Louis, Louis

Perestroika! Mikhail Gorbachev for LV. I know its an old ad but...brilliant, isn't it?


Back when I was really young and still developing my awareness of the world, I thought bags/purses were called Louis Vuittons. My mom is to blame. In my earliest memories of her, she would ask me to get her Louis Vuitton from her bedroom, or to hand her her Louis Vuitton, or get some cash from her Louis Vuitton. I thought that's what you called that "thing" adult females lugged around all day. Oh well. Wouldn't we love that if we all could carry LVs?
Got this from my best friend...

Ang Pekeng LV ni Giselle Sanchez

Fourteen years ago, I was also in the same place, but I was not smiling
like this. The Spanish Steps is a very popular place, especially to
tourists and Europe's Rich and Famous, because this is where all the
designer shops are located.

Fourteen years ago, I was also invited to hold a comedy concert for the
Filipinos in Rome through a group of Batangeño producers. Pagkatapos ng
concert ko, sumama ang sosyalita kong kaibigan na si Cutie del Mar sa akin
para mag-bakpak at libutin ang buong Italya.

Palibhasa, hindi ako sanay na isang bakpak lang ang dadalhin ko para sa
isang linggong paglilibot. Di ko yata kayang magsuot ng parehong Tshirt
sa loob ng tatlong araw. YUCK! Ang baho na nun ng over! Kaya dinala ko ang
isang Louis Vuitton na hand carry. Pero, ito ay isang Louis Vuitton na
peke, japeyks, class triple-A, galing Greenhills. Alam ko na mali ang
bumili at gumamit ng peke pero sana maintindihan ninyo ako. Fourteen years
ago, nag-uumpisa pa lang ang career ko. Kapiranggot lang ang kinikita ko
at nagandahan lang ako dun sa maleta kaya binili ko. Wala pa akong malay
sa brands noon. Kaya ganito na lang ang pagkukutya ng kaibigan ko sa akin.

Cutie: Oh my god! Is that a fake I see!

Giselle: Sorry, hindi ako anak ng Congressman tulad mo!

Cutie: Giselle, ano ka ba! Giselle Sanchez ka na! You can?t be seen with a
fake! You already perform for the rich and famous not only in the
Philippines but all over the world! When In Rome , do as the Romans do!
Halika, punta tayo sa Louis Vuitton diyan sa Spanish Steps and buy
yourself an original!

Ang bilis lumakad ng sosyalera, wala ako choice kundi sumunod kahit wala
akong planong bumili. Plano ko lang tumingin at bilhin yung usong model sa
Greenhills uli. O.A. kaya ang presyo ng Louis Vuitton bags. The cheapest,
smallest bag will cost you P25, 000. Regular bags range from P35,000-90,000.
And the big and real nice ones cost P125,000-P180,000. Sa
pinakamurang bag, mapapakain ko na ang pamilya ko nang limang linggo. At
sa pinakamahal na bag ay mapapa-aral ko na ang kapatid ko ng college! Ako
pa naman ang breadwinner ng pamilya.. Why would I waste my money with such
over priced bags?

Eto na, pumasok na kami sa napakarangyang Louis Vuitton Shop. Siyempre,
hindi ko naman maiwan yung peke kong maleta sa labas, so sama si japeyks
sa loob. At pagkakita ng mahaderang manager sa bag ko, bigla akong
nilapitan, inikutan at tinignan mula ulo hanggang paa.

LV manager: Excuse me, but what is your Nationality?

Giselle: I'm Fil?(hindi pa nga tapos)

LV manager: (whispering but loud enough for me and Cutie to hear) I knew
it! You Filipina maids come in here to copy our designs. Get out of my
store!

Giselle: Excuse me! I am not a maid! I am an actress and I came here in
Italy to perform for these 'maids' you were referring to. And don?t you
ever call them that!
They are called Overseas Filipino Workers. Do not look down on our OFWs
because they have dignity in labor. Do you work on commission, what's your
most expensive here?
LV Manager: (Points to this type of a cabinet where the bags are
displayed). This one! It cost ___ million lira. (Nakalimutan ko na yung value, basta
million-million kasi lira yung currency. Basta halaga ng tatlong buhay
ko.)

Giselle: Ganun! What?s your second most expensive?

LV Manager: (Points to a luggage na kapalit ang dalawang buhay ko)

Giselle: Forget it! You! (pointing to a cute salesman in the counter) I
will not buy from you, Mr. Manager. I will buy from him so he can take the
commission! I?ll buy this, that, this, that, and this! It's too bad I'm
not an overseas Filipino worker because they can buy more than what I can!

So what is the price of dignity? P500, 000.00 maxed on my credit card;
paid slowly for three years; with my mom screaming on my ears every now
and then.

In fairness to these overpriced bags, they are very durable. I started
using them fourteen years ago and I still use them up to now! People think
I'm so classy using coordinated Louis Vuitton handbags, make-up kit, and
shoe bags. Little do they know that Giselle became classy because of her
being crassy. Moral of the story, kung di niyo kaya, huwag manggaya at
baka mapahiya. I never realized that paying for your sins can be quite
expensive! Di bale, basta mapagtanggol ang dangal ng minamahal kong
Overseas Filipino Workers! Mabuhay kayo?kahit mamatay na ako sa utang!