I think that doing this is our ‘love language’. It is our way of showing that the recipients are dear to us, and they are not forgotten while feeding our eyes with alluring views. Handing them what we meticulously purchased is the conclusion of our wonderful trip.
Bringing pasalubong from another country is extra challenging. You need to be a bright mathematician and a strategic economist to be successful in this task and go home comfortably.
My travel buddies and I went to Vietnam last month. Riding a plane is not new for all of us. Five of us had Palawan as our first flight in 2023 and that trip gave me a hard lesson. I bought a lot of pasalubong in the country’s Last Frontier. I had a two-kilogram excess baggage weight which caused me stress and panic. They calmed me down and kindheartedly put some of my stuff in their bags.
For first timers, you need to consider the weight, size and piece of your baggage. Airlines do have their standard limits when it comes to your belongings. If you fail to follow this rule, you need to pay an excess baggage charge which is heavy on the pocket.
The same people reminded me about my terrible problem. I promised that I would not do it again. I bought an add-on baggage allowance as a ‘precautionary measure’. Despite the additional space available, I was not complacent. I shopped responsibly.
Vietnam has lots of products to offer and honestly, they are irresistible. I had to estimate the weight and size of the goods multiple times just to be sure. Aside from that, I had to limit the number of quantities per product. If my bag were like Doraemon’s pouch, I could fit in the things I wanted to buy so badly inside it. I bade sad goodbye to the backpacks, shorts, and polos sold in the night markets of Sa Pa and Hanoi.
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| Souvenir stalls going to Cat Cat Village |
The heaviest merchandise I bought were the three thick jackets from the cold town of Sa Pa ranging from 350,000 to 450,000 Vietnamese dong. Apparels occupied a big space in my baggage. I bought four white t-shirts with designs about Hanoi in a store in the Old Quarter a few hours before our flight. Each cost 70,000 dong. I also bought short polo sleeves and shorts in Cat Cat Village made of local textile which cost 400,000 dong.
Next to the clothing are the sweets, teas and coffee packs from Lotte Mart. As a coffee lover with a sweet tooth, the place is heaven. Coconut coffee sachets are the best buy for me. The staff handed me a cup of flavored coffee, and it tasted good. My relatives agreed with me. That is new to me, and I regret that I only bought a box. A jar of Merito- matcha chocolate wrapped almonds is a runner-up. It only lasted for three days as it was a delight in the house.
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| Coffee and tea brands and other food products I bought in Lotte Mart |
Woven bags and wallets from Cat Cat Village and ref magnets from Sun World Fansipan Legend and Hanoi filled the remaining space. Some of those were given freebies by store owners for buying multiple items from them. Well, who are we to decline those giveaways?
Packing the goods was our group routine before hitting the sheets. Every night was a weigh-in session as if we were athletes compelled to meet a certain weight. We were like Hidilyn Diaz pulling the different types of bags using the digital luggage scale bought by our group leader, and the results were pretty accurate.
We had our penultimate weigh-in at the Noi Bai Airport. We had to open our baggage to adjust the contents. We removed plastic bags and cartons of our purchased goods to reduce weight. There was a standalone public weighing scale that we utilized. My back ached as I had to load and unload the scale. It paid for our hard work as we passed the ‘final weigh-in’ facilitated by the airport staff.
Moreover, you must be a skilled ‘budgetarian’. You must splurge based on your allocation to avoid overspending. You must compare products according to prices and quality. You must have good negotiating skills to ask for discounts and freebies.
As an introvert, I rarely negotiate for lower prices of goods whenever I go to public markets. You will get pissed off when you accompany me in my market errands. Our Vietnam trip transformed into a good bargain.
I was able to purchase jackets from 400,000 dong to 350,000 dong per item. I got freebies as I praised the sellers for being amiable and generous. I cannot believe I was able to negotiate to save money.
However, not all merchants give discounts. There were some who insistently said “No discount” whenever they were asked. Some even displayed paper signages and pointed them at us adamantly. We walked away with respect and looked for the products in other stalls and stores.
When you buy stuff on a foreign trip, you must be knowledgeable about foreign exchange rate. Good thing, mobile phones and the Internet are our reliable friends about this matter.
It was difficult for me to convert dong to peso. My brain cells just wanted to have fun, not to do anything mathematical. But math is inevitable and indispensable in daily life. Aside from adding and subtracting, I did conversions of currencies. I deeply relied on my phone. I just type Vietnamese dong to peso in the search bar, input the amount and voila, the peso equivalent instantly. By doing this, I was able to allocate my saved money to buy another pasalubong.
It is not only your mental state tested when you search for the best goods but your body. You must have strength and endurance to carry bags.
We had to traverse the stairways of Cat Cat Village with our hands occupied with plastic bags full of stuff we bought there. I was panting as we walked back to the ticket booth at 1 PM which was hot that time.
