Fun finds at the Holiday Twist Bazaar

Christmas is supposed to be more meaningful than materialistic. But let's face it, most people would agree that presents are what make Christmas, Christmas. While some people enjoy shopping - the crowd, bargaining, making lists, others dread it the way they dread household chores. Usually, lazy gift-givers end up resorting to generic presents like handkerchiefs, umbrellas, and other safe, functional things that have no personality whatsoever. If you're planning to go the quick, painless and easy path, you may want to reconsider and try checking out a bazaar. The nice thing about bazaars is the crowd is usually thinner than the mall crowd, and the variety of items is exciting. Even without a list, you can be sure to find something for everyone - mother, father, brother, sister, and everyone else. In fact, it's very likely that you'll be tempted to get presents without knowing who to give them to. Another good thing about bazaars is the items are usually affordable, so you can allow yourself a few impulse buys. Instead of going to large, heavily advertised bazaars, you may want to try smaller ones like the Reading Room's "Holiday Twist Bazaar" at Cubao Expo. The best thing about bazaars like these is the pleasant surprises. While the usual suspects will always be around - accessories, t-shirts, toys, every now and then you'll find something fresh, like the "Akala Mo Lang Wala Nang Slumbook Pero Meron, Meron, Meron!" slumbook (250 pesos).

Shoppers can't help but gravitate toward the bright red hardbound slumbook, which comes from the same fun-loving team that made the "I-was-supposed-to-get-that-coffeehouse-planner-but-I-got-fat/broke-on-the-10th-frappe" 2010 planner. Created by University of the Philippines Diliman Film graduates Antoinette Jadaone, Chinggay Nuque, and Karl Frederick Castro of Witty Will Save the World, Co., the slumbook brings you back to pre-social networking site days, when most people with Facebook accounts had notebooks divided by quarter folds. A diagram instruction on how to do the quarter fold is just one of many amusing innovations in this non-conformist slum book. If you don't run out of breath saying its name, you will from laughing at its clever manner of getting information. For instance, gender (which the book notes may change without prior notice) is plotted along an LRT-inspired line with stations from Homosexual to Heterosexual, with Betty Go-Belmonte and Pureza Station in between. Romantic status on the other hand, can be indicated by shading the appropriate area in a complicated Venn diagram, which allows for all those gray areas which exist beyond the standard labels. Also at the Holiday Twist bazaar is Twee Shop, an online store founded by four not-so-unemployed girls with a shared love for terribly cute handmade things. Wanting to give local crafters and designers the love they deserve, Twee Shop features adorable things that make you want to pinch them. Their items include felt applique shirts (500 pesos), pinback buttons (50 pesos per set of three) and postcards (250 pesos per set of five) by Nice Buenaventura and reversible Wallflower Party tote bags (500 pesos) by Kathy Gener. The bags come with a mix cd, fabric print pouches (80 pesos) and charm bracelets (150 pesos) by Angela Ronquillo. There are also wall decals (200-500 pesos) and magnets (60-80 pesos) by Counting Sheep, photography misprint bookmarks (25 pesos) by Dic Malit, and hand-painted canvas totes (500 pesos) by Antonette Mendoza and Nikki Calayan. They also sell craft kits (120 pesos), notecard sets (75 pesos) and pencil rolls (140 pesos) by Pink Teacup. Shoppers have a hard time leaving the Twee Shop stall, and for those who have difficulty deciding, they have an all-purpose "I Don't Know What I Got You Either" kit by Shop Downstairs for 100 pesos. ICUnlimited sells t-shirts (250 pesos) with their original designs. "That's the last of its kind," the seller informs me when he notices me looking at one of their shirts. Their name is actually Inferiority Complex Unlimited, and when they aren't at bazaars, their shirts can be bought online. Their designs which are inspired by random bits of geekery can be seen in their multiply site, and puchased items are claimed through arranged meetings at specified pick up places. Their designs are inspired by Dragonball, Demolition Man, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, DOOM, among other dorky and geeky tidbits. Another eye-catching stall was Ethnu, social enterprise under Ethnocentricity Incorporated. Founded by Ateneo student entrepreneurs Mary Benitez, April Kagaoan, and Gillian Te, Ethnu sells fashionable ethnic-inspired accessories that incorporate authentic indigenous materials. The brightly-colored jewelry is accompanied by information about each collection. Ethnu has three collections: Kalinga: Peacock Warriors; Ifugao: People of the Earth; and T'boli: Brass Dreamweavers. Materials like brass, wood and beads are sourced from the different provinces and handcrafted by the tribes, and part of the proceeds go back to them. The items are a bit expensive, ranging from 300 to 2,000 pesos. Apart from the stalls, other sellers literally set up shop on the street. Camera nuts rummaged through a box filled with used cameras. On one side, another box overflowed with pre-loved clothes. You could spend hours going from stall to stall, and if you miss the next Holiday Twist Bazaar on November 20, you could try to catch the last one on December 4, or visit the sellers online. - GMANews.TV