MangoVine
Adventures in East Asia

Entries in Shopping

 24 January, 2010
Sunday Hong Kong Shopping Mall Seasonal Displays
In Shatin's New Town Plaza shopping mall, they've just put up yet another massive display in the "main hall" - the largest open area in the complex which happens to be viewable from the entrance to the mall from the Shatin MTR station.

New-Town-Plaza

These displays, which must have cost a bomb by Hong Kong standards, appear every time there's a possible reason (seasonal, events, sponsored exhibition etc) and its not just Shatin, but most other large malls it seems. We see what happens in the Shatin New Town Plaza regularly as we go to the Physical gym there.

Read more... 21 December, 2009
Monday Finding Cheap Branded Beauty Supplies in Hong Kong
Two things I love about Hong Kong's retail industry. Shops move fast with old places closing and new ones opening quickly in the space of a few months, and different areas of Hong Kong can specialise in certain products creating hubs for some types of goods. Both these things seem to create and reflect the competitive nature of one of the Hong Kong people's favourite pastimes (shopping, with another being eating), and clusters like-minded shops together for the convenience of customers.

Beauty-Shops1

I came across a post on the blog Hong Kong Hustle about finding cheap beauty supplies, meaning cheaper than other areas in Hong Kong and not just internationally. Of course, this was for Linh and not me.

Read more... 03 December, 2009
Thursday Bangkok’s Suan Lum Night Bazaar
With hindsight, Suan Lum Night Bazaar was actually quite a relaxed place to browse and shop, not least because the night brought about a cooler environment. It was massive and tiring to try and look through everything, but nowhere near as daunting or as packed as the gigantic Chatuchak Market, which we visited a few days after.

Suan-Lum-1

At Suan Lum, there's also a large, open-spaced food and drinks area which is great for a break in between browsing, but more on that lower down.

Read more... 03 December, 2009
Thursday Buddhas in Bangkok
In the early evening, we took a taxi from Wat Pho to the nearest MRT station (to get to Suan Lum Night Bazaar) and there was a helluvalot of traffic. It took almost an hour to travel what seemed like a couple of miles. In London, this would have cost a fortune, but its a little cheaper in Bangkok, so Linh and I decided to stay in the cab.

Buddha-Statues3

During the journey, I think we passed close to Bangkok's Chinatown, judging by the direction. We crawled along one stretch of road that looked more like Buddha Town since it was lined with shops selling statues of the enlightened one. Statues were available in a liftable size...

Read more... 03 December, 2009
Thursday Amulet Shopping and other Market Stuff
In Thailand, amulets are considered by some to be a vital form of spiritual protection from malevolent spirits and misfortune. They are small items that can be worn around a neck, made from bronze, clay, plaster or gold and can be individually hand-crafted or mass produced.

Amulet-Shopping1

The most popular of images on amulets are copies of sacred statues, revered holy men, kings, healers or monks. However, its the amulet's history that determines its efficacy with factors including where and by whom it was made, and whether a monk has been called upon to consecrate it.

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