Christmas Shopping: A Divisoria Experience

Today is Sunday, a free day to go early shopping for Christmas. Since I was in a tight budget, I decided to go to Divisoria.

How to go to Divisoria?
From UP Diliman, ride Katipunan jeep, then go to LRT Line 2 and take Recto Station as your destination. Ride a jeepney again to Divisoria/Tutuban. Other routes, I still don't know.

The Experience
Since I am not a suki of this Divisoria place, I am not accustomed to its community. I only visited Tutuban Mall and the newly-opened 999 Mall. I was shocked to witness the jam of people who chose to spend their Sunday's off in Divisoria. It was a total crowd, you have to push your way in the streets just to visit the malls. I experienced being stepped on my foot, being squeezed among goers, and also being annoyed by the lack of manners of few shoppers. People from the elite group to the grassroots were present from this crowd. Well, you can't help it, the place offers inexpensive products, your thousand peso can make you go home with a bag full of accessories, clothes, and other items.

I have seen t-shirts worth Php50.00, pants as low as Php199.00, and even shorts are sold for three for Php100.00. If you happen to give gift to toddlers and kids, you can buy them a variety of clothes, toys and accessories with just Php200.00. I have also seen housewares, secondhand cellphones are sold in bangketa, fruits, and lots of slippers and shoes.

Divisoria is a place where you can demand no more in terms of product offers; I think everything is in there, you just need a lot of patience and stamina to browse the stores. A day is not enough to go through all the stores so it's better that before you shop, you prepare a list of what to buy. The list saves time, effort and unnecessary spending. It is also cheaper if you purchase their products in bulk or in dozens. Just be very careful and cautious of the people around you because some of them are skilled in pick-pocketing and snatching.

The experience is quite unexpected because I haven't anticipated the number of people rushing Christmas shopping in a Sunday. But I was able to buy clothes, shorts, pants, basin and hangers to my pocket's capacity. That was satisfying already just learn to endure the suffocating crowded area.

I haven't been to Baclaran area, maybe next year it will be my stop.