Thule from Sweden

My parents have different perspectives on how to buy items. When I was still studying and I needed to buy new shoes and bags, mom would often go for the cheap buys, which is always a miss (than a hit) because it did save her some money, but after a few months I would make another request for them to buy new items. My late father on the other hand, would like to "invest" on pricey yet sturdy items because not only did it save him money in the long run, it also saves him the annoyance of going to the mall with us and buy our much needed things.

I would like to believe I got my late father's perspective. When it comes to bags and shoes, I don't mind spending twice the amount of what my mom would like to buy if it ensures me quality. Well, not all pricey means sturdy, so it is best to actually know what to buy.



Just this year, the first Thule concept store in Asia was opened here in the Philippines, and last Tuesday, I was with my siblings to attend their product launch. Thule may be a new brand, but they have been in the business for many years, and was first known for their roof racks. In 2007, Thule bought Case Logic and started producing automotive bags and then crossed over to functional yet stylish bags, which was made available in the Asia Pacific Region in 2009.

Thule has four collection:



Crossover - Depending on the bag model, the bags on the crossover collection have compartments for helmets, gloves, and other necessities. These bags are very durable, but are light enough for you to store as much stuff you want to pack. It also has compartments for your gadgets.


One of the bags that made me go wow was this rolling luggage because it seemed to have everything I wanted in a luggage. It has ample space for clothes and has its own compartment for the gadgets... it has a safe zone for the fragile items (like eyeglasses and small gadgets), it has big wheels for easy dragging across different surfaces, and although it is made as a rolling luggage, it has different straps/handles strategically placed around the bag so that you can carry it however you wish, too. It even has hidden padded straps that will transform the luggage into a big knapsack!




En Route - Now this is my kind of bag! My work place is far from our house that sometimes I needed to pack extra clothes for those days when I can't commute home. My usual choice of bag whenever I knew I won't come home was my knapsack, which was doing its job, but I often find my items mixed inside. The Thule En Route bags also have compartments for laptops and tablets - so even if you packed a whole lot of clothes and toiletries and other thingies, your gadgets are very much secured in its place. The bags also have two safe zones to store your fragile items and it has a pocket on the side for your water bottle. It's a very functional bag you can use either at school, at work, and yes, for traveling. My sister and I are actually planning to buy a bag each when we finalize the plans for a Mt. Pulag trek.



The Gauntlet - The first two Thule collections are weather-resistant, but not totally waterproof, but the Gauntlet collection is waterproof, to ensure your gadgets are very secured from sudden weather change. It is padded and it has a soft velvety lining inside to protect the surfaces of your laptops. Now, this collection is made specifically for the MacBook, but it can also be used on different brands, as long as it fits, of course.



Perspektiv - This collection is for photographers - both hardcore and enthusiasts. There are different sizes to hold different kinds of DSLR cameras as well as the lenses and other accessories, and the messenger type of bag also has its own laptop compartment, perfect for photographers who needed to transfer files as soon as possible. For the compact camera users, there's also this small bag that looks like a lunch bag - the camera and the batteries are placed on the hard shell like compartment and other knick-knacks can be placed on the bag above, which can be folded to follow the amount of contents inside - really kinda like a lunch bag.

Checking the price tags, the Thule bags are indeed more expensive than the typical bags we see at the mall, but not really over the top expensive. Given its mission to provide durable bags, these are made to last many, many years... and they even have 25 years warranty!

If you want to check the bags and purchase one for yourself (or as a gift), the Thule concept store is located at the 4th level of SM City North EDSA. Select bags are also available at the Power Mac Center as well at Tripologie branches at Eastwood Citywalk 2, Alabang Town Center, and Bonifacio Global City.

My Weekend

I wasn't able to update my blogs that much last weekend because I just had quite a jampacked schedule. I feel tired today because I concentrated on doing my personal chores, but I think I can squeeze in this post before I sleep.

Friday (08 February)


I went to TriNoma mall hoping to catch my cousin Marge as they were having last-minute preparations with the wedding coordinators. I wasn't able to get her response before I left the house, so I just went on to shop for nail polishes! :) Well, it's not often that I am in TriNoma, and because I know they sell nail polishes at cheaper prices, might as well grab the chance.

I bought 5 bottles of pastel shade nail polishes from OMG, 2 bottles of Bobbie holo-prism collection, and I am happy to say that I now own all 7 shades in the collection. I am thinking of getting their Foil-It collection next time (since it only has three shades), but I might find the 2 remaining Caronia nail polishes from the Bright Lights collection. I also bought two Bobbie products: the Matte top coat and the Gradation nail polish. I wished to buy Bobbie base coat with nail hardener (I knew I saw one last time), but there was no stock and I didn't want to buy the Caronia one because they only have the super big bottles (30ml).


After meeting up with Jessie, we both walked to SM North EDSA and went straight to Manang's Chicken for dinner. I was given a voucher to try their new offerings, and we were both full. It was always a pleasure dining at Manang's Chicken, and I loved the new Garlic Pork rice meal and the Red Velvet Sundae! You can read the full story here.


