Lester the Explorer

Who would've thought that Care Bears and shot glasses would be so difficult to find.

I spent the last month jumping from mall to mall and department store to department store in search of these two things. I must have scoured every toy store and toy section of every department store in the metro (including Plaza Fair) for Care Bears figurines. While they do have stuffed toys, I'm more in the market for figurines. Similar to those paper mache ones they used to sell in Gibson's during my high school days. (Blast from the past!)

And there's the subject of the shot glass. Gosh! Considering that they're in every souvenir shop around the world, finding a plain one is a challenge. Especially if the one I'm looking for has a particular shape and tint.

Today, I decided to explore outside the malls and department stores, and search for these items in more far-flung and seemingly uncomfortable settings. And thank goodness, my exploration paid off.

FOUND: Shot Glasses
PLACE EXPLORED: Quiapo



There's a street in Quiapo where household items are sold in bulk, and on the streets. A plethora of plates, ceramic mugs, and glasses with kitschy prints were scattered all around. But what caught my eye was this huge store with an impressive display of glasses. Went inside, found the perfect shot glass, bought samples on the cheap, and left with a sigh of relief and a smile on my face.


FOUND: Care Bear Figurines
PLACE EXPLORED: Apo St., Quezon City

This one I found thanks to Ate Bullet. Her friend owns a balloon shop and toy store, and it's the place where she usually finds hard to find toys. After a quick call to the owner, Ate found out that they have one last set of Care Bear figurines. It was the last! As in! Thank goodness Ate called on time and was able to have it reserved. And after the Quiapo trip, I went to Apo to pick it up.

There's a bonus here as well. The balloon shop was a block away from my old high school, LSQC. So after picking up the bears, I dropped by the campus (which was still empty since classes start on the 15th) and the Church where I used to go after class.



Ah yes, it was a fruitful day. Not only did I get to explore, I also got most of what I was looking for.

Conclusion: I should explore more often.