Wednesday, April 30, 2008

UK UK!

Most probably and most likely, in this age of high oil, gasoline and rice prices; you would have come across the ubiquitous (I've looked this up...)flea markets, car boot sales, swap meets, and here in Australia: Paddy's Market!

In the Philippines, there is a very interesting phenomenon: ukay ukay - primarily a flea market for pre-loved clothes and accessories.

See this link for a well writtten and very informative take on ukay ukay.

Ukay-ukay: A Unique Philippine Shopping Adventure By Laura Jaranilla.

A bit of an interesting fact about flea markets from Wikipedia:

"The original flea market is likely to be the Marché aux puces of Saint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-Denis, in the northern suburbs of Paris. It is a large, long-established outdoor bazaar, one of four in Paris. They earned their name from the flea-infested clothing and rags sold there. From the late 17th century, the makeshift open-air market in the town of Saint-Ouen began as temporary stalls and benches among the fields and market gardens where ragpickers exchanged their findings for a small sum."

Hopefully ukay ukay clothes are not infested as such!

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