Drinking My First Vodka

There are always drinking sprees whenever my friends have outings and gatherings. Our trip to Lucban for the Pahiyas Festival is not an exception. Since the morning of the festival, some of my friends are already thinking what they want to drink for the night. By chance, my friends discovered Antonov Vodka from a promo girl in Lucban.

It is my first time to drink Antonov Vodka that night and I have no complaint. The apple flavor is just fine and the vodka’s spirit is not that strong. Antonov Vodka is so light that I could even empty one bottle of it in just one swig. We had a good time drinking without any of us getting drunk. We finished about 20 bottles of Antonov Vodka.
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Antonov Vodka, apple flavor.

I like the apple flavor of Antonov Vodka but its peach flavor sucks. First, peach flavor Antonov Vodka’s spirit is stonger than the apple flavored ones. The peach flavor also does not enhance the taste of the vodka.

If my friends will look for vodka, then I will not hesitate to recommend Antonov Vodka. However, I will just recommend the apple-flavored vodka and not the peach-flavored one.

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Visit Before the Eastern Sunset and read about my experience with extortionists and the Budol-Budol Gang.

Image of Anotonov Vodka is from Totoo.com.

How to Haggle

I always admire people who have the ability to get the price that they want for the products they are buying in the market. Haggling is a great skill and that is one of the talent that I wanted to have. My father is expert in haggling and many times he is able to buy fish and meat from the wet market at half the price. At People's Park, Tagaytay City, my girlfriend showed how good she is in haggling (or pagtawad in Tagalog) and that is one of the things at admire about her.

So how to haggle (paano tumawad)? Here are some tips:

1. Study the Vendors

If you go to the market regularly, then it is good that you study the traits of the vendors whom you are buying goods from. There are vendors who are very stingy and will not allow you to get discounts. There are some vendors who are generous and give their customers discounted prices. Always buy from vendors who give good discounts (as long as the quality is not sacrificed) so that you will build a good relationship with them. Buying from them regularly will make you as their friend and you will easily get discounts from them without much negotiation.

My father style is this. He has a mental list of generous vendors and he always buy from them whenever he goes to the market. He befriends them so that he could not be forgotten by the vendors. Aside from getting discounted prices, vendors also give him the best of their goods.

2. Act as if You are not Buying

When you are buying, never show to the vendor that you have decided to buy his/her products. Always make them feel that you are hesitant to buy their goods and your mind will change at any moment and you will go to other stores. By making them feel that way, the vendors will voluntarily offer you discounted prices to buy their products.

3. Buy Things in Bulk

The more items you buy, the higher the possibility that you will get a discount. This is what my friends did when we are buying souvenir shirts during the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban. We are 8 in the group and instead of one person buying on his own, we buy as group. We bought more than 20 shirts and the vendor allowed us to get a large discount.

4. Never Forget to Compute

Most of the vendors stick to the deal after you settled the discounted price. Some, however, will trick you and make you believe that you are paying in the settled discounted price, when you are actually paying for the undiscounted price. Be aware of this scheme and compute your purchases first before buying.

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So that’s my tips when haggling in the local markets in the Philippines. Hope my tips helps, happy haggling!


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Commuting Danger Zone: Cubao

Cubao, Quezon City had been one of the most visited places in the Metro. A long time ago, this area is packed with people because of its malls, like the Ali Mall, Isetan, CDO and Plaza Fair. There are also many movie houses and shops that have many patrons in the past. The presence of the Araneta Coliseum is also the reason why Cubao is always visited by many people.

Cubao also serve as the hub of many terminals of buses that ply to different provinces around the country.

Though, many commercial hubs around the Metro had risen, Cubao is still one of the most visited places in Metro Manila. Because of this, Cubao is one of the most attractive places for criminals like thieves, snatchers, and hold-uppers.

Always be Alert

When you are in Cubao, always be on alert on all people around you. Thieves don’t usually bother anyone who seems to be alert because they prefer a much easier prey. Thus, being alert is a big factor in keeping criminals at bay.

I have one experience when a group of people, which composed of about eight persons, climbed up the bus I am riding on in Cubao. After a few meters, all of them got down from the bus and some minutes later one of the passenger discovered that some of his belongings were stolen.

The lesson from this is that you should be alert when you are in Cubao Area. Always be alert of all the people that ride on your jeepney or bus so as to prevent being a victim of thieves.

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