Ukay-Ukay Freak

Ella is definitely where the real bargain is. Family and friends know how I frequent surplus or second hand stores that abound in the Cubao and Manila area back in the Philippines, and how I am always able to prove them that I can dig whatever it is that I buy to strut along—may it be clothes, or bags, or anything, really. Hahaha. I remember the first time I brought home a purchase from an ukay-ukay back when I was in college, and my mom went nuts on such useless and ‘hazardous’ buy. Well, aside from the fact that it would be an added burden to her already heavy pile of everyday laundry clothes, like some people, she got concerned over my health and hygiene. She freaked out over the thought of clothes from second hand stores that may have come from a dead person. Yeah, that common perception. But hey, even if it is true, it’s not like the soul’s going to bug me with it. Come on. People have had so much of those horror flicks. Well, the hygiene part may be really be a question, and I’ve given it a thought until some seconds when I told myself that technology has given us a way of already doing better cleaning methods. Teehee. You see, I’ve always thought that ukay-ukay stuff has the creativity and individuality factors that a personality like me craves for. I could almost be so sure that the piece I may actually decide to buy won’t come to me in another person’s body along the street. And almost always, people have asked me where I bought the stuff that I actually just snatched from the ukay-ukay.


There’s a place here in Seoul called Dongmyo, where the Seoul Folk Flea Market is located. And my, talk about anything and everything that can be resold. Haha. My best find of all was the ukay-ukay for clothes of course! This is ukay-ukay in its very essence. Diving in a pool of clothes, and literally making UKAY ! Haha.


And by the way, here are the stuffs that I bought:


I bought the jacket for only $2 (2,000 won), the red knitted blouse for $1 (1,000 won), and the Estee Lauder bag for $7 (7,000 won). Pretty good deal for me. Choice for the clothes has something to do with the upcoming winter. Hoohoo.