Pasalubong....

The bringing of pasalubong is already a Filipino tradition of sorts, especially with our balikbayan countrymen. If I'm not mistaken, the balikbayan box was invented as a means of coping with the transport requirements of Filipinos returning to the country. I guess Filipinos were never known for traveling light. Now its virtually a staple of every Filipino returning to the Philippines. :-)

As far as I can remember, every time a relative of mine residing in the United States comes back to the country to visit, I always end up receiving pasalubong in one form or another.

I don't really mind, in fact I appreciate the gesture. It's always nice to be remembered, even in the little things. And besides, I like getting things. Who doesn’t? :-)

I just can't help but be amused sometimes with the pasalubong that I receive. Invariably, I receive U.S. made soaps, toothpaste, deodorants, shampoos, and other toiletries. Sometimes I get chocolates or other snack items. Don’t get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I have always been a sucker for free stuff. I suppose things have been a lot different since I was a kid.

When I was just a little boy, having an imported chocolate or candy bar was already a big deal. Then, when you had a craving for chocolate, the best that you can probably do is a buy a pack of Choc-Nut, a box of Curly-Tops, a packet of Nips, or a bar of Serg’s (do they still make those?). Kaya kami ng mga kapatid ko nun nagpapatayan para lang sa Butterfinger o Baby Ruth. Now, even the smallest grocery store has an extensive selection of imported confectionaries, from Cadbury to Van Houten. Its not much of a big deal anymore. La na tuloy thrill.

The same with toiletries. You’d be hard pressed to find imported soap or other similar stuff in the day. Now, they’re everywhere. Thanks to globalization, most of these “imported” item are probably even made here. That’s progress for you. Dati ang Dove pang okasyon lang. Ngayon pwede na gamitin sa paa. I keep receiving Dove products from relatives coming to visit from the States, even though I was never really into such beauty soaps and shampoos. Perhaps a tad to feminine for me?

I guess the point of this blog entry is that the thrill of having imported stuff has significantly diminished. Virtually anything you want, you can get locally nowadays. When I’m asked by a friend or relative going out of the country what I want for pasalubong, I just shrug my shoulders and say: "Kahit ano."

Totoo naman e. Anything they decide to get for me, I’m bound to like. And if I don't, well, I'll still like it the same. :-)

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Mga laging bigay sa akin...

Comments

Ronald Allan said…
Glad you agree. Must be culture thing. :-)
October 17, 2005 12:08 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Commonwealth Ave. lot for Lease

Image
For lease, 261 sqm commercial lot near east-bound lane (going to Fairview) of Commonwealth Ave. Quezon City, between Tandang Sora and Ever Gotesco, directly opposite PNB . Accessible via 50m access road. No improvements on said property. For inquiries call 09228692272 or email ronallandottk@yahoo.com
Read more

Is aspartame safe?

Image
Do you know what aspartame is? Well, even if you don't, given its ubiquitous nature, its a virtual certainty that you have already crossed paths with it in your life at one time or another. For the uninitiated, aspartame is a low-calorie sugar substitute most often used in carbonated beverages, you know, the diet or lite variety. Here in the Philippines, it is commonly known by the brand names NutraSweet and Equal . The reason why it has significantly fewer calories is because its not carbohydrate based. Its a methyl (methane derivative) ester (organic compound) dipeptide (two amino acids joined by a single peptide bond) consisting of aspartic acid as the first amino acid, and phenylalanine as the second. Its about 180 times sweeter than typical table sugar, and as such, a little goes a long way. A single pellet of Equal (18 mg of aspartame) has about the same sweetening strength as a teaspoon of ordinary white sugar (about 5 ml). Do the math. It was first discovered in 19
Read more

Peddling Snake Oil - The Khaos Super Turbo Charger

Image
Photos courtesy of Ghosthunter If you drive or are at least into cars, no doubt you've probably heard at one time or another about the Khaos Super Turbo Charger . It's a device that is claimed to drastically reduce the fuel consumption of your gasoline driven vehicle by as much as 50%. It created such a hype when it was introduced in November 2003 after glowing reviews and endorsements from, among others, the Department of Energy (DOE), the Makati Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Taiwan’s Automotive Research and Testing Center. Even Malacañang got into the picture, and presented the inventor, Pablo Planas, with a Presidential Award Medal for Outstanding Invention. All in all, various government agencies and government officials got into the picture, singing the praises of a device that miraculously reduces fuel consumption by a significant margin. As a result, in less than a year, more than 3,500 units were sold and installed to customers who swear by the product's effe
Read more