We were supposed to go straight home after dinner because sister still has to wake up real early the next day, but passing by Payless Shoe Source made us want to check the shoes! Well, I was happy to see new pairs, but quite sad that the boots we were eyeing to buy. I tried two pairs of wedge shoes and Jessie told it looked good on me. Well, I like the brown more than the red pair, but no reason for me to buy this for now. Maybe when another relative gets married. :)

Saturday (09 February)


This day was quite full; I changed my manicure in time for the wedding, I helped clean the house, and I practiced the song I was asked to sing during the wedding. For dinner, I met with my high school friend Maicks to get the bag I was borrowing. Our friend Liza was supposed to meet us, too, but she had a massive headache, so it was just Maicks and I. She presented three bags for me to borrow, but I chose to go for this black one because the gold one was too small.

Sunday (10 February)


It's Marjonel's wedding!

Such a pleasure for Jessie and I to be invited at the event; Jonel has been a blogger pal since 2008, and just nearly two years ago, we found out another blogger is our second degree cousin! Anyway, their super pretty wedding took place at the Oasis Garden along Aurora Boulevard.

A much detailed blog post will be up sometime this week.


While at the wedding, Jessie received a text message asking her to go to work for a medical X-Ray. We quickly went there, but no mobile X-Ray arrived, so we just strolled around Greenbelt. For dinner, we dined at Pepper Lunch, a first time for us to try. While there, a group of Dragon and Lion dancers arrived and performed around the restaurant, a lion even kissed me from head to foot. Hahahaha. That was quite an experience!


Exiting the mall, we saw the same group of performers. The staff of Louis Vuitton asked the Lion dancer to enter the store and grab all the red envelopes stuck on the ceiling, and surprise surprise... this was the Lion that kissed me! :D

It was so upsetting that our gadgets' batteries died, not allowing us to take lots of images. Actually, I used my cell phone to capture images from our dinner onwards, but it also died after taking three pictures of the performers. Well, looking at the bright side, we were able to capture important memories.

A new week is unfolding. Now that I am done doing my chores, I can start concentrating on my diet and exercise.



PS - I also saw two celebrities today, the actor I know by the name of "Nigel," which I first saw in the movie "Sisterakas" and Luis Alandy. No pictures taken with them... no battery for such pleasure. :(

What's in My Bag?

I am not a bag hag, but whenever I spot an affordable bag, at times I couldn't resist it, especially if it's something that suits my preference...


...like this one, a cross-body body bag I spotted at a thrift shop. Normally, I don't check out the bag section of a thrift shop as often times, bags for sale are already cracked and flawed. Still, on this particular day, I chose to browse the rack (I guess it was the p120 tag that got me to check it out) for a buy-worthy bag, and seeing this looking good, I decided to buy it.


It's not a branded bag, but I did love the material (as it's somewhat waterproof), and the faux fur made it look expensive. However, one of the not-so-good things about me as a consumer, I sometimes get excited about finding "something that glitters" that I tend to forget to scrutinize it very well. The bag has some minimal flaws - not so good stitching, a discoloration at the back part, and a few parts not glued well. If this was a school project and I am the teacher, I'd think the student who submitted this bag either crammed or didn't give it much effort.

Even with the minor flaws, I still like the bag - after all, only I could notice the flaws; whenever I use this bag, friends and acquaintances always think it's a good looking bag. I always just remind myself of that common adage, "You get what you pay for."


My friend Jidhu asked me a question the other night on chat: "What's in your bag?" Instead of answering him, I decided to just make a blog post about it. :)

The bag above was the last bag I used, so it's the one that contains whatever items I own. Now that I have a few bags to choose from, I tend to switch bags every now and then, still containing these items, sometimes more.


In my bag at this moment:

• a vanity kit. See below for further details
• a book. In my bag I have "The Nature of Water and Air" by Regina McBride... this is a book that I am having a difficult time reading (I am always stuck somewhere), so I carry it whenever I travel - traveling within the Metro can last hours because of traffic. If I am at home I read a different book ("London Bridges" by James Patterson)
• my camera. If you wanna know, it's Canon Powershot SX130IS, which I bought December 2010.
• my wallet. A very old (now showing signs of age) Marithe+Francois Girbaud wallet (more details can be read HERE).
• a pen. Right now I am using a pen given by a food company. It's black, by the way, which is my usual choice of pen color.
• a small notebook. This unlined notebook was given by Ms. Carol Tan, owner of Carol's Texan 5 when we attended the first Bloggers Buffet at her restaurant. I love it a lot because not only was it handy, the cover is also made from genuine leather.
• a St. Benedict necklace. Something my mom gave me earlier this year.
• my cell phone. (not in picture, because I used my cell phone to capture the image above) I still am using the Sony Ericsson K800i, something I bought in 2007.

Seems a lot to fit in a small bag, but really... if you know how to properly arrange it, everything will fit nice.

See what I mean? *winks* The gap below (between the book and my wallet) is where my camera will be placed (I used my camera to take this image above).

About that vanity kit... I am currently using a Bath & Body Works vanity kit, which I bought at an online store for only p75. I am definitely not a make-up person, so inside my kit it has a spray sanitizer (Human <3 Nature), lipstick (Avon), lipgloss (Human <3 Nature), blusher (Careline), loose powder (Johnson & Johnson), and a bottle of cologne or perfume (Victoria's Secret).

The contents of my bag will change later this week when I travel to La Union with my sister, so maybe in the future I will create another "What's in your bag" post.