without a belayer. They even encourage kids to try this sport out! If your child is between 7-13 years old, then he or she can try wall climbing already. An unlimited climb for kids without a belayer is P110 while with one, it's P310. It's also open from 12nn-9pm.