We had to run in the streets of the Old Quarter holding the T-shirts we bought as the rain was getting stronger. We had a ten- minute walk going out of the historical urban core to book for cars going to the airport during the last days. Each of us had to steer our baggage in one hand and carry another bag in another hand. I had to manage 30 kilos during our departure. Thank God, I did not leave any of my baggage. I secured the goods and gave them to my family, relatives, and colleagues.
Indeed, buying mementos is a sophisticated yet fun activity. It was tiring but fulfilling especially when handing them the pasalubong you carefully picked and safeguarded throughout the trip.
I arrived at my family’s house before noon on April 20th. After eating my lunch, I took a siesta. I remember I woke up at 4 PM and I arranged the pasalubong I bought. I grouped the teas, coffees, and the dry goods. I took photos of them as remembrance.
Despite the jetlag, I told my mother that I wanted to distribute the stuff to our relatives at 5 PM. She offered me help to pack the items. We had to do equal distribution. Each bag has one sachet of matcha drink, two small sachets of black coffee, one sachet of coconut coffee, one sachet of peach iced tea, one sachet of mint tea, and a pack of castella.
“Are these okay, ma?” I asked her.
“Our relatives are grateful for whatever they receive. They appreciate the act of giving,” she replied.
Before we left our house, I told her to choose a bag or a wallet for herself. She looked at the goods and touched them one by one. Her eyes and hands temporarily stopped at the multi-colored handbag I bought at Cat Cat Village.
“This bag,” she said. Her eyes twinkled.
“Thank you, John,” she said endearingly.
On the other hand, I gave my father a cap made of textile and a medium white T-shirt. He said his thanks in a gentle tone.
Those are music to my ears. I am happy that I made my parents happy with those pasalubong. They accepted the stuff wholeheartedly.
My mother and I went to the seaside at 5 PM where our relatives are residing. We brought the stuff with excitement.
We had our house-to-house handing of the pasalubong. My uncles and aunties were delighted seeing me back to the Philippines. They called me a ‘balikbayan’. They asked me questions like “What does it feel like to ride an airplane?”, “What Vietnam and Philippines have in common?”, and “Where have you been in Vietnam?”.
I entertained their questions and I shared my travel story. My uncle’s mother-in-law congratulated me for traveling abroad. At first, I was puzzled about her greetings but it slowly sunk in. Flying overseas for a vacation is a privilege. There are many people who dream of flying and spending days and nights in a foreign land. I am blessed as I have tried it. But, this became possible through months of saving.
I may not bring my relatives in Vietnam, but I made them taste and experience it through the pasalubong I gave.
We went to my lola’s house. She welcomed us despite feeling weak. She is 90 now. I handed her a wallet. She slowly unzipped it and told her that there was something inside it. She pulled the paper bill and she thanked me. She spoke softly, but I recognized a happy tone.
My cousin arrived after herding their cow. I handed her a black wallet. She opened it and she was rejoicing. I granted her request for a Vietnamese dong bill. She was also surprised.
“Kuya, this is 10000 dong. I am just requesting a smaller bill,” she asked with concern. She was skeptical of accepting it as she thought it by giving it to her, I do not have anything left for myself. I assured her that I have other paper bills.
My cousin’s mother was thankful for the wallet, tea, and coffee sachets. I apologized for the small set of goods I gave because of the weight limit imposed by the airline. She said that she understood the situation and she was grateful for what her family received.
Before going home, one of my uncles came to me with a cup.
“The coffee is delicious,” he said.
I asked him if it was black coffee and he answered yes. He sipped and smiled. The warm weather did not bother him anyway.
We left the seaside with a sense of fulfillment. My heart was full.
To cap the day, I told my other grandma that I have a pasalubong for her from Vietnam. Her face beamed when I gave her the extra large white shirt with a print of objects about Hanoi. She pulled it from a plastic bag and checked the design. I also handed her another white shirt bought by my cousin. I asked her to take a photo of her holding the shirts. She liked the stuff so much.
I saw a discussion online about their disappointments when they give pasalubong to their families and friends. One netizen commented on a video saying that she does not want to exert effort and money in buying mementos as her mom stated that she should have given money instead of an object. Some also agreed with her as they also shared disheartening remarks from their family members, relatives, and friends such as the dissatisfaction on the item’s size or quantity.
I understand where they are coming from. Picking pasalubong requires time, money, and effort. We make sure that the goods are the best. We want the best for our loved ones and close friends. Hearing those words made our efforts put into waste.
All of us must be appreciative of the act of buying pasalubong. Whatever the size, color, and kind of stuff given to us, we must cherish it. We do not know how big the sacrifice of the giver is just to bring that memento as a gift. Always remember that if you receive a pasalubong, it means you are a part of one’s life.
I am happy that my family members, relatives, and close friends are grateful whenever I give pasalubong. Mission accomplished is what I always say after giving.
Buying pasalubong will always be part of trip itineraries here and abroad. It is my way of bringing the culture of a place to my loved ones and friends who wish me safe travels and are waiting for me to come home. I want to share travel stories and goods found in tourist destinations. I pray for money and opportunity so that I can continue this custom that is very Filipino. May the best mementos land and arrive safely to the hands of our family and buddies.
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