Time to Get Your Groupon!

Seriously, this concept is sheer brilliance.  The basic premise is that there’s a daily deal at a significant discount that only becomes redeemable if enough people sign up to get it on that day.

• It’s Ideal for businesses because they’re guaranteed a certain amount of new customers and can also manage their break-even point.
• It’s Ideal for customers because they leverage the power of a group discount and get the best price possible.
• And it’s Ideal for Groupon because if the customers want the deal bad enough, they’ll promote it via social media channels to get friends to buy in, effectively spreading the word about Groupon in the process.

Are you seeing the brilliance yet?  Seriously, I wish I would have thought of it.  Here’s the best news, it’s available in over 50 US cities and one new international location: London!  Just go to GROUPON.COM to sign up to get an email letting you know what the daily deal is.  Note: Groupons can also be gifted to loved ones for future purchases.

Restaurants, Theatres, Spas, Stores – all these experiences are yours for the buying!  To date, over 2.3 million Groupons have been sold for a combined savings of $109 million.  If you’re ready to get in on the Groupon action, check out this 2 minute video to learn how the process works:

The Ralph Lauren of Pearls

After purchasing 5 sets of pearls for friends and family, I just couldn’t resist anymore.  The pearls were calling to me.  But not just ANY pearls, the Ralph Lauren set of Pearls… And by Ralph Lauren I’m not referring to cost (they were actually quite reasonable around $40), I’m referring to VERSATILITY.  Like any good set of pearls, you can showcase these pearls with the perfect suit or evening gown.  But the unique thing about the “Ralph Lauren” style is that they can be dressed down and look just as good with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt!  The perfect pearls, in my mind!

What makes them so versatile is that they can pick up any color in an outfit.  They are essentially an irridescent black with hints of purple, blue, green and pink.  Even in the two photographs I shot, they appear to be completely different colors.  That’s what makes them so fun!  I think I had known for awhile that this would be my first set ever since I laid eyes on them back in August.  It was just a matter of time…

The other part that makes me feel good is that I purchased them from Dam Good Stuff, a livelihood project that provides for families who were displaced from there homes when a dam was installed in the Pangasinan area 200 km north of Metro Manila.  Seems like a win-win situation to me!

Christmas Shopping, Manila-style!

Manila is big on bazaars.  There is always one a month for the American Women’s Club of the Philippines.  The US Embassy Club does 2 annually as well.  And then there’s the myriad of church and local bazaars that spring up in other locales… point being that bazaar shopping is plentiful and the way to go.  It’s less expensive than mall shopping and more convenient for most.  I’ve learned that it’s best to attack the bazaar with a fierce, warrior-like mentality and a thorough, detailed list.  I’m getting so intense that I won’t even stop to chat – I’m on a mission…

As the holidays get closer, the bazaars get bigger.  The one that I went to this week was the biggest yet, filling the entire Philippines World Trade Center.  Despite still being on the mend after being sick, I was determined to get my Xmas shopping done (update: about 70% there).  Here’s a sampling of the beautiful wares that showed up this month at the bazaar.

A wider selection of photos can be see at SMUGMUG!

A Childhood Wish Come True OR Sarah Gets Her Chaise!

Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness!!  I FINALLY got the one thing that I’ve been pining my whole life for (besides a husband and a blow-out wedding).  I wanted what every little girl dreams of — a chaise lounge, of course!  I can pinpoint the exact moment I first saw one.  I was around the age of 10 on a family vacation in Duluth.  We were visiting the Glensheen Mansion (shout out to my good friend Christina, who lives a few blocks away!)  and were in one of the bedrooms of the Congdon girls (note: if you go visit, they’re not allowed to talk about the murder that happened there) when I saw my first fainting couch.

And so my obsession with chaise lounges began.  I started collecting pictures of chaises in all shapes and sizes.  Some dainty, some robust, all upholstered.  The piece never fit in any of my prior residences, so I just put the dream on hold.  But then we arrived in Manila and the room was just calling for something more – a regal throne to recline in and view the grand city, so to speak.  And I knew it was time.

Now, the worst thing one could do was rush out and buy any old chair.  No, no, I would not have regret taint this experience.  I started slowly, negotiating a budget with the hubby.  I did online research, looking into some of the current styles and thinking about what would work in this space (as well as many others ahead).  I also wanted to give it a flair that was unique to the Philippines, so I chose to go with a Rattan style.  Next up was interviewing potential manufacturers.  There were two strong front-runners that I felt confident could pull it off.  I worked with a designer to identify the exact shape and dimensions I wanted and they sketched a concept (see below).

We were in business!  For those of you in Manila, the two designers were Las Palmas Furniture Inc with a showroom in Salcedo Village and JNC Rattan with a showroom in Market Market at the Fort.  Here’s the design we came up with.

Rattan actually ended up being a bit too thick for the piece.  It would have worked well for an outdoor piece but was too chunky for a project like this.  Instead I chose abaca, a variation of rattan that is indigenous to the Philippines.  (Fun fact: Back when I worked in the gifts department at Target, all of our baskets came from the Philippines and most were made of this fiber!)  With a mid-range gloss to finish, it had the perfect look that I wanted.

The base cushion is designed loose so that it can easily be washed.  I also chose a more durable cotton fiber to account for wear over time.  At the end of the day, I went with JNC as the vendor as they came in at $600 and Las Palmas was closer to $1000.  Las Palmas quality was exceptional and I know it would have been a superb product… I’m just getting used to paying less here.  Happily, JNC created a wonderful product and delivered it free of charge too!  And now, all that’s left for me to do is sit in my chair and gaze out the window at the city planning what exciting project there is to conquer next.  Do be sure and stop by and try it out – but I’m warning you, pretty soon you’ll want one too!

 

S & R Warehouse: My Costco away from Home

So for weeks and weeks I’ve been hearing about this S&R place.  People would RAVE on and on about it and I was getting a bit tired of not knowing what all the hype was about.  So last weekend we had an Embassy car and driver (they allow you two loan periods of 3 hours until your car arrives).  Nick and I decided that it was time  – we would venture in to S&R!  It felt like this big production… but boy oh boy did we have a blast during our 2 hours there.

It looked and felt just like a Costco.  Same layout, same types of products.  Even a concession stand serving cheap pizza and ice cream.  I was in heaven!  80% imported American products – the unfortunate part is that you’re going to pay to have them.  I’d say on average most things were 30% higher than what it’d be priced in the USA.  Blue Bunny ice cream was $6 for a half gallon (I bought 3!) and our ironing board was $50.  I think the consensus in the embassy community though is that it’s okay to spend a bit more once and awhile to get exactly what you want!  There is something wonderfully comforting about having YOUR brand product every once and awhile versus the local equivalent.

There were some nice upsides to this experience though – far less traffic than a typical warehouse store in the US.  And no wait in the check-out lines (thank goodness for an abundance of labor).  Also, in the clothing section they featured overruns of American brands that were produced in the Philippines.  Nick got a Ralph Lauren Polo shirt for $10 (it still had the manufacturer’s tag with $75 on it).  And in the food area, you don’t have to buy in bulk.  You’re allowed to break open cases and just buy small quantities – a very nice thing for our family unit of 2!

And so I’ve been introduced to yet another fabulous resource that makes my life in Manila more comfortable.  I am well aware of the fact that we are being spoiled ridiculously here and will never have so many Western conveniences at our future posts.  I plan on enjoying it while it lasts though!

My First AWCP Bazaar

It’s a big week, activity-wise.  In typical Sarah fashion, I’ve decided to plunge right in.  Be sure and check back in a month – I’m sure I’ll be totally overwhelmed.  On Wednesday I  have my first meeting for the American Women’s Club of the Philippines.  I’m so pumped!  They’re all about 3 things – Charitable projects, Networking and Socializing.  Lucky for me that those are 3 of my favorite things too!

Each month the American Women’s Club of the Philipppines (AWCP) puts on a charitable bazaar, showcasing products from local merchants.  My new friend Beth convinced me to go this morning, suggesting that I get an idea of the kinds of goods sold (for holiday presents) and meet some members of AWCP in advance of the meeting.  Let me tell you, this is THE EXPAT spot to be.  Not just Americans either, but expats from all over.  Even though shopping was the main draw, you could tell that the event was just as much about socializing with the person you hadn’t seen in 30 days.  Suffice to say, I fit right in.  Beth brought me around and introduced me to other Embassy folk while we perused the wares.  I wasn’t feeling ready to buy things yet, so I just scouted everything out to see what I want to get next month.  Good stuff…

The Bazaar took place in the Trade Center, a large convention-center facility.  The vendors were primarily selling jewelry, food, clothing and housewares.  What amused me most is that many of the clothing vendors were selling over-runs of US brands that are produced in the Philippines.  In my brief time looking through the racks I saw BCBG, MaxMara, Macy’s brand Alfani and Abercrombie.  Kind of fun to see because I’m assuming that they are this season’s clothes.  Prices were a bit higher than average but since it supports charity that didn’t seem to bother people.  There’s also a $2 admission fee, so that keeps the pick-pockets out.  For those of you planning to visit, you may want to make sure your trip falls on a week when there is a Bazaar.  This is definitely the way to shop!

Greenbelt Mall, my beloved second home…

Since my posting got a bit wordy yesterday, I’ll keep it more succinct today.  Just wanted to introduce you to my second home (AND NO, it’s not Starbucks)!  I am priveledged enough to live right next to a fantastic mall called Greenbelt.  Being that I visit her religiously EVERY DAY, I thought it’s about time that you met.  I’ll just highlight her best features and leave the SMUGMUG gallery to show the rest!

There are 5 parts to Greenbelt (GB 1, 2,3, 4, and 5 – very creative, I know!).  The Ayala mall is adjacent and has 100′s more stores but I never venture there because Greenbelt has met all of my needs thus far.  GB 1 has a movie theater, a regular perfomance theatre, a hardware store, internet cafe, grocery store, spa and drug store.  It’s main focus is on household and electronic goods.  It’s my practical go-to stop.  GB2 is all clothes and since I stocked up so much before coming, I’ve spent hardly any time there.  Same with GB4, which features all of the high-end places like Louis Vuitton and Burberry.  Too expensive, even for Manila… GB3 is the main restaurant hub, with equal numbers indoors and out.  It also has a brand new movie theater and 30-40 stores.  Finally, GB5 is the most recent addition.  This one is the most like a traditional mall, with equal amounts of food places and retail outlets.  It’s organized by floor, so clothes are on 1st and 2nd, Kids and electronics on 3rd and beauty places on 4th floor.  This is my second-most visited one, next to GB1.  All 3 pictures are in Greenbelt 5.

Here’s a summation of my favorite things about Greenbelt (besides the fact that it’s in my backyard):

• There are easily 75-100 restaurant choices
• At the center of the 5 complexes is a nicely wooded park
• The customary Catholic church is also located in the middle of the park and offers 5 masses a day (makes it much easier to do the church/shopping combo date)
• You can find anything you’re looking for due to the wide variety of types of shops available: hardware, electronics, drug store, clothes, etc.
• Most of the restaurants have outdoor seating.  Each has a really unique look with cute furniture and nice place settings.  There are very few chains other than American ones.  The picture below is from a restaurant in GB5.
• It gives me an excuse to get out of the house!

Pearls, pearls everywhere!

Flickr photo by: Massive Defeat

Oh the beautiful bobbles I saw today. Pearls as far as the eye could see… and like most things in Manila, very reasonably priced!  Today I participated in a group trip to Greenhills Pearl Market, featured in Vogue as one of the 10 best-kept shopping secrets in the world!  I was so over-stimulated that I couldn’t even buy one strand.  I just walked down row after row touching the beautiful strands in hundreds of colors.  Lucky for me, I went with a pearl expert that took our group to her favorite stands and taught us the in’s and out’s of pearl buying.  It’s all about color, shape and no blemishes.

I have never even worn pearls but now I have my eye on 3 sets (pink, classic ivory and tahitian).  I opted to hold off on buying because it was inevitable that I’d be back many, many times and I wanted to do some research first.  You see, you can select your strand (or multiple types) and have them fashioned into any style of pearl necklace you’d like.  Maybe you want spacing between the pearls or a few dangling from a chain or silver rings in between the pearls.  It’s all possible, my friends!  For those of you coming to visit, do some research in advance of what style and color you’d like and we’ll have it made!  Can you see why this was overwhelming???  I’ll be sure an update you when I get my first strand.  I think pearls and I are going to get along JUST FINE.  Oh, and Nick?  It’s better if you don’t come.  It’s hot and crowded and you’d hate it anyways… just leave the purchasing to me.  :)

The Ultimate Showdown!

VS.

Well, I had a chance to visit the Mall of Asia this week.  As you know, Minnesotans are quite proud of the Mall of America, which we claim as the largest in the world.  Imagine my disbelief when another Embassy person told me that Mall of Asia was larger.  No!  How could that be??  And so I set out to decide for myself.  Here are the side-by-side comparisons:

Opening Dates- MOamerica 1992, MOasia 2006

Annual Traffic- MOamerica 40 million visits, MOasia 62 million visits

Size- MOamerica 390,000 square meters, MOasia 410,000 square meters

Location- MOamerica in the suburbs, MOasia sits on Manila Bay

The similarities: Both have bowling alleys, movie theaters, shops, restaurants

The differences:

• Central feature: MOamerica has the theme park inside, MOasia has an ice-skating rink
• Other features: MOamerica has Underwater World and Legoland and the American Girl Store.  MOasia has an IMAX, a science museum and an outdoor concert hall that faces the water.

The verdict: Although MOAsia wins on a pure stats basis, I didn’t find the complex very appealing.  Yes, the location is ideal.  It’s wonderful to be able to take a break from shopping and go look at the ocean.  And there were also far more sit-down restaurants, which I also saw as a plus.  The down side was that the store selection was poor and undifferentiated from anything else in Manila.  I’d much prefer to shop at Greenbelt and most likely won’t go back there unless I’m taking visitors.  And so there you have it folks, I’m sticking with the original MOA in Minnesota!

This is what $1,150 gets you at Costco

Today was a big day – we knocked out all the Costco purchases in one run.  Pretty amazing!  It’s a huge relief to have that crossed off.  I used to feel like $1000 got you so much more – welcome to 2009, I guess!  While this pile in itself would be manageable, unfortunately we have a pile equal in size waiting for us to pick up at Nick’s parent’s house this weekend.  They were so kind to receive all of our consumable packages!  Sadly, Costco did let me down – no Ravioli or Diet Coke in stock.  I already warned Nick that we’d be making another trip tonight, as those are non-negotiable items on the pack-out list!  The movers arrive one week from tomorrow, so we’re running out of time.  Our little 1 BR apartment is about to get very, very crowded!