I Heart Palengke!





Trinkets that hopefully gets put to good use.
The Tiara on the front of the photo, far left, costs P15.00!



"Palengke" is such a stinky word. Most people would find it synonymous to grime, mud, dirt, sweat, noise, and yeah- stink. There was a time when I'd scrunch up my face whenever I say the word- out of reflex. Today, I am waaaay past that. The local Wet/Dry Public Market and I are in good terms.

Tiny Chinese Dragons, for hanging. P10 each

Don't get me wrong, I'm not some hoighty toighty elitist, I would just rather not have to come home from a trip to the market smelling like produce, with my shoes caked with mud. Truth is, my mom used to have this little store in the market, among the dry goods area. That's where I was dropped off after the school bell rings. Oh, elementary days! It's not the most ideal place for a kid to get stuck in after school, I know, but I think I made the most of it. I remember running around our section, coming across all sorts of useless knick knacks. Of course, as a child, everything I found of interest were mostly useless. Toys. Candy. Toys. Candy. Toys. I think the only smart thing I've ever gotten from the palengke was a stray cat :) All in all, I'd like to think it wasn't all that bad. I may have even enjoyed myself a bit- as long as I stuch within our area. I could never muster up the courage to cross the boundary between solid footing (dry goods) and slipper slopes (wet/meat market).

 

Little K's Camera.
A steal at P10.00! And as pint sized as my toddler!

Well, here I am, about 15 years and at least 10 'upscale' grocery chains in our town later, and I revisited the good ol' place. The number of times I've visited that palengke within those years would be less than one hand could count. PS: When I said 'upscale', I meant grocers that are more consumer friendly than the palengke, and let's face it, it doesn't take much to fall into the category. Probably any grocer that doesn't smell like raw meat would do the trick. Having some cheap cheesy music playing in the background and you've one-upped the palengke about 10 times. Was that confusing? Yeah. Oh, and having the place airconditioned and ding ding ding, we've got a winner. Definitely 'upscale'. I live in the province, you know.

 

So, let me stop my rambling and get to the good part. I took a little trip to our local palengke this afternoon and woot! Excellent finds! Bargains like you wouldn't believe. It was pretty fun! Granted having the wowa and the yaya with me (along with the Little K) made it better, I'm pleased with the visit, overall.

 

Check out my loot!
 



White and Gold Bead Strings, P10 each

 



Red and White String of Feathers, P30 each. About half a yard.
Will add this to the Cupid Shoot.





Red Flower Sequences, P3.00 each :)

Large Flower Accent, P10 each. I think. Could've been P